Faith / Monastery
Berta Monastery (Ortaköy Kilise Mosque)
Ardanuç, Artvin
The main church of a 9th-century Georgian monastery overlooking Ortaköy, now used as a mosque; the place where the famous Berta Gospels were produced.
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Its story
The Berta Monastery was one of the religious institutions that flourished in Tao-Klarjeti under the leadership of Grigol Khandzteli, and it is estimated to have been founded in the 830s–840s. The monastery's main church, built of dressed stone and dedicated to the Virgin Mary, was converted into a mosque after the region came under Ottoman rule in the 16th century and the monastery was abandoned; today it is known as the Ortaköy Kilise Mosque. A worn inscription in Georgian Nuskhuri script can be made out on the east wall, and traces of frescoes on the interior walls. Of the manuscripts copied here, the 10th-century Berta Gospels are preserved at Harvard University and another, from the 12th century, in Tbilisi. The remains of the nearby Parekhi Monastery can be seen on the same trip.
Key facts
- Period
- 9th century
- Admission
- Free
- Getting there
- Ortaköy (Berta), from the Artvin–Şavşat road
- Visit duration
- 30 minutes
Trip purpose
- Free
- Quiet
Location
41.24905, 41.98358
Reviews
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Source: Web derlemesi (doğrulanmalı): https://tr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berta_Manastırı | https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4992264 | https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/96546808