The tem­ple was built in the 10th cen­tu­ry. dur­ing the reign of Bagrat III. It is locat­ed on the ter­ri­to­ry of the Great Pitiunt state reserve, cre­at­ed to pro­tect the his­tor­i­cal her­itage of Abk­hazia. After repeat­ed restora­tions, it was com­plete­ly closed in the 17th cen­tu­ry. Now the cathe­dral is open to tourists and it is note­wor­thy that it is here that the relics of Simon the Zealot and St. Andrew the First-Called are buried.