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TSALENJIKHA CHURCH

TSALENJIKHA church of the Savior was built in the middle or second half of the twelfth century. It is located near the town of Tsalenjikha in the historic province of Samegrelo. The church has a cross-in-square plan, with a dome resting on the corners of the apse walls to the east and two octagonal piers to the west. In the late fourteenth and early fifteenth centuries, a three-arched porch was added to the west of the church, and galleries were added to the north and south. These galleries were later divided into several private chapels. The church in Tsalenjikha is well-known for its murals, which were painted by Manuel Eugenikos – a notable representative of late Byzantine art. The wall paintings were executed by order of Prince Vameq I Dadiani (1384-1396). Music by: Mariam Bigvava and Abkhaz State Song Ensemble Shavnabada.