Poti Cathedral of King David the Builder

The Poti Cathedral, formally dedicated to King David the Builder, dominates the flat landscape of the Colchis Lowlands with its striking Neo-Byzantine silhouette. Built at the dawn of the 20th century, this grand structure marks a rare architectural departure from traditional medieval Georgian church design, deliberately mirroring the iconic forms of the Hagia Sophia. Standing in the center of the coastal port city, the cathedral serves as a monumental focal point for the region, balancing historical ambitions with a unique spiritual presence.

The Vision of Neo-Byzantine Architecture

Commissioned by the local administration and prominent citizens, the building was designed by architects Alexander Zelenko and Robert Marfeld. Construction began in 1906, utilizing advanced engineering techniques for the era, including reinforced concrete structures to handle the marshy, waterlogged soil conditions of the coastal area. Unlike classical Georgian cruciform churches built from heavy tufa or basalt, this structure relies on an expansive central dome, deep semicircular apses, and tiered arches that distribute the weight across a wide footprint.

Interior Illumination and Cultural Revival

The interior space is designed to maximize natural light, which enters through a continuous ring of windows at the base of the massive dome. This layout creates an airy, unencumbered hall that accentuates the scale of the iconostasis and internal frescoes. After decades of secular use during the Soviet era—when the building served as a theater—the cathedral was returned to the Georgian Orthodox Church in 2005. Subsequent restoration projects stabilized the foundation, revived the traditional interior paintwork, and fully reinstated the monument as an active center of religious life along the Black Sea coast.