Material: Local stone
Object type: Facade
Dimensions: cm
Text: Eleven line inscription. On the east facade of the church above the central window there is the embedded plaque with the embossed figure of the ktetor of the church holding the model of a church in his hand. His figure is turned towards the figure of the Savior on the right side of the plaque. The Savior is represented with his full body sitting on a throne raising his right hand. As a sign of a blessing he touches his hand to the model of the church. The inscription is carved on the right side of the plaque behind the ktetor on a margin (of the size of 17 cm). The last line is exceeding the margin till the entire length of the plaque. cm
Letters: Engraved Asomtavruli inscription. Dotted on the edges, with equal letters.
Date: X AD (context)
Findspot: Agara (Urvali) church
Original location: Agara (Urvali) church
Last recorded location(s): Agara (Urvali) church
Text type:Unknown
Editor(s): Valeri Silogava
Changes history:2019-10-29 Eka Kvirkvelia ტექსტის სრული კოდირება, მეტამონაცემების სრული კოდირება, ბმულებით დაკავშირება ავტორიტეტულ წყაროსთან
Publication details:Ilia State University, Institute of Linguistic Studies; დოკუმენტი ვრცელდება Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 ლიცენზიით.
Translation
In the name of God, I, Theodore built this stoa in this place to pray to God for Theodore, God bless and have mercy on everybody who are the children of this church [Oh, God].
Commentary
Two buildings - a church and bell-tower are preserved from the Monastery of Agara in Urvali. Both of the buildings have the Asomtavruli inscriptions. The church can be dated to the X c and the bell-tower to XI c. According to the inscription of Agara church a person named Theodore whose identity is unknown from any other source had built this stoa - the entrance of the church. Valeri Silogava considers that the stoa has been reused as the plaque with the inscriptions is embedded along the window of the east facade (the plaque fits well to the cut of window from its up and down sides, but with its width does not suit well the ornament along the window) and there in no other stoa in the surroundings of the church. On the left part of the plaque there is the figure of the ktetor with his full body. His figure is turned to the left and he is holding the model of a church in his hand. He dedicates the church to the Savior. The Savior touches the roof of the model of the hall church with his right hand. Valeri Silogava states that this inscription follows to the X century tendency of embossed figures representing the ktetor of the church with the model of a church in their hands (in Opiza, Bredza, Akhasheni, Oshki, Joisubani, Koroghlu, Phetobani, Kvaisa - Jvari…). This artistic style is characteristic to the religious sculptures of this period of Georgia.
Bibliography
სილოგავა, 2013 ვალერი სილოგავა, სამცხის ლაპიდარული ეპიგრაფიკა, 118-169
სილოგავა, 1983 ვალერი სილოგავა, სამხრეთ საქართველოს წარწერების შესწავლა ხელნაწერთა ინსტიტუტის ეპიგრაფიკული ექსპედიციის მიერ, 273-274
Images
Fig. 1.