Despite a 30m tower-spire, this laboriously restored ancient church is somewhat hidden among trees in Upper İşhan (İşhan Köyü), a green oasis village on an otherwise barren mountainside. Founded in the 7th century by an exiled Armenian bishop it was rebuilt several times by Georgians, reaching more or less its final form in 1032 as Tao-Klarjeti's most important cathedral. The site is 5km off the D060 (Yusufeli–Ardahan) highway, using the barely marked intersection 3 tunnels east of the Artvin–Erzurum bridge-junction.
The cruciform interior features a near-conical dome, arcades of tall horseshoe arches and elaborate fretwork around the windows.
Several village houses have been rebuilt in antique style and there's a sweet little cafe facing the church's northern flank, but finding it open is hit and miss.
A dolmuş (minibus) leaves Yusufeli some time between 1pm and 3pm for Upper İşhan village, but it doesn't return until next morning so you'll really need your own wheels as there is – as yet – no pansiyon hereabouts.
