Ateni Sioni

Ateni Sioni is a church in the valley of the Tana River, about 10 km south of Gori, near the village of Ateni. Built in the early 7th century, it follows the same four-apse plan with a central dome as Jvari Monastery in Mtskheta. Its outer walls carry relief carvings and many inscriptions in Georgian and Armenian, including one naming the builder Todosak. The church stands on a slope above the river, with wooded hills around it.

The main reason to come is inside: frescoes from the second half of the 11th century, painted by at least four artists, covering the walls and apses. They are among the most important medieval paintings in Georgia. The Ateni valley is also wine country, known for Atenuri white wine, and the drive from Gori passes vineyards and orchards. Some families in the village make and sell their own wine.

Ateni Sioni is undated but was built in the early 7th century, closely following the design of Jvari. An undated Armenian inscription names the builder Todosak, either the original architect or a late 10th-century restorer. The walls also carry Georgian inscriptions from the 9th and 10th centuries, including some of the earliest dated examples of the Nuskhuri and Mkhedruli scripts. The frescoes were added in the second half of the 11th century.