GeorgiaOfficial tourism
Barakoni Church

Racha's rococo jewel above the Rioni

Barakoni Church

Why go

Barakoni Church rises from a forested bluff where the Rioni and Lukhunis rivers meet, commissioned in 1753 by the Eristavi of Racha, Rostom, and his son Dimitri. Unlike Georgia's austere medieval fortresses of faith, this is rococo exuberance in stone: a cruciform domed church with elaborate carved window frames, an ornate iconostasis, and a freestanding three-story bell tower. It was built to house the revered Icon of the Theotokos of Barakoni, said to have arrived miraculously from Imereti. The setting is sublime—emerald slopes, rushing water, and mountain silence—yet the church remains barely known outside Georgia, offering an intimate encounter with 18th-century aristocratic piety and the distinctive Racha school of church architecture.

On the ground See

  • The intricately carved stone window frames and doorways, exceptional examples of Georgian rococo decorative stonework
  • The original 18th-century iconostasis with its gilded wooden screen and surviving icons
  • The riverside location at the confluence of the Rioni and Lukhunis, best viewed from the small stone bridge below the church

Practical Know before you go

Best visited May–October; accessible by paved road from Ambrolauri (35km), though the final approach is steep and narrow—hire a driver from Racha familiar with mountain roads.

Last reviewed 25 August 2026 · reviewed quarterly