. ▁The ▁exc av ated ▁building , ▁preserved ▁only ▁fragment arily ▁at ▁a ▁foundation ▁level , ▁is ▁identified ▁as ▁a ▁Z oro ast rian ▁fire ▁temple , ▁sun ▁temple , ▁or ▁a ▁Man iche an ▁shr ine . ▁Con struct ed ▁in ▁the ▁ 2 nd ▁or ▁ 3 rd ▁century , ▁the ▁complex ▁was ▁destroyed ▁in ▁the ▁ 5 th . ▁The ▁site ▁is ▁ins cribed ▁on ▁the ▁list ▁of ▁the ▁Im mov able ▁Cultural ▁Mon uments ▁of ▁National ▁Sign ific ance ▁of ▁Georgia . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁The ▁N ek res i ▁temple ▁lies ▁in ▁low land ▁a rable ▁fields ▁to ▁the ▁south ▁of ▁the ▁hill ▁on ▁which ▁the ▁early ▁medieval ▁N ek res i ▁monaster y ▁stands . ▁It ▁was ▁un ear th ed ▁by ▁an ▁arch ae ological ▁expedition ▁from ▁the ▁Georg ian ▁National ▁Museum ▁working ▁at ▁N ek res i ▁between ▁ 1 9 8 4 ▁and ▁ 1 9 9 3 ▁and ▁identified ▁by ▁its ▁exc av ator , ▁Le van ▁Ch il ash v ili , ▁as ▁a ▁Z oro ast rian ▁fire - tem ple . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 4 , ▁another ▁team ▁suggested ▁that ▁the ▁temple ▁was ▁aligned ▁with ▁the ▁summer ▁and ▁winter ▁sol st ices ▁and ▁it ▁might ▁have ▁incorpor ated ▁elements ▁of ▁solar ▁worship . ▁Alternatively , ▁G ur am ▁K ip iani ▁arg ues ▁that ▁the ▁spatial ▁organization ▁of ▁the ▁building ▁is ▁not ▁compatible ▁with ▁that ▁of ▁a ▁fire - tem ple ▁and ▁the or izes ▁that ▁the ▁complex