İşhan Church 2026 — Georgian Monastery Church, Yusufeli

On this page

What is İşhan Church?
How do you get to İşhan Church?
When is the best time to visit İşhan Church?
What is the history of İşhan Church?
What is İşhan Church famous for?
What can you see at İşhan Church?
Frequently asked questions about İşhan Church
What do the official records say about İşhan Church?

Key facts: İşhan Church

What it is: The church of a medieval Georgian monastery (Ishkhani), later used as a mosque; a cross-plan stone church about 35 by 20.7 metres with a central dome.
Where: İşhan (Dağyolu) village, Yusufeli district, Artvin province, 11 km east of Yusufeli according to the 2002 inventory.
Period: Monastery founded in the early Middle Ages; the present church was largely built in the 10th–11th centuries (the inventory gives 1008). Restored 2013–2016.

What is İşhan Church?

İşhan Church is the great church of a medieval Georgian monastery, known in Georgian as Ishkhani, standing in the village of İşhan above the Çoruh valley near Yusufeli in Artvin. It belongs to the group of churches and monasteries built in the region of Tao-Klarjeti, now in northeast Türkiye, when it was one of the centres of Georgian Christianity.

The church is large for its time and place: a cross-plan building about 35 metres long and 20.7 metres wide, with a dome over the crossing, built of finely cut stone and decorated with carved inscriptions and reliefs. It was used as a mosque for centuries, and after a major restoration it is now one of the main destinations for Georgian pilgrims in Türkiye, attracting around 30,000 visitors a year.

How do you get to İşhan Church?

İşhan lies in Yusufeli district, 11 km east of Yusufeli according to the 2002 inventory. A road of about 7 km branches north off the Artvin–Erzurum highway, on the Oltu side, and climbs to the village. The church is in the village itself.

The area has changed since the Yusufeli Dam was built: its reservoir, filled from 2022–2023, covers the old town of Yusufeli, the town was moved to a new site, and the main road was rebuilt with many tunnels. Check the current route, and allow time for mountain driving. Erzurum Airport is the nearest airport from the south; Rize–Artvin Airport is reached via Artvin city.

Book an İşhan Church tour

−5% Istambul readers save 5% on every tour below — applied at checkout.

See all tours

Partner listings via GetYourGuide · free cancellation on most

When is the best time to visit İşhan Church?

May to October is the practical season, with the warm, relatively dry climate of the Çoruh valley. Spring and autumn are pleasant for combining İşhan with other churches of the valley, such as Dörtkilise and Barhal. In winter the village road can be icy. Because the interior was still closed at last report, the visit is mainly to the exterior, which can be seen at any time of day; the carved façades look best in low morning or afternoon light.

What is the history of İşhan Church?

The monastery’s origins go back to the early Middle Ages. A Georgian manuscript of 951 credits its founding to the priest Saba, a nephew and pupil of the monk Grigol of Khandzta (759–861), one of the great founders of monasteries in the region. The church that stands today was largely built in the 10th and 11th centuries: building began in the reign of King David of Tao, and sources date its completion to around 1027 under the Bagratid kings. The 2002 inventory gives 1008.

According to the inventory, the Ottomans converted the church into a mosque in 1549. To adapt it, a wall was built across the western arm and two doors were blocked; the south section served as the mihrab, and the north annex became the last congregation area.

The church was registered as a protected monument in 1987. Restoration began under a cultural protocol between Türkiye and Georgia and was carried out by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism; the work ran from 2013 to 2016. However, because mosaics and archaeological finds were found in the floor, the building was not opened to visitors. In July 2024 the doors had been locked for about eight years, and a project to protect the mosaics with a glass structure was being planned. Visitors were stacking stones in front of the door to look in through its glass.

What is İşhan Church famous for?

Its architecture. A cross-plan church with a dome on four supports and an eastern apse with eight columns; the western arm is three times as long as the others.
Stone carving. The inventory notes the inscription above the door framed by geometric reliefs, and, among the decoration around the windows, a relief showing a dragon fighting a lion.
Georgian heritage. It is one of the most important Georgian monuments in Türkiye and a place of pilgrimage for Georgians.
The legend of Elen. Locally it is also called Kanlı Kilise, the “Bloody Church”, after a tale of an archery contest for the hand of a beautiful girl named Elen.

What can you see at İşhan Church?

The exterior. Walk all the way round to see the cut-stone walls, the tall drum and conical roof of the dome, and the carved decoration around the windows and doors, including the dragon and lion relief.

The doorway inscription. Above the entrance an inscription is framed by geometric reliefs.

The interior through the glass. Until the protective walkway is built, the interior with its floor mosaics can only be seen through the glazed doorway.

The village and the valley. The church stands among the houses of the village, which looks out over the side valley towards the Çoruh.

Other Georgian churches nearby. Dörtkilise, near Tekkale, and the church of Barhal (Altıparmak) on the road to the Kaçkar are both from the same Tao-Klarjeti tradition. Barhal is still used as a mosque. For the southern Kaçkar, see Kaçkar Mountains National Park.

Our sister agency Rather have İşhan Church all arranged? Private tours with a licensed Turkish guide and driver, on your dates. Pick your places and nights, see the day-by-day plan and a fixed price per person. Build your trip

Planned by our team in Istanbul ★★★★★ 5.0 on TripadvisorTÜRSAB licence A-10807Free cancellation up to 30 days

Frequently asked questions about İşhan Church

Can you go inside İşhan Church?

Not as of mid-2024. After the 2013–2016 restoration the doors stayed locked because mosaics and archaeological finds in the floor need protection, and a glass walkway was being planned. Visitors look in through the glazed doorway; check locally for any change.

Where is İşhan Church?

In the village of İşhan (Dağyolu) in Yusufeli district, Artvin. A road of about 7 km branches north from the Artvin–Erzurum highway to the village.

How old is İşhan Church?

The monastery goes back to the early Middle Ages; the present church was built mainly in the 10th and 11th centuries. The 2002 inventory gives 1008, and other sources date its completion to 1027.

Why is it called the Bloody Church?

Locally it is also known as Kanlı Kilise. A village legend tells of an archery contest for the hand of a beautiful woman called Elen, which ended in bloodshed.

Was İşhan Church affected by the Yusufeli Dam?

The church stands in its own village above the valley and was not submerged, but the Yusufeli reservoir flooded the old town of Yusufeli and roads in the area were rebuilt. Check the current route before you go.

What do the official records say about İşhan Church?

It is in the village of Dağyolu (İşhan), 11 km east of Yusufeli district. The church, built in 1008, was converted into a mosque by the Ottomans in 1549. Geometric reliefs surround the inscription above the door of the church, which is built of cut stone. Among the decorations at the edges of the windows, the relief depicting a dragon fighting a lion is interesting. The church, which has a conical structure, preserves its original form. (Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Artvin Provincial Tourism Inventory, 2002)