Team Will Survey Ancient Church in Turkey
An international team will map the Nuka Sakdari Church this October to prepare the site for future structural stabilization.
Updated on Sept. 22, 2026 in Geography
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Beginning October 7, 2026, an international group of specialists will spend two weeks surveying the 1,100-year-old Nuka Sakdari Church in Artvin Province. The documentation project aims to provide the necessary plans to obtain repair permits and funding for the building, which has suffered a partial roof collapse.
Why it matters
Current lack of architectural documentation makes it impossible to secure official repair permits or necessary conservation funding for the site. By creating detailed site plans, the team hopes to pave the way for stabilization work to commence in 2027.
Specialists from five countries will utilize manual measurements and laser-scanning on the interior, supplemented by drone photography for the exterior. The team will operate in a remote area that is inaccessible to vehicles and lacks electricity.
The players
Nikolai Marr
He was a prominent scholar and archaeologist who documented the building through photography in 1904.
The details
The team includes experts from France, Italy, Spain, Turkey, and Argentina who will spend two weeks in the remote Tao-Klarjeti region. In addition to the technical survey, the expedition will produce a documentary film between 10 and 20 minutes long to highlight the project.
Timeline
Nikolai Marr photographed the building in 1904.
Specialists will produce plans and survey the site from October 7-20, 2026.
Stabilisation work is scheduled to begin in 2027.
The Big Picture
This project aligns with the regulatory standards set by the heritage authority in Erzurum to preserve regional historical sites. The expedition marks a transition from historical observation to active structural preservation in the Tao-Klarjeti region.
The production of a documentary film will provide the public with rare access to the remote Tao-Klarjeti site. This documentation effort is the critical first step in preventing the total collapse of an architectural site that has remained largely untouched since 1904.
The takeaway
Preserving structures in remote regions requires overcoming significant logistical barriers such as the absence of electricity or vehicle access. Detailed technical documentation remains the most effective tool for heritage experts to unlock future funding for structural repairs.
What happens next
The international team is scheduled to conduct their site survey and produce plans from October 7 to October 20, 2026, with formal stabilization work for the structure planned for 2027.
Further reading
Learn more about ongoing field efforts in Geography.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Basilica.
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