The New Afon Cathedral of St. Simon Zelotes, Apostle. Gold

In the center of New Athos there is a small Greek cross temple available with three apses as a unique monument of ancient architecture devoted to St. Simon.

This church was constructed in the 6 th -8 th centuries during period of rising Anacopy as the administrative and religious center of the Abkhazian kingdom. Subsequently this temple became the bishopric and also served for burying any clergymen of the Sukhum (Tskhum) Diocese. This fact has been evidenced by a stone laid prior to 1882 beneath south entry gate and depicted with a circle with christcross and Greek inscription such as «The Holy Virgin, save George, the sacramental (i. е . the Metropolitan) of Tskhum». Before the first restoration procedure it had been the tombstone above burial ground of the abovesaid Metropolitan George.

The temple walls as well as its lost antechurches have been once plastered with relevant frescoes. The ecclesiastic and secular historians refer usually this temple to the name of St. Simon The Apostle, native of Cana of Galilee and companion of St. Andrew The Apostle. According with the church tradition they passed with homiletics from the south shore of the Black Sea to Viphinia and Pont arriving in 55 th year A.D. at Abkhazia borders whereas St. Andrew left St. Simon in vicinity of Psyrtskha river with purpose to disseminate the Christian faith among local indigenous people. The same year St. Simon was persecuted and martyred. Afterwards the white stoned temple has been erected on its burial site in memory of the first contacts of the Christians and Abkhazians.

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The New Afon Cathedral of St. Simon Zelotes, Apostle. Gold
Obverse: 
In the upper central part in the mirror field has the relief image of the Emblem of the Bank of Abkhaiza, under it the inscription in the Abkhaz language «Аҧсны Абанк», above the Emblem the semicicular inscriptions indicate the coin denomination of 50 apsars, on the left part along the rim – the indication of the metal according to D. I. Mendeleev Periodic System of Elements and the fineness, in the right part – the Mint trade mark. On the lower part of the coin, in the matted field and the relief small print inscription «Аҧсны Абанк» in five lines - the year of issue “2013” and the individual number of the coin are indicated.
Reverse: 
On the reverse of the coin “Novij Afon St. Simon Kanananios Temple” in the centre – the image of Novij Afon St. Simon Kanananios Temple. In the upper left corner – the images of the cross and the water vessels, being symbols of St. Simon Kanananios. Along the circumference the inscription in the Abkhaz language “Novij Afon St. Simon Kanananios Temple”. On the lower part, under the Cathedral image the construction date is indicated
Country: 
Catalog ID: 
AB13CM3
Value: 
€600
Mintage: 
99
Quality: 
Face value: 
Material: 
Purity: 
0.999
Weight: 
15.55g
Diameter: 
30mm
Year: 
Shape and style: 
Edge: 
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