In the Lazarevsky district of Sochi, a few kilometers from the village of Loo, on the top of the mountain are the ruins of a Byzantine temple, causing heated debate among historians. The archaeological site, fenced with metal structures to prevent further destruction, is taken under state protection.
The ruins of an ancient building
The Loo temple, which did not reach the descendants in its original form, is a ruin devoid of a vault. The oldest building, erected between the X and XII centuries, was first discovered in the XIX century, and in 1979 a book was published by the famous scientist Yu. Voronov, mentioning the religious structure. Ten years later, an archaeological group arrived in Loo (Sochi), conducting excavations at the site of a historical monument, which is evidence of the existence of Byzantine culture in the village.
The architects who designed the temple and built it of a greater height than conditions allow, did not take into account one thing - the seismic unreliability of this region. In the XIII century, the building was razed to the ground, and only after a hundred years it was restored again. According to archaeologists, a new one appeared on the site of the old religious monument, and it is precisely its ruins that we see today.
Temple architecture
The three-nave Loo temple, about 21 meters long, in the center of which stood symmetrically located pillars (only bases remained of them now), was illuminated by narrow windows. Glasses of a greenish-blue hue, through which rare sunlight passed through, were inserted into small openings. The inner space of the religious building at these moments was filled with mysterious light. Scientists who studied the chemical composition of glasses and established their Byzantine origin, found that they appeared no earlier than the X century.
The thick walls of the architectural work that characterizes the culture of the population professing Christianity in the Middle Ages are made of sand and limestone slabs, as well as slate. Facing blocks covered the entire external surface, giving the temple a magnificent appearance: from afar, it looked like an elegant white-stone church with a purple roof. Scientists have found several fragments of walls with carved ornaments during excavations, and also found a plate on which letters of the Greek alphabet were knocked out.
Belonging to the Alano-Abkhazian group of religious buildings, which represented a separate direction in Byzantine architecture, the rectangular Loo temple (Sochi) had three entrances and the same number of apse (altar ledges).
It is curious that archaeologists discovered burials dated to the 13th – 14th centuries in the temple territory and beyond.
The cult structure, turned into a fortress
Loo temple, destroyed by an earthquake, was converted into a defensive fortress several centuries later, as evidenced by archaeological finds. And without that, the narrow windows laid by masonry turned into loopholes, the south and west entrances were closed, and only a third remained - from the north. And behind the temple there was a watchtower, from which now only the foundation remained.
If you look at the map of the Black Sea of the XIX century, you can see what is designated as the ruins of the old fortress temple in Loo (Sochi).
A place with a special atmosphere
Now the only surviving wall is supported by metal supports, and the passage inside is clogged with boards, which slightly spoils the visual perception of the historical monument. Tourists admit that the Loo Temple is a sparsely populated place with strong energy. The complete silence and the pacifying noise of the sea allow you to feel the special atmosphere, and each visitor is transported to the distant past without the help of a time machine. There is a legend according to which every tourist who visits the attraction should touch the wall, and then God will fulfill the most cherished desire.
Interesting Facts
The Orthodox Church believes that the ancient cult church is a dedication to St. George the Victorious. Loo every year on May 6, the day of commemoration of the great martyr, takes a huge number of pilgrims hurrying to the ruins.
In holy places, ancient legends are intertwined with the past so closely that scientists still argue that of them is true and that is fiction. According to one legend, the apostle Simon Kananit was executed by the Romans and buried off the coast of the Black Sea. Five hundred years later, Christians began to search for the grave of the preacher and found it here. At this place, called Nikopsia, the faithful erected a temple. Some historians are sure that the saint was buried in New Athos, and according to other researchers, the current ruins are the same religious building that appeared on the tomb of Kananit, which has not yet been discovered.