Kortskheli Church of the Theotokos is located 8 km northwest of Zugdidi, on the road to Tsalenjikha. It stands on a small hill, offering a grand panorama of the Kolkheti Valley, with the sea visible in clear weather. The church is domed and has been preserved in relatively good condition.
It was built in the first half of the 17th century by the renowned Prince of Odishi, Levan Dadiani. As this is the only church built entirely by Levan himself, he paid special attention to it. He set a direct example for the master builders: the renowned Tsalenjikha Cathedral. You can judge for yourself how well the builders succeeded in realizing Dadiani’s vision after visiting both churches.
For a time, Catholic masses were held at the Kortskheli Church; information regarding this is provided by the Italian missionary, Father Arcangelo Lamberti. He recalls that Dadiani sent them to Kortskheli, to a church situated on a hill in a cozy and beautiful location, from where a large part of Odishi and the sea were visible. According to Lamberti, the Queen Nestan-Darejan had handed over this newly built church to the Catholic missionaries because she believed their liturgy did not differ significantly from the Georgian one. The missionaries arranged the altar according to Catholic rites and celebrated mass daily, while the local population provided them with food.
Kortskheli Church is a small stone domed structure with an open arched stoa (portico) spanning the entire width of the western facade. A stone tower stands nearby, away from the church, on the same side. The architecture of the church exhibits several peculiarities and irregularities that make it unique:
- Dome: Significantly shifted toward the east.
- Eastern Arm: Virtually non-existent in the internal space, as the sloped roof of the main apse directly abuts the drum of the dome.
- Western Facade: Distinguished by a sense of unity—the double-pitched roof and gable are more reminiscent of single-nave church styles.
- Apses: Among the three protruding apses, the southern one is the most prominent, rather than the central (altar) apse.
- Prothesis (Samkvetlo): Completely open from the front in the interior space, which is an unusual architectural solution.
The church was gifted by Levan Dadiani to the Jvari Monastery in Jerusalem from the very beginning, as it is well known that Levan took great care of this ancient Georgian monastery.