T'ALIN / Vllth century
Three naved basilica with a large central dome (now collapsed) set on a high drum. The presence of a transept ending in apses that are semi-circular on the interior and polygonal on the exterior is unusual. This ground plan precedes the typical one of the monastery churches on Mt. Athos. Equally remarkable are the large blind arcades covering the exterior walls of the apses and the drum (a motif to be developed in the cathedral of Ani and the church of the Savior at Sanahin), and the polychromic character of the walls.
The adjoining chapel of the Mother of God is a small cruciform structure dating from the same period as the main church. Its dome rests on squinches. The crenellated cornice contrasts with the simplicity of the exterior walls.

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