Nanhua
Description:
In the Abkhaz language, this day is called Nanhua. On this day, Abkhaz-Christians at home serve a memorial meal.
Christians know that there are four portions of the Mother of God on earth. One of them is Abkhazia. The Abkhaz are especially revered by Mother Anpsha.
The largest and most significant churches of Abkhazia were dedicated to the Mother of God. The world-famous shrine is the temple in Ldzaa, near Pitsunda (Anan Ldzaani) is dedicated to the Most Holy Mother of God.
The miracle of the Pitsunda icon of the Virgin is historically associated with the famous victory of 737 over the Arabs under the walls of Anacopia, when Abkhazia forever defended its independence from them at a time when neighboring countries - Georgia and the Khazar Khaganate - suffered defeats from them, which ended for the Khazars with the temporary adoption of Islam, and for Georgia - also with the centuries-old inclusion in the caliphate.
In memory of the Anacopian miracle in ancient Anacopia - modern New Athos - the brethren of the Russian Old Athos Panteleimon Monastery (Rusikon) built in the XIX century the New Athos monastery, the largest in today's Abkhazia, bringing with them from old Athos a list of the miraculous Iverian icon from the gate church of the Old Athos monastery Iviron.
On medieval maps on the site of the current village of Alahadzy (between Pitsunda and Gagra) shows a place called Santa Sophia. This means that there was also a temple dedicated to the Mother of God.
In Lykhny (Gudotsky district), which is the historical center of Abkhazian culture, each family venerates the Anan-Lykhs – the Church of the Lykhne Mother of God, built in 1066.
In Abkhazia, Christianity is surprisingly intertwined with more ancient pagan traditions. Christian shrines were also pagan sanctuaries. For example, the name of the Virgin is associated with the most famous sanctuary in Abkhazia "Dydrypshchy-nya". A little before reaching the top of the mountain, there is a large stone under the oak tree, with the Image of the Mother of God carved on it.
It bears Her name and the oldest temple of Abkhazia - the cathedral in the c. Myku (X century).