The construction of the Church of Simon the Canaanite dates back to the 9th-10th centuries. Simon the Canaanite was one of the apostles of Jesus Christ. According to Georgian chronicles, he preached the Gospel in Colchis. Near the church, there is a cave where Simon suffered martyrdom at the hands of Roman legionnaires. By the 19th century, the church was in ruins: its dome had collapsed, and much of the masonry had been taken by a local landowner for the construction of his mansion. Only in 1880 was the church restored, using white stone for the reconstruction. The temple was consecrated on May 10, 1882, on the feast day of Simon the Canaanite.
Church of Simon the Canaanite
