Dranda Cathedral, located near the town of Sukhumi, between two rivers Azaps and Small cawdor in the village of Dranda (Gulripshi district) is the current Cathedral of the Abkhazian Orthodox Church.

Surrounded by cypress trees, the massive temple was built around the VI century It architecture refers to the cross-domed churches.

The Eastern facade of the temple from the outside is decorated with three five-sided protrusion of the apse, containing the altar and the side of the room. Crowned by the dome, lying on a 16-sided drum. The temple is lit with 36 huge Windows. The interior of the Church was painted with images of saints and paintings on biblical subjects. In 1860, the famous historian D. Bakradze, said that he had seen in the Cathedral fresco image of the Transfiguration and several murals that depicted the Savior and the saints. However, over time the frescoes were destroyed, and they were not restored. Inside the Cathedral you can see two marble tombs. One of them is under the throne, and the other near the entrance at the West door.

In the middle ages the village of Dranda was the residence of the Bishop. The Cathedral was owned vast estates. In the years of Turkish occupation, the Cathedral was badly damaged, but later it was repeatedly restored. After all these restorations and reconstructions of the original appearance of the ancient temple has changed a lot, also not kept any one painting.

In 1883, the monks of New Athos founded the Cathedral monastery. The monastery operated children's parochial school. The monastery was surrounded by orchards and extensive vineyards, and in the hill below the Cathedral there was a real underground town with caves, hiding places and galleries. By 1924 the land of Dranda Cathedral came into possession of a farm. In a residential area housed the administrative offices.

Today in Dranda Cathedral restoration work to restore its original appearance.