Alakhadzi: Coast and Early Christian Temples

Alakhadzi lies on the western side of Cape Pitsunda, near Gagra. As a travel destination, the town combines a long beach with the layered history of early Christian religious buildings. Alakhadzi was also the site of the Genoese trading post of Santa Sofia. If you are looking for a hotel in Alakhadzi, choosing this destination offers two distinct highlights: the coast and historic architecture.

Coastal location and orientation

Alakhadzi Beach is described as more than six kilometers long and up to 80–90 meters wide. Alakhadzi is on the main road between Gagra and Pitsunda. The approximate distances are around 13 kilometers to Gagra and 10 kilometers to Pitsunda, placing the town at a similar distance from both cities. Regular minibuses and taxis are listed as transport options.

Early Christian temples compared

The religious building complex of Alakhadzi is considered important for the study of early Christian buildings at Cape Pitsunda. Temple No. 1 dates to the fifth or early sixth century. It was a three-aisled basilica with three projecting apses. Its exterior dimensions were approximately 50 by 28 meters. Limestone and sandstone blocks and slabs, as well as ceramic plinth bricks, were used in its construction. The term “three-aisled” describes its division into three aisles and, together with the apses, makes the floor plan more concrete than the exterior dimensions alone. Temple No. 1 is described as the largest temple in Abkhazia and the Caucasus.

Temple No. 1 was destroyed by fire; Temple No. 2 was then built on the same site. The second church changed from a building with three apses to a church with only one apse. At the same time, a stone vault replaced the earlier wooden roof structure. Archaeomagnetic analyses date Temple No. 2 to the late eighth or early ninth century. The different dates and the documented conversion show that the temples belong to different building phases.

Temple No. 3 is a heavily ruined cross-domed church with three apses. On the west side, a narthex extended across the entire width. A narthex is a vestibule; in this building, it therefore occupied the whole western side. Excavations at the temple site took place in 1970–1971 and again in 1985–1986.

Other historical references

Ruins of temples are said to have survived in the Akhashnykha area. Akhashnykha is described as a stone shrine, a church, or an icon. The settlement lies about two kilometers from the seashore. The place name Alakhadzi is translated from Abkhaz as “fig spring.” A large early medieval settlement with a sea harbor may have been located in the wider area.

Discover more destinations: Pitsunda, Gudauta, Aatsi, Otradnoe, Sukhumi, Babushara, Ochamchira, Baglani

For the main travel overview: Abkhazia.