{{Short description|Orthodox Christian basilica in Bolnisi, Georgia}} {{For|the Georgian football club|FC Sioni Bolnisi}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2024}} {{Infobox religious building | building_name = Bolnisi Sioni <br/> ბოლნისის სიონი | infobox_width = | image = Bolnisi Sioni Cathedral.jpg | image_size = 275px | caption = Bolnisi Sioni Cathedral | map_type = Georgia#Georgia Kvemo Kartli | map_size = 275 | location = Bolnisi, Kvemo Kartli Province (Mkhare), Georgia | coordinates = {{coord|41.388889|44.5125|display=inline,title}} | religious_affiliation = Georgian Orthodox Church | rite = | region = | state = | province = | territory = | prefecture = | sector = | district = | cercle = | municipality = | consecration_year = | status = | functional_status = | heritage_designation = | leadership = | website = | architecture = yes | architect = | architecture_type = | architecture_style = Georgian | founded_by = | funded_by = | general_contractor = | facade_direction = | groundbreaking = | year_completed = 478–493 | construction_cost = | specifications = yes | capacity = | length = | width = | width_nave = }}

'''Bolnisi Sioni''' ({{lang-ka|ბოლნისის სიონი}}) or '''Bolnisi Sioni Cathedral''' is a Georgian Orthodox basilica in the Bolnisi village of Bolnisi District, Georgia. The cathedral was built in 478–493. It is the oldest extant church building in Georgia.<ref>Rapp, Stephen H. (2003), Studies in Medieval Georgian Historiography: Early Texts And Eurasian Contexts, p. 316. Peeters Bvba, {{ISBN|90-429-1318-5}}</ref>

Bolnisi Sioni Cathedral is known for the Bolnisi inscriptions in Georgian. These are one of the oldest historical documents of the Georgian alphabet. This church is the first Georgian building to have a completion date on the exterior. Bolnisi Sioni’s decorative scheme was a Sasanian style. The southern and central parts of the church are adorned with curling vine scrolls, arabesques, and foliate motifs. Uniform masonry blocks were used to build on to the original building’s Late Antiquity remnants on the southern façade.<ref name="bol">{{cite book |title=Encyclopedia "Georgia" |volume=1 |location=Tbilisi |year=1997 |page=58}}</ref>

The country of Georgia was in contact with Persia during the time of Bolnisi Sioni’s construction.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Tabidze |first1=Manana |title=Sociolinguistic aspects of the development of Georgian |journal=Working Papers |date=1999 |issue=47 |page=202 |url=http://portal.research.lu.se/ws/files/6167139/624456.pdf |access-date=18 November 2018}}</ref> Evidence of this is in the decoration of the building. The sculpture and embellishments of Bolnisi Sioni and other surrounding Georgian churches are influenced from Iranian, Armenian, and Near Eastern art and architecture.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Rapp |first1=Stephen H |title=The Iranian heritage of Georgia: Breathing new life into the pre-Bagratid historiographical tradition |journal=Iranica Antiqua |date=2009 |issue=44 |page=659 |url=https://www.academia.edu/download/38581698/RAPP-Iranian_Heritage_Georgia.pdf |access-date=18 November 2018 }}{{dead link|date=July 2022|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>

<gallery> File:Болнисская Колокольня2.jpg |Bolnisi Sioni bell-tower. File:Bolnisi Sioni church.Facade (Photo by A.Muhranoff, 2010).jpg|Church façade and exterior portal. File:Inscription of Bolnisis Sioni (2).jpg|Early inscription File:The interior of Bolnisi Sioni.jpg|Interior of Bolnisi Sioni. </gallery>

== Bibliography == * V. Beridze, Georgian Soviet Encyclopedia, 2, Tbilisi, 1977, p.&nbsp;454 * Sh. Amiranashvili, History of Georgian Art, Tbilisi, 1971, pp.&nbsp;113–118 * V. Beridze, Bolnisi Sioni // fresco, No. 2, 1968, pp.&nbsp;23–25

== References == {{Reflist}}

== External links == * {{commons category-inline|Bolnisi Sioni}} * [https://www.dzeglebi.ge/dzeglebi/b/bolnisis_sioni.html Bolnisi Sioni, Dzeglebi.ge] * [http://heritagesites.ge/?lang=geo&page=355 Bolnisi Sioni], National Agency for Cultural Heritage Preservation of Georgia

{{Georgian Churches}}

Category:Georgian Orthodox cathedrals in Georgia (country) Category:5th-century churches Category:Buildings and structures in Kvemo Kartli Category:Bolnisi Category:Tourist attractions in Kvemo Kartli