UNESCO expert will come to Georgia in June to study the current situation at the Gelati Monastery Complex, Tea Tsulukiani, Minister of Culture, Sports and Youth Affairs, announced while talking about the roof restoration works at Gelati in the Akhali Dghe (New Day) Program of the Georgian Public Broadcaster (GPB).
Tsulukiani spoke about the situation created as a result of the restoration of the roof of the Gelati monastery complex and noted that a high-level UNESCO expert will assess the condition of the roof of the temple.
She noted that the Ministry spares no effort to correct the mistakes committed during the rehabilitation works in 2008.
“The loss is quite large and even correcting the shortcomings will require quite large human and financial resources. But the shortcomings can be corrected. It will need a lot of hard work. More specifically, we need a qualified foreign expert,” the Minister pointed out.
“Despite the pandemic, we have received approval from UNESCO and in June we will be visited by a renowned expert who specializes in monument roofing and will make an assessment,” she added.
Founded in 1106 in the west of Georgia, the Monastery of Gelati is a masterpiece of the Golden Age of medieval Georgia, a period of political strength and economic growth between the 11th and 13th centuries. It is characterized by the facades of smoothly hewn large blocks, balanced proportions and blind arches for exterior decoration.
The main temple of the World Heritage Site – Gelati Monastery Complex is damaged. The tiles of the newly roofed Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary were broken, water rushed into the temple and the wall painting was soaked. After drying, the fragments of the painting fell off. Specialists say that what has already been destroyed in Gelati can not be restored.
By Ana Dumbadze
Image source: 1TV
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