Barhal Church

Barhal Church, known as Parkhali, is a Georgian Orthodox Church in the Yusufeli district of Artvin province. It was built by Davit III Kurapalat in the 9th century and dedicated to John the Baptist. It has been known that the Martyrdom of the Holy Queen Shushanik, which is one of the oldest Georgian hagiographic novels, was written here. It was restored by Haci Serif Efendi, transformed into a mosque, and renamed as Lampli in the 17th century. The church was registered as a protected cultural heritage by the Turkish Culture Ministry in 1987.