Georgian experts will work alongside their Turkish counterparts to restore the medieval monastery of Parkhali, one of the Georgian sites of historic importance found in Turkey\u2019s north-east.<\/p>\n
The efforts for restoring and conserving the 10th century monastery will involve a group of restoration experts from the National Agency for Cultural Heritage Preservation of Georgia and the State Academy of Arts.<\/p>\n
Set to commence on Saturday, 16 september, the work will aim to preserve the monastery built under the reign of Georgia\u2019s King David III Kuropalates prior to 973.<\/p>\n
Founded by Georgian Orthodox Church historical figure Gregory of Khandzta, the Parkhali was the site where\u00a0Martyrdom of the Holy Queen Shushanik\u00a0\u2014 one of the oldest Georgian hagiographical novels \u2014 was copied to be preserved.<\/p>\n
The monument, known locally as Barhal, is located near the village of Altiparmak, in Turkey\u2019s north-east Artvin province.<\/p>\n
Its restoration will see the Georgian group study the technical methods used for works on the monument by local professionals.<\/p>\n
The visiting team will also supervise and directly participate in the restoration and conservation efforts on the site.<\/p>\n
The agreement between the two sides was reached during a visit of the Minister of Culture and Monument Protection of Georgia Mikheil Giorgadze in Turkey last week.<\/p>\n
Giorgadze visited Georgian historical monuments on the territory of the contemporary Turkey, including monasteries of Oshki,\u00a0Ishkhani\u00a0and Otkhta.<\/p>\n
The official delegation also involved Georgian experts who assessed the conditions of the monuments and prepared recommendations for their restoration or conservation.<\/p>\n
The cooperation between Georgian and Turkish experts follows a high-profile agreement\u00a0signed between the two <\/a>countries\u00a0earlier this year.<\/p>\n The deal involved cooperation on restoring and safeguarding monuments of the Ottoman Empire on the Georgian territory, and\u00a0Georgian historical sites\u00a0found in today’s Turkey.<\/p>\n