The church built in thr 9 century was erected on the ruins of the church built by Bishop Nerses in the first half of the 7th century. To keep the memory of Nerses alive, Saba turned the semicircular apse of the altar from the old church into a part of the new church.
See:
- Ekvtime Takaişvili, Kafkasya Arkeolojisi Materyalleri (Материалы по археологии Кавказа), Moskova, 1909, pp. 45-51