Central Zelenchuksky Church

It was built in two steps: construction began in the early 10th century, and finished in 932, when Christians were banished from the empire.

The second stage finished around 950-960 when Alans returned to Christianity, with only small changes made from the original plan.

[1] The Lower-Arkhyz settlement was located on an important trade and military route, connecting the steppes of Northern Caucasus with Transcaucasia and Black Sea.

After the return of Christianity in the middle of the 10th century, the construction was finished by masters from Anatolia (supposedly, Cappadocia) with the addition of a northeastern compartment.

Walls of the church were plastered and whitewashed and interior was decorated with stucco, which led to disappearance of almost all the frescoes.

The construction seam on the joint of the northern part, North-Eastern compartment and also different thickness of the walls and pilasters indicate that the original project was changed in the 950-960-s.

Pilasters are present in the interior of the temple only on the Northern and southern walls of the Western and Eastern sleeves.

The remains of the second stage of the painting (the first decoration was probably incomplete and was located mainly in the apses) are preserved on the northern and southern walls of the cross' lateral branches.

In the Central part of the southern wall, between the door and the windows, a huge (about 3 m) image of saints Constantine and Helena holding a large cross is visible.