Tbilisi: The rehabilitation of Bolnisi’s Zion bell tower has been completed. The work also included landscaping the yard and other necessary work.
The restoration and conservation of Bolnisi’s Zion bell tower and the landscaping of the yard have been completed by the National Agency for the Protection of Cultural Heritage of the state of Georgia. At the same time, the Ministry of Culture and Sports has also supported them for construction.
The Ministry of Heritage Sites has shared this information on its social media handles. It also shared glimpses of the renovated site on its official Facebook page.
According to the Ministry’s official Facebook page, “The financing of the National Agency for the Protection of Cultural Heritage of the State of Georgia, the restoration, conservation and improvement of the yard of the cultural heritage monument of the category of national importance—Bolnisi Zion—in the municipality of Bolnisi was completed.”
It also stated that to improve the monument’s condition the project and cost accounting documentation for the rehabilitation was prepared on August 23, 2023. The rehabilitation works were performed by the company that won the electronic tender, Old Wall LLC. Moreover based on the contract the company signed an agreement on December 4, 2023.
It is worth noting that as a result of the rehabilitation, the bell tower was completely renewed, the doors and windows were replaced and a new stone platform and a wooden staircase were built near it.
At the same time under the supervision of archaeologists, the earth layer was removed from the temple’s territory. During the works the old wall of the temple appeared, which was cleared from the ground and conserved. A drainage channel and footpaths were also arranged in the area.
The agency spent 165037 GEL rehabilitating the monument. Bolnisi Zion is the most important monument of Georgian culture, with its history, architecture, wall paintings and ancient inscriptions.
The complex’s main building is the three-nave basilica of the 5th century, which was built with hewn blocks of Bolnuri tuff. There is a belfry in the courtyard, the remains of an old fence and in the northern and north-eastern parts buildings necessary for the nunnery. Currently, the area is surrounded by a late fence.
