The modest single nave church, dating from the turn of the 10th–11th centuries, is located in the village of Khe in the Kala community. It draws attention with the elegant architectural design of its eastern and western facades. The interior paintings of the church date to the 13th century.
The murals of the Khe church belong to the so-called folk trend of that era and represent a particularly noteworthy example of this style of painting. It is also important to note that such "folk" paintings from this period have only survived in Upper Svaneti.
The wall paintings in the Khe church vividly exhibit the general features typical of the folk school of Upper Svaneti, as well as the distinctive characteristics of this particular style: vivid colors, expressive and lively faces, sincere naivety, emotional purity, and the ability to create strong artistic effects with minimal means.
It is worth noting the special emphasis on the theme of the Holy Archangels in the painting program. This emphasis is achieved through both the abundance of their depictions and their scale in comparison to other figures. This allows us to hypothesize that the church may have originally been dedicated to the Holy Archangels.
Also significant is the survival, in its original position, of a painted epistyle (epistylion) from the 13th century, located on the entablature of the iconostasis, which depicts an extended Deesis (intercession) row.
Useful information
| Location | In the village Khe, near the central road |
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| The Key Holder | The key is kept with Raul Gulbani |
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