The Sukhum Cathedral is a place of ordination of the Abkhazian clergy 

 The building of Sukhum Cathedral of the Blessed Mother of God is in the center of Sukhum. In 1909 the Greek community of Sukhum started building a church at their own cost. In 1915, the building was finished and the temple was consecrated in honor of St. Nicholas, Archbishop of Myra in Lycia. At the same time, close to the Cathedral was built the Catholic Church (in 1908) and the Lutheran church (in 1915). Now, Services are held in all three churches.

By 1917, the Sukhum Eparchy had 125 parish churches: 61 Abkhazian, 36 Russian, 16 Greek and 4 Georgian-Mingrelian and 8 mixed parish churches, i.e. the Russian-Greek and Russian-mingrelian. In 1918 after the occupation of Abkhazia by Georgian Mensheviks, the Georgian church opens its Tskhum-Abkhaz Eparchy. Since that time, the Sukhum Eparchy in fact ceased to exist, even though before the end of the 30s the bishops were secretly ordained for it.

In 20-40s throughout Abkhazia stayed open only six churches, and among them was the Greek church of St. Nicholas. In Bishop Anthony's times the Church passed to Sukhum-Abkhazian Eparchy. In the middle of 50s the Temple became the Cathedral.

In the 80 years of ХХ century, in Metropolitan David's (Chkadua) times a repair-and- construction works were carried out, the church has several lateral extensions. In this temple, ordained all clerics of Abkhazia, and it was a residence of Abkhazian metropolitans.

 The architecture of the Cathedral and the parish school

The architecture of the Cathedral belongs to the cross-domed three-naved churches with a Byzantine-type dome. The interior is modest; the whitewashed walls are decorated with icons of Orthodox saints - St. Nicholas, St. Apostle Simon the Zealot, St. Andrew the "First-called" Apostle, St. John Chrysostom, St. Martyr Basiliscus, a copy of the icon of the Iberian Mother of God, and icons of the St. Archangel Michael and the St. Archangel Gabriel. In the temple remained an icon of St. Panteleimon the Healer. Services in the temple are held in three languages: Abkhazian, Old Church Slavonic and Greek. From 1993 to the present day the dean of the Cathedral is the head of Sukhum-Pitsunda Eparchy the Priest Vissarion Aplia .