Partial views of the south-western chapel of Tzarakar Monastery

The discovery

The renown ancient Armenian monastery complex ‘Tzarakar’ has been discovered near the village of Chukurayva, 5 kms south-east of the fortified town of Kechror, modern-day Turkey (the old Gabeghiank district, Ayrarat province of Greater Armenia). What remains of it are the interior cut-in-rock structures, the exterior buildings are irretrievably lost.

The monastery consists of a church which has several entrances connected with each other, at least six chapels and other adjoining buildings. It is remarkable for its very interesting structure and extended lapidary inscriptions. Despite it, however, until recently neither specialists nor topographers ever paid any attention to it.

It was only in 1999 that the monument was first visited by a specialist, namely Scottish researcher Stephen Sim, who took photographs of it and made its schematic plan. Later it was visited by seismologist Shiro Sasano, who published a small-scale research work on it together with several photographs he had taken there in 2009.

In this way, these two foreign researchers discovered the cut-in-rock monastery and made it known to the scientific world. They, however, failed to find out its name and called it after the adjacent village presently inhabited by Kurds.

Understanding the importance of conducting comprehensive studies in the monastic complex, in 2010 the members of Research on Armenian Architecture conducted scientific expeditions and revealed a lot of information relating to it. The available sources attest that this newly-discovered monument complex is the monastery of Tzarakar, which is mentioned in medieval records, and the location of which remained unknown until very recently.

Among others the following facts give grounds for identifying the newly-found monastery with Tzarakar:

Tzarakar Monastery and Prut (nowadays Chukurayva) Village from space

As is known, Tzarakar was one of the renowned monastic complexes in medieval Armenia, but in the course of centuries, it lost its glory and significance and was consigned to oblivion to such an extent that in our days even its location remained obscure.

Late 19th century, Gh. Alishan used the available sources to point to the area where the monastery could have possibly been situated: “…Tzarakar, which is mentioned in some works by historiographers and geographers, is known to have stood in a naturally impregnable site in the vicinity of Kechror: first of all, a cut-in-rock monastery was erected…”

S. Eprikian came to the same conclusion: “Supposedly, a monastery of this name and a village used to be situated near Kechror, Gabeghenk District, Ayrarat [Province].”

The colophon of an Ashkharatsuyts (a geographical work), dating back to 1656, also confirms: “…the district of Gabeghenits and the castle of Kaput also called Artagereits—the town of Kechror is situated there together with the cut-in-rock monastery of Tzarakar, where Archimandrite Khachatur Kecharetsi’s grave is found…”

This passage reveals two facts of the utmost importance: firstly, Tzarakar Monastery was cut in the rock, and secondly, most presumably, it was situated not far from the town of Kechror. That Khachatur Kecharetsi, a worker of education and a poet who lived between the 13th and 14th centuries, was buried somewhere near Kechror, is also attested by the following note on a map of 1691 compiled by Yeremia Chelebi Kyomurjian: “Town of Kechror, bordering on Basen, and Archimandrite Khachatur’s grave.” These two records clarify that the monastery of Tzarakar was truly located near the fortress town of Kechror.

Wood-like rings inside the rock, hence the Armenian name Tzarakar (tree-stone) Monastery.

Besides written records, the etymology of the toponym of Tzarakar was also of importance to its identification. Every visitor may easily see that the structures of the monastic complex are cut into quite friable masses of rock which are naturally striped and have certain coloring, looking like the parallel circular lines showing the age of a cut tree—evidently, the name of Tzarakar, the Armenian equivalent for Tree Stone, is conditioned by this resemblance meaning a monastery cut into a tree-like stone.

Inscriptions in the monastery

The primary sources casting light on the historical events connected with Tzarakar are three lapidary inscriptions preserved in the monastery, though they have reached us in a very deteriorated state. The first of them is carved on its western facade: it is marked with irregularity of writing, for its 11 lines and the size of its letters do not seem to have any order. It is a donation inscription dated 952 mentioning Tiran, spiritual shepherd of Vanand District, and Bishop Sahak Amatuny.

An 11-line inscription carved on the western wall of the church of Tzarakar Monastery

Tracing outline of the 11-line inscription carved on the western wall of the church of Tzarakar

Translation:  This is written by Tiran, spiritual shepherd of Vanand… shahanshah… gardener… St. Grigor … for my soul’s sake… may those who object to this writing be cursed by God, as well as …Tiran and Bishop Sahak Amatuny… Hakob… may he who fulfills the commands be blessed and he who raises an objection to this writing be damned and fall into the devil’s hands.

Another extended donation inscription of 17 irregular lines, dating from the same period, i.e. 10th century, has come down to our days in a semi-distorted state. It is engraved on the northern wall of the same church and is especially important as it mentions the founder of Vanand (Kars) Kingdom, Mushegh.

A 17-line inscription carved on the northern wall of the church of Tzarakar Monastery.

Tracing of the 17-line inscription carved on the northern wall of the church of Tzarakar Monastery.

Translation:  …St. Grigor …handwriting… For God’s sake… Armenian King Mushegh… the monastery and churches on the order of Father… after my departure… is cursed… those who carry out the orders… may be blessed…

The third inscription, dated 952 like the first one, is even more distorted and consists of at least four lines (we are not sure about the existence of the fifth one). A considerable part of it has already been irretrievably lost due to natural corrosion and certain vandalistic actions probably committed by those searching for treasure in the monastery. At present only the following is legible from the inscription:

The remnants of an inscription 952AD., originally comprising at least four lines, preserved on the entrance tympanum of the porch adjoining the monastic church in the south.

Translation: In the year 401 (952) of the Armenian calendar …Tiran…

The interior and concha of the caved hall located in the north-west of Tzarakar Monastery

Another donation inscription which fully shares the writing style of the aforementioned ones can be discerned inside a cut-in-rock hall located north-west of Tzarakar and ending in a concha (it is decorated with a cross):

Translation: May Lord Jesus Christ have mercy. Amen.

Further history of Tzarakar is elucidated by pieces of scanty information reported by Armenian historiographers. In 1028 the monastery was renovated and made suitable for serving as a castle. In 1029 it is mentioned in connection with some construction activity unfolded there by Prince West Sargis. Kirakos Gandzaketsi writes the following about the work unfolded in the late 1020s: “In his day the very distinguished Vest Sargis, after building many fortresses and churches, built the glorious monastery of Xts’konk’ and a church in the name of Saint Sargis; and making Tsarak’ar monastery a fortress, he built stronger walls and glorious churches in it.” Information relating to this building activity is also reported by Mkhitar Ayrivanetsy.

The next record dates from 1178, when Turkish conqueror Gharachay took Kechror and the fortified monastery of Tzarakar: “On the same day, he took Tzarakar from some thieves on the order of Emir Gharachay of Kechror and sold it to Khezelaslan for much gold. And he settled it with dangerous men who did not cease bloodshed day and night until the Christians were exposed to darkness and famine…, with five clergymen being stabbed crosswise.”

In 1182 Gharachay, who still held Tzarakar under his reign, destroyed the renowned Gorozu Cross kept there: “In 631 [of the Armenian calendar] Kharachay, who had conquered Tzarakar, overthrew the cross named Gorozo with a crane…” Within a short time, in 1186 the Armenians of Ani liberated Tzarakar through united forces: “In 635 [of the Armenian calendar] the inhabitants of Ani took the paternal  estate of Barsegh (the bishop of Ani), mercilessly slaughtering those who were there, except the women and children.”

The sources of the subsequent centuries make almost no mention of the monastery. However, taking into account the fact that prominent poet and worker of education Khachatur Kecharetsy was buried there in the 14th century, we can suppose that it actively continued its existence between the 13th and 14th centuries. Presumably, Tzarakar was finally ruined between 1829 and 1830, after the mass displacement and emigration of the local Armenian natives.

Architecture

The conchas of the hall and sanctuary of the main church of Tzarakar Monastery

The only surviving parts of Tzarakar Monastery are those of its structures which are cut in the rock, and therefore, are difficult to destroy, whereas the others have been irretrievably lost. For this reason, at present the complex is considered as only a cut-in-rock one consisting of 6 chapels and a main cruciform church with a pseudo-dome surrounded with annexes.

The plan of Tzarakar Monastery and the mountain facade overlooking the south measurement and graphical design by architect Ashot Hakobian, 2010

The plan of Tzarakar Monastery and the mountain facade overlooking the south measurement and graphical design by architect Ashot Hakobian, 2010

It is evident that the rock into which the monastic structures were cut is quite friable, and for this reason, it was found expedient to cover the walls with a layer of plaster to make them solid enough to bear mural paintings and inscriptions.

The next cut-in-rock structure which comes second to the main church by its dimensions stands near the south-western corner of the latter. It almost shares the composition of the first church, but it is smaller. Its only entrance, which opens from the east, also serves as a means of communication with an adjacent hall. The structure is illuminated through its only window opening from the south. The chapel shares the decoration of the church: a relief of an equal-winged cross, covered with red paint, adorns the central part of the semi-circular concha, which joins the underdome square through squinches. Reliefs of equal-winged crosses were wide-spread in many other districts of Armenia and can be found in numerous monuments of the early Christian period. Such reliefs were carved throughout the Armenian Highland after the adoption of Christianity as the official religion of Armenia.

The hall situated between the church of Tzarakar Monastery and the chapel of its south-western corner

The hall situated between the church of Tzarakar Monastery and the chapel of its south-western corner.

There is a structure (3.98 x 2.82 meters) between the chapel and the church which serves as an entrance hall for both of them. It is remarkable for its peculiar architectural features: it has an octahedral covering which rests on the intersecting semi-arches of the upper sections of the walls—a similar covering can be particularly seen in monuments of the 9th to 11th centuries, such as Horomos, etc. As a result of continual corrosion, the floor of this entrance hall is at present totally ruined: as a rule, friable rocks rapidly get weathered and slip downwards like sand.

The western chapel/sacristy (3.37 x 1.80 metres) is remarkable for its composition, decoration and architectural features. Its bema is higher than the floor of the prayer hall. It has a cut-in-rock altar rising at a height of 1.10 meter above the floor of the bema. Another cut-in-rock monument of the complex is a chapel located near the southern side of the church bema. Like the other two ones, it may be regarded as the third vestry of the church.

Source: http://www.raa-am.com/vardsk-4/Vardzk-4E.pdf

Bellow more images from the monastery:

A general view of Tzarakar Monastery from the south

The south-eastern entrance of Tzarakar Monastery with the remnants of the inscription of 952 and its plan according to Stephen Sim 1999

The interior of the church of Tzarakar Monastery towards the north-east, south-east, south-west and its north-western squinch

The interior of the church of Tzarakar Monastery towards the north-east, south-east, south-west and its north-western squinch.

The interior of the church of Tzarakar Monastery towards the north-east, south-east, south-west and its north-western squinch.

The concha of the south-western chapel of Tzarakar Monastery; its interior to the sanctuary (north); its north-western squinch and south-western wall pylon

Tzarakar Monastery. A cross-section towards the north measurement by architect Ashot Hakobian, 2010

The concha of the south-western chapel of Tzarakar Monastery; its interior to the sanctuary (north); its north-western squinch and south-western wall pylon.

Partial views of the south-western chapel of Tzarakar Monastery

The hall situated between the church of Tzarakar Monastery and the chapel of its south-western corner.

The hall situated between the church of Tzarakar Monastery and the chapel of its south-western corner

Tzarakar Monastery. Partial views of the interior of the chapel vestry standing in the north-east of the church

Tzarakar Monastery. Partial views of the interior of the chapel vestry standing in the north-east of the church

Tzarakar Monastery. Partial views of the interior of the chapel vestry standing in the north-east of the church

Tzarakar Monastery. The ceiling and western wall of the chapel sacristy located south of the sanctuary of the monastic church

Tzarakar Monastery. The ceiling and western wall of the chapel sacristy located south of the sanctuary of the monastic church

Tzarakar Monastery. A remnant of an equal-winged cross in red paint on the plaster

The sanctuary of the chapel standing at the eastern edge of Tzarakar Monastery

Tzarakar Monastery. Partial views of the interior of the chapel vestry standing in the north-east of the church

Research team visit to Tzarakar Monastery in 2010

Excavation of a pagan temple complex Ogmik in the village near the town of Amasia, will help to thoroughly examine the pagan Armenian culture, said the head of the group of archaeologists of the Institute of Archeology and Ethnography of the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia, Professor Hayk Hakobyan.

Excavations of the pagan complex began in 1988 and lasted until 1993, by a team of archaeologists led by Hagopian. The work halted in 1993 and was only resumed in 2006 continuing to this day.

“Excavations in the area are of great importance for the evaluation of the ancient pagan life in the country. For a long time it was thought that after the adoption of Christianity, the pagan temples in Armenia have been destroyed, that is not true, “- said Hakobyan to reporters on Monday.

He explained that the results of numerous archaeological excavations, which began in the 50s of the last century show that such temples were not destroyed, and, in addition to Garni temple, the ruins of temples are also preserved in Erebuni, Oshakan and Shirak.

“Best traces of pagan culture of Armenia are preserved in the ancient village of Ogmik where the excavations had revealed a large temple complex in an area of ​​over 10 hectares. To date, we have studied only about 10% of the territory, “- said Hakobyan.

According to the archaeologist, currently in Ogmik they found temples dedicated to gods of the ancient Armenian pagan pantheon, such as Anahit (mother goddess, the goddess of fertility and love) and Aramazd (the supreme god in the pantheon of ancient Armenia, creator of heaven and earth, the god of fertility, the father of the gods ), as well as elements of sacrificial altars, rooms in which are found the remains of sacrificed animals, statues, stones carved with symbols.

Judging by the results of the excavations, the ancient settlement functioned for 400 years or longer from the 2nd century BC until the end of the third century AD, when Christianity in Armenia was adopted as the state religion.

“The excavation will continue, however due to lack of funding, work is going very slowly,” – said Hakobyan.

Armenian paganism – a polytheistic religion of the Armenians is closely connected with the Armenian mythology and prevailed prior to the adoption of Christianity in Greater Armenia in 301 AD.

Pantheon of Armenian gods, that was formed during the early days of proto-Armenian formation, inherited and preserved the essential elements of proto-Indo-European tribes inhabiting the Armenian highlands.

Garni Temple that is preserved in Armenia  is a monument belonging to the era of paganism and Hellenism. It is believed that it was dedicated to the pagan solar deity – Mihr or Mher.

As a result of a major earthquake in 1679, the temple was almost completely destroyed, it was restored in 1966-1976. Outside the temple, the remains of an ancient fortress and royal palace, as well as the bath house, built in the III century, were discovered. The building is comprised of at least five different rooms, four of which were on the sides of the apse. The floors are decorated with Hellenistic mosaics.

Armenia was the first country to adopt Christianity as a state religion in the year 301.

Source: http://www.yerkramas.org/2013/10/07/raskopki-xramovogo-kompleksa-ogmik-v-armenii-pomogut-kompleksno-izuchit-yazycheskuyu-kulturu/

Scenery from Shirak Province, Harichavank complex (7th century AD).

A temple complex is being excavated in Ogmik, the northwest of Armenia’s Shirak province, archeologist Hayk Hakobyan told journalists on Monday.

“We have already found altars, idols and clay figures and carcasses of animals offered to gods. More specifically, dogs and deer were offered to Anahit and Astghik, goats to Vahagn. On one of the altars we have even found a human skull,” Hakobyan said.

He said that the temple complex was built in II BC and was active till IV AD. “So, we see that not all pagan temples were destroyed after the adoption of Christianity. The complex in Ogmik was not ruined but just stopped its activities,” Hakobyan said.

He said that the excavations in Ogmik were started in the late 1980s and resumed in 2006. “If continued at the current pace, they may last for as long as 80-100 years,” Hakobyan said.

Source: http://www.arminfo.am/index.cfm?objectid=A67B06A0-2F4B-11E3-83250EB7C0D21663

Ruins of Ereruyk basilica, 5th century

The Ereruyk basilica is one of the most popular monuments of ancient architecture of Armenia. The Basilica is located on the eastern banks of the River Arax, facing the City of Ani, in the Shirak Province of Greater Armenia. It has a very special place among the early christian Basilica churches, as it is one of the classic examples built in the 5th century . It is considered the highest achievement of the early Armenian ecclesiastical architecture and contains clues to the origin and formulation of Armenian architecture. It is made of fine and hardy red tufa or tuff.

A detailed architectural reconnaissance was done in late XIXth and early XXth centuries by the talented Armenian architectural archaeologist, T’oros Toramanian, who made detailed sketches and drew reconstruction drawings of the Ereruyk Basilica which help us better understand the original state of the intact Basilica. The southern portal which has been relatively well preserved (with most of the ornate carvings in tact) in of itself represents a rich and creative craftsmanship.

Bellow more pictures:

The monastery of Geghard (Armenian: Գեղարդ, meaning spear) is a unique architectural construction in the Kotayk province of Armenia, being partially carved out of the adjacent mountain, surrounded by cliffs. It is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The complex of medieval buildings is set into a landscape of great natural beauty, surrounded by towering cliffs at the entrance to the Azat Valley. The monastery complex was founded in the 4th century by Gregory the Illuminator at the site of a sacred pagan spring inside a cave, holding one of Armenia’s purest water-springs. The monastery of Geghard contains a number of cave churches and tombs, most of them cut into rock, which illustrate the very peak of Armenian medieval architecture. It is called “the Monastery of the Spear”, because of the spear which had wounded Jesus at the Crucifixion, allegedly brought to Geghard by Apostle Thaddeus, and stored among many other relics. For more beautiful pictures of Geghard click HERE!

Below, some sketches of the complex:

The main church called the Katoghike, A-section technical drawing.

Technical drawing of B-section of Geghard cave-monastery complex

Technical drawing of C-section of Geghard cave-monastery complex

Technical drawing of D-section of Geghard cave-monastery complex

Technical drawing of west elevation of Geghard monastery complex

Armenian Chapel of the rue Jean Goujon, Paris , engraving after Albert Gilbert, architect, 1906, 31 x 17 cm. al. Sarkis Boghossian, Paris

In 1902, a correspondent of the Armenian newspaper of Constantinople “Manzou-Meiosis Effniar” wrote: “When will we have our Holy Church in Paris?” This issue did not remain unanswered. A wealthy Armenian (oil) businessman from Baku, named Alexander Mantachiants, discovered that the small Armenian community in Paris did not have its own church. Finding these circumstances unacceptable Mantachiants along with the poet Siamanto, singer Arménag Shah-Mouradian and musicologist Komitas, decided they could not remain deaf to this call.  Religious and deeply patriotic, Mantachiants was touched by the request of the priest of Paris, he vowed to fund the construction of an Armenian Apostolic Church in Paris.

He acquired property near the Champs Elysees for the astronomical price of 450.000 F  and hired architects to design a church. The young French architect Albert Désiré Guilbert was chosen for the task. The first stone was laid on October 5^th 1902 and completed in 1904. The entire construction cost 1,540,000 F. The pediment of the church, 25 m long and 13 m wide, is symbolically engraved with the holy seventh letter of the Armenian alphabet ” է” (“to be “, a reference to God). The church was named after St. John the Baptist.

Today, the Armenian community in Paris is one of the largest in the world and the church is its centerpiece.

See Pictures Bellow!

Mesrop Mashtots Fresco.

BY ALISA GEVORGYAN
Source: Armenian Public Radio

Findings at archaeological site in Armenia could shed light on a number of questions

YEREVAN—A massive cemetery found as a result of three years of archaeological excavations in the ancient site of Karmir Blur (Red Hill) in Yerevan is of huge scientific significance, says Hakob Simonyan, head of the expedition and Director of the Historical Cultural Heritage research center of the Ministry of Culture. According to him, the archaeological materials found at the site could give an answer to a number of questions about the residents of the area, their perceptions of the afterlife and their burial rituals.

Karmir Blur or Teishebaini, which is presently located near the city of Yerevan, was a provincial capital of the 9th to 6th century B.C. Kingdom of Van (better known as Urartu).

Hakob Simonyan says the Kingdom of Van has always been in the spotlight of scientists. However, no graveyard had ever been found on the huge territory until the decision was made to construct a highway bypassing Yerevan, which could only pass through Karmir Blur.

As a result of three months of research, scholars have found densely located tombs. There are 500 tombs just under the road being constructed.

The kings of Van viewed the Ararat Valley as a granary, where the finest wines were produced. Hakob Simonyan says half a million liters of wine was kept in the pantries of Karmir Blur. Huge reserves of grain were also kept in the city.

Among the most important items found at the site were the “four idols” – tuff tiles with holes in the shape of eyes. Scientists assume the idols protected the peace of the dead. It’s now unclear whether the people buried in the cemetery were from the same family, nationality or represented completely different ethnic groups. The answer to this question will become clear after a DNA test. Samples have already been sent to Copenhagen.

According to Hakob Simonyan, Karmir Blur contains exceptional archaeological material, which could give answers to a number of questions. He says as many as 5,000 artifacts could be found at the site. Where they will be kept is a different question. Scholars are confident that it’s high time for Armenia – a country with a powerful cultural heritage – to have Anthropological and Urartian Centers.

As for the excavations at Karmir Blur, Hakob Simonyan says both the Eurasian Bank and Yerevan City Hall have promised that no historic monument will be destroyed and the road will be constructed only after the area is fully investigated.

Since I recently watched The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug , I would like to make a post inspired by the beautiful scenery of the movie. With only one exception namely; this being a real place.

Monastery of Tatev, 8th century.

The Tatev Monastery is an 8th-century monastery located on a large basalt plateau near the Tatev village in Syunik Province in southeastern Armenia. Build on an ancient pagan warship sight, the monastic ensemble stands on the edge of a deep gorge of the Vorotan River. Tatev is known as the bishopric seat of Syunik and played a significant role in the history of the region as a center of economic, political, spiritual and cultural activity.

In the 14th and 15th centuries Tatev Monastery hosted one of the most important Armenian medieval universities, the University of Tatev, which contributed to the advancement of science, religion and philosophy, reproduction of books and development of miniature painting. Scholars of the Tatev University contributed to the preservation of Armenian culture and creed during one of its most turbulent periods in its history.

Monastery of Tatev, 8th century.

Many legends envelop Tatev. Why the name of the monastery ‘Ta Tev’ is translated as ‘Give me the wings’ from Old Armenian? Why does the oldest seismograph in the world, Gavazan Column, being 26.24 ft high keep swinging and does not fall?

Of the Wings

Having finished his work in Tatev Monastery the master asked the builders, who had crowded below, for two chips. After the builders had given them to him he kissed them and said, “Ogni surb ta tev”, which can be translated as “Let the Holy Spirit give me the wings”. Hardly had he finished speaking when two wings grew on his back and he flew away. And the monastery was called Tatev after the master whose appeal “Ogni surb ta tev” was heard by God.

Of the Pride

Once upon a time the builder who was constructing the monastery and the priest, who was busy making a canal so that the monastery could have a supply of water, had a bet on who would be the first to finish his work. A few days later the priest noticed that the master was about to finish his work and resorted to cunning. He draped the part of the canal which was not filled with water yet with a long white cloak so that fluttered by the wind it looked like a waterfall from afar. The trick did work: The master who was already laying the last stone turned back and saw the water falling down. He could not lose the bet and threw himself from the monastery wall. Later the stream was called the Priest Stream.

Of the Water

In Syunik the snake has always been considered the protectress of a family hearth. The Armenians believe that there will be no happiness and peace in the family if someone kills a snake. Another legend has it that once a snake was scooped into the bucked together with the river water. The raven that nested in the monastery saw it, threw himself into the pail and pecked it. However the snake managed to bite the brave bird, and the thankful monks buried the raven on the way to the monetary.

Of the Swinging Column

On the stepped pedestal near the southern wall of Church of St. Gregory there stands a 26.24 ft tall Gavazan Column (which means a staff in Armenian) crowned with a stone cross – khachkar. In old times the talented architect was able to construct this swinging stele. The stele can be put into motion by pushing. For centuries the mystery of this original seismograph that warned the monks about the cataclysm maturing in the Earth depths has remained unsolved. It is also said to have warned the people about enemy invasions. In this case it was put into motion by the warriors’ marching.

The Arabs that conquered Tatev in the 10th century wanted to pull Gavazan down. Ten pairs of buffalos pulled the chains which the stele was tied with. But the chains were torn and the buffalos fell into the abyss. The invaders thought that it was a sky-sign and left the monastery.

In the middle of the 20th century the architects made an attempt to unveil the mystery of the column. Unfortunately, after it Gavazan does not swing that fast.

Some thousand years ago, the old Armenian capital Ani rivaled the likes of Constantinople, Baghdad and Cairo in size and influence. Historically Ani has been an Armenian settlement from the times immemorial. It is first mentioned in the 5th century Armenian chronicles as a strong castle built on a hilltop. Ani was made capital of the Bagratuni Kingdom in 961 AD. and by the 11th Century had grown to over one-hundred-thousand people. Renowned for its splendor and magnificence, Ani was known as “the city of 40 gates” and “the city of 1001 churches.” It would later become the battleground for various contending Empires, leading to its destruction and abandonment. Today Ani largely remains a forgotten ancient Armenian ghost town in modern day Turkey.  Travelers, writers, and other adventurers through ages have described Ani with high regard. I think there is no better way to describe Ani but through the words of the people who have visited the site. Therefore bellow a selection of these heartwarming accounts.

Konstantin Paustovski a Russian Soviet writer, a Nobel prize nominee described Ani in 1923 with the following quotes:

“What is Ani like? There are things beyond description, no matter how hard you try.”

“On the other bank we saw basilicas, tiled Armenian domes and a complete absence of human beings. It was the ruins of the ancient Armenian capital, Ani – one of the real wonders of the world.”

The British member of parliament and businessman H. F. B. Lynch in 1893 also describes the city of Ani in his book “Armenia, travels and studies.”:

“But a lesson of wider import, transcending the sphere of the history of architecture, may be derived from a visit to the capital of the Bagratid dynasty, and from the study of the living evidence of a vanished civilization which is lavished upon the traveller within her walls. Her monuments throw a strong light upon the character of the Armenian people, and they bring into pronouncement important features of Armenian history. They leave no doubt that this people may be included in the small number of races who have shown themselves susceptible of the highest culture.”

“The roofs as well as the walls are composed of stone, and, as usual in Armenian churches, no wood or metal has been used. Even at the present day the Armenian masons are possessed of exceptional skill; and their natural gifts have been here directed by the conceptions of genius.

The merits of the style are the diversity of its resources, the elegance of the ornament in low relief, the perfect execution of every part.”

“We admire these buildings in much the same state and condition as when they delighted the eyes of Armenian monarchs nine centuries ago. Such a site would in Western lands be at least occupied by a small town or village; the solitude of Ani is not shared by creations of a culture that has disappeared.”

Church of the Redeemer, in Ani

An Italian historian, traveler and diplomat Luigi Villari in 1905 recounts Ani as follows:

“We walked over one or two brown ridges, and suddenly the walls of Ani came in sight. There they stood, massive piles of masonry extending for nearly a mile, with huge round towers at short intervals, mute testimony to the deeds of the Armenians in the brave days of old.”

“Nowhere, except at Constantinople, have I seen more splendid defences of a mediaeval city. For about two-thirds of a mile they are still standing, and broken fragments of them extend along the whole length of the circumference of the city and descend into the ravine of the Arpa Chai.”

“The marvelous city shows evidence of a building power and architectural skill on the part of the ancient Armenians of the highest order, and enables us to realize that this people, in spite of the lamentable history of the last six centuries, is a nation with a noble past.

Today this spot, where proud kings once dwelt in splendid courts and held sway over prosperous lands and civilized subjects, where public life was active and vigorous, is a crying wilderness. None but the old priest and the peasant family dwell within the enclosure, and even the neighbouring country, formerly so fertile and well-peopled, is now almost uninhabited, and has become to a great extent barren desert. Is the state of Ani symbolical of that of the Armenian nation, and are they destined at last to disappear or be absorbed into other races, other religions? I do not think so, for with all the sufferings and persecution they have undergone they still preserve a vigorous national life. Many of them have been massacred, but the survivors are not absorbed. Their industry is more active than ever, and education is making great progress. They have built up the oil trade of Baku, they monopolize the commerce of Tiflis, and at Rostoff-on-the-Don, Baku, Odessa, Moscow, Kishinieff, Constantinople, Bombay, Calcutta, and many another city far removed from their ancestral homes, they form industrious, intelligent, and prosperous commercial communities. A people with such a past and such a present need surely not despair of its future.”

Little did Villari know that only 10 years after these words Armenians would endure maybe the darkest of days in their entire history. The horrible events of the Armenian Genocide. Yet almost prophetic his words came true when Armenians overcame even these horrendous events and today there is still such a country (albeit smaller than its historic territory) that is called Armenia.

Sir E. A. Wallis Budge, London 1928. recounts the visit of of Nestorian Christian monks Sawma and Markos to Ani in the 1270s:

“And when they arrived at the city of Animto (Ani) and saw the monasteries and the churches therein, they marvelled at the great extent of the buildings and at their magnificence.”

Yet another highly memorable quote comes from an English artist, author, diplomat and traveller Sir Robert Ker Porter in 1817:

“In the western extremity of this great town, in which no living beings except ourselves seemed breathing, we saw the palace, once of the kings of Armenia; and it is a building worthy the fame of this old capital. Its length stretches nearly the whole breadth between the walls of the city on one side, and the ravine on the other. Indeed, it seems a town in itself; and so superbly decorated within and without, that no description can give an adequate idea of the variety and richness, of the highly wrought carvings on the stone, which are all over the building; or of the finely-executed mosaic patterns, which beautify the floors of its countless halls.”

“The farther I went, and the closer I examined the remains of this vast capital, the greater was my admiration of its firm and finished masonry. In short, the masterly workmanship of the capitals of pillars, the nice carvings of the intricate ornaments, and arabesque friezes, surpassed anything of the kind I had ever seen, whether abroad, or in the most celebrated cathedrals of England.”

Church of the redeemer from about 1040 AD.

William J. Hamilton in 1836 too described the outstanding building techniques of the Armenian craftsman, being able to build structures that would last for centuries. He describes:

“There was something impressive and almost awful in the sight of a Christian town, built in a style so peculiar to itself, and unknown to modern Europe, now nearly in the same state in which its destroyers had left it eight centuries ago.”

“There is hardly a building in Anni of any consequence which is not covered with Armenian inscriptions.”

Church of Ani, st. Gregory of Tigran Honents

Foreign travelers are not the only once to have recorded Ani in such regard. Armenians who have visited the site of the ancient abandoned Armenian capital often had a hard time holding back their emotions.  Basmadjian in 1903 describes the sites as follows:

“The traveler or the pilgrim, whether coming by horseback, by carriage, or even on foot, before arriving at this city in mourning, looks towards the site with a thousand thoughts. He is impatient; he strains to see it – even for just a moment – from afar, one doesn’t know if it is to feel an inner contentment or to satisfy the longings of many years. It is a powerful feeling, an unexplainable desire, that burns, that strains at the hearts of all Armenians and even those of foreign travellers.

And then your companions cry out “ANI!” It is as if a bomb had suddenly exploded, or an electrical current had crossed your body! You tremble; the regular flow of your breathing is altered; your heart pounds; your nerves soften; you are filled with emotions and your eyes begin to moisten with tears; you are no longer your own master; the tears that you initially held back you now allow to flow, to pour down your cheeks. You cry like a child, in front of these crumbling walls, these half destroyed buildings, these heaps of moss covered stones that awaken old and powerful memories in you.”

British army officer Major-General Charles Gordon in his letter describes an account of his visit to Ani in the year 1857:

“The third day of our tour we passed through Ani the ancient capital of Armenia. This city is completely deserted, and has splendid churches still standing in it. These churches are capitally built and preserved. Some coloured drawings on their walls are to be seen even now. I have obtained some views for you from this interesting place. The towers and walls are almost intact; but the most extraordinary thing about so large a place is the singular quietness.

I feel myself unable to describe this extraordinary place as it ought to be done.”

Ancient cave dwellings of Ani

Baron Max von Thielmann (1872) in his book ‘Journey in the Caucasus, Persia, and Turkey In Asia’ describes seeing Ani and its marvelous architecture that at “some parts are as fresh-looking as if they were only completed yesterday.” He further describes the sensation of being at the site as follows:

“On reaching a gentle ridge extending between two hills some 200 feet in height (near Kara-Kala in the Five Verst Map), a panorama disclosed itself to our gaze, which for wild and desolate grandeur is perhaps unparalleled. Before us lay extended a rocky plain about five miles in length, and at its further extremity was a mighty city, surrounded by walls with towers, churches and palaces – a noble pile, but devoid of animation.

The associations aroused by this scene were enhanced a thousand-fold by the tranquility and desolation which prevailed; for in days gone by the capital of a mighty empire had stood on this very spot in full glory and magnificence; and so intense was the impression occasioned by this solitude amongst ruins, that, even later on at Babylon and at Palmyra, I did not experience so acute a sensation.”

William of Rubruck in the account of his visit to Ani in 1255 states:

“On the feast of the Purifaction I was in a city called Ani. Its population is extremely strong: it contains a thousand Armenian churches…”

Bellow some more images of the abandoned ancient capital of Armenia:

Ani ruins – view toward Armenia

Church of St. Gregory built in 1001

Ruins with Church at Rear – Ani (Ancient Armenian Capital) – Near Kars – Turkey

Ani Church of St Gregory (1215)

Holy Apostles church of Ani

Church of St. Gregory built in 1001

Church of St. Gregory built in 1001

Ornamental stones of a ruined Armenian church in Ani

Sources:

http://www.virtualani.org/

http://armenianhouse.org/villari/caucasus/alexandropol-ani.html

Ruins of the Erebuni fortress

After the unification of the Nairi states by Arame (858 BC–844 BC), historic Armenia known to Assyrians as Urartu became one of the mighty states of the Ancient East. Among the earliest and biggest towns of historic Armenia there was Erebuni situated on Arin-berd hill (the south-eastern outskirt of what is now Yerevan), a major administrative and economic center of the northern part of the country. According to the Khorkhor cuneiform record and two other identical records found in the citadel, Erebuni was built by Argishti I in 782 B. C. (this date is considered that of the foundation of Yerevan). In honour of founding the city, a painted figurine of an armed warrior was made, with a cuneiform inscription on a bronze pedestal. This confirms the signifcance of Erebuni is an important military stronghold of the country. The name Yerevan itself is derived from Erebuni.

The fortress of Erebuni was skillfully build in the tradition of the kingdom of Van. Town neighbourhoods were situated at the foot of a nearly 65-m high hill crowned with the citadel which was the architectural dominant of the sur­rounding locality. The citadel commanded a full view of the Ararat plain with its settlements and the main roads leading to Erebuni. The configuration of the hill top determined the triangu­lar shape of the citadel’s plan.

Another element of variety was a six-column portico which stood left of the road and accentuated the entrance to the citadel. The portico was painted with colorful frescoes, and the stairway which led up to it was flanked with bronze figures of winged oxen with human heads. The citadel comprised palaces, houses of worship and serv­ice premises situated at various levels, depending on the hill surface, and interconnected by stairways. The main entrance way led to the central yard which was reserved for all sorts of ceremonies and for the parades of the personal guards of Argishti I and of the fortress’ garri­son. One of the frescoes showed a large scene of hunting, with a nobleman driving in a chariot accompanied by leopards.

In the south-western part of the yard there was the temple of god Khaldi – an oblong large hall with an auxiliary room and a staircase leading to the roof of the tower, and an open 12-column portico, with columns in double rows, where the garrison was probably drawn up. The walls are lined with benches for notables and, at the left end wall, there is an altar for sacrifices. The temple was richly ornamented. Its walls were painted with colourful representations of human figures and gods, with geometrical and floral ornaments. Of special interest is the representation of god Khaldi standing on a lion, with a warder in his left hand and with a horned tiara on his head; it is similar to the bas-relief representation of god Teisheba in Adildzhevaz and many others known in the art of Urartu.

An open­ing over the credence altar served to let in daylight and draw the altar smoke out. There was another credence altar which stood outside the temple, in the middle of the peristylar yard. The interior and exterior walls of the building were painted sky-blue. Next to the temple there were service premises including two wine stores with enormous (up to 600 litres) jars for wine used in sacrifice offering ceremonies.

Cuineform inscriptions, cut not only on the stone walls but also on the column bases, say that shortly upon being completed, the palace was expanded. Argishti had new pre­mises, organically connected with the fortress layout, added to its south-eastern side.

Successive Urartian kings made Erebuni their place of residence during their military campaigns against northern invaders and continued construction work to build up the fortress defences. Kings Sarduri II and Rusa I also utilized Erebuni as a staging site for new campaigns of conquest directed towards the north. In the early sixth century the Urartian state became a vessel of the Achaemenian Empire. The strategic position that Erebuni occupied did not diminish, however, becoming an important center of the satrapy of Armenia. Despite numerous invasions by successive foreign powers, the city was never truly abandoned and was continually inhabited over the following centuries, eventually branching out to become the city of Yerevan.

King Aram with His Child Ara the Handsome, by Rubik Kocharian, 2014

Armenia was well known to classical Greek and Roman writers who on occasion made personal journeys to Armenia describing some of its countryside, villages and cities. Many of which are today only remembered through their records. Pliny the Elder for example recounts a few in his work “The Natural History” (6.10):

“The more famous towns in Lesser Armenia are Cæsarea, Aza, and Nicopolis;  in the Greater Arsamosata, which lies near the Euphrates, Carcathiocerta upon the Tigris, Tigranocerta which stands on an elevated site, and, on a plain adjoining the river Araxes, Artaxata… Claudius Cæsar makes the length (of the country Armenia), from Dascusa to the borders of the Caspian Sea, thirteen hundred miles, and the breadth, from Tigranocerta to Iberia, half that distance. It is a well-known fact, that this country is divided into prefectures, called “Strategies,” some of which singly formed a kingdom in former times; they are one hundred and twenty in number, with barbarous and uncouth names.”

Ptolemy gives a list of Armenian towns, some of which are not recorded in other sources, and their site remains unknown. The towns which are best known in connection with the writers of Greece and Rome are: Artaxata or Artaxiasata; Tigranocerta; Theodosiopolis; Carcathiocerta; Armosata; Artageira; Naxuana; Morunida; Buana; Bizabda and Amida.

Let us examine some of these cities in more detail:

Arsamosata

Armenian Kingdom of Sophene Arsames II ca. 230BC

Arsamosata (Արշամշատ, Arshamshat) was a city in Armenian Sophene near the Euphrates. It was founded by King Arsames I of the Orontid Dynasty in the 3rd century BC. Polybius provides our earliest extant evidence for Arsamosata in western Armenia (Sophene). According to him Antiochos III encamped before Armosata, which was located near the “Fair Plain,” between the Euphrates and the Tigris. Polybius also says that Xerxes was the king of the city. This Xerxes (Armenian: Shawarsh) is the son of Arsames, who founded Arsamosata. Pliny said it was one of the important cities of Greater Armenia, and Tacitus described it as a fortress. Ptolomy said it was located in the region between the Euphrates and the Tigris.  In the Middle Ages it was called Ashmushat. The city has been identified with the modern Kharput (Elazığ). T. A. Sinclair has located Arsamosata at the site of Haraba near Kharput. Much of that site now lies submerged under the waters due to the construction of the Keban Dam.

Artashat (Artaxata)

Location of anicent Artashat, Armenia. Khor Virap and Ararat-Landscape

Founded by King Artashes I in 176 BC, Artashat served as the capital of the Kingdom of Armenia from 185 BC until 120 AD, and was known as the “Vostan Hayots” or “court” or “seal of the Armenians.” The story of the foundation is given by the Armenian historian Movses Khorenatsi of the fifth century:

“Artashes traveled to the location of the confluence of the Yeraskh and Metsamor [rivers] and taking a liking to the position of the hills [adjacent to Mount Ararat], he chose it as the location of his new city, naming it after himself.”

According to the accounts given by Greek historians Plutarch and Strabo, Artashat is said to have been chosen on the advice of the Carthaginian general Hannibal. However, modern historians argue that there is no direct evidence to support the above mentioned passage. Some sources have also indicated that Artashes built his city upon the remains of an old Araratian settlement.

Strabo and Plutarch describe Artashat as a large and beautiful city and the royal residence (basileion) of the country. Plutarch also mentions that it was the royal residence of Tigranes. A focal point of sophisticated culture, Armenia’s first theater was built here. Movses Khorenatsi mentions numerous pagan statues of the gods and goddesses of Anahit, Artemis and Tir were brought from the religious center of Bagaran and other regions to the city.

Artashes also built a citadel (which was later named Khor Virap and gained prominence as the location where Gregory the Illuminator was to be imprisoned by Trdat the Great) and added other fortifications, including a moat. The city’s strategic position in Araks valley on the silk road, soon made Artashat a center of bustling economic activity and thriving international trade, linking Persia and Mesopotamia with the Caucasus and Asia Minor. Its economic wealth can be gauged in the numerous bathhouses, markets, workshops administrative buildings that sprang up during the reign of Artashes I. The city had its own treasury and customs. The amphitheater of Artashat was built during the reign of king Artavazd II (55-34 BC). The remains of the huge walls surrounding the city built by King Artashes I could be found in the area.

Artemita

Lake Van

A rather mysterious and forgotten city in ancient Armenia. Ptolomy twice mentions an Artemita in Armenia (5.13.21, 8.19.13). These are the only extant ancient attestations for Artemita. M. L. Chaumont has suggested it was located on the southern shores of Lake Van at the site of the town of Edremit. Horatio Southgate (1840) in his book “Narrative of a Tour Through Armenia, Kurdistan, Persia and Mesopotamia” also identifies Artemita with the village Erdremit:

“The name of this village (Erdremid) seems to have escaped entirely the notice of geographers, probably from the fact, that the few travelers who have passed this way did not stop here, but ended their day’s journey in Van. It was only the accident of sickness which induced me to make it my resting-place for a night. I think there can be little doubt that is the site of the ancient city of Artemita.”

Today there is a village in the Armavir Province of Armenia known as Artamet.

Epiphaneia on the Tigris

Tigris river near Diyarbakir

Another fairly unknown ancient Armenian city was recorded by a Greek author Stephanos. Stephanos is our sole extant source for an Epiphaneia on the Tigris. He adds that originally it had been called “Arkesikerta” and that it had been founded by Arkesios. A number of sources mention that Antiochos IV Epiphanes conducted a campaign against the Armenian king Artaxias probably in 165 B.C. We can therefore safely assume that the settlement was subsequently renamed by Antiochos IV.

M. L. Chaumont suggested one of two possible locations for Epiphaneia: Egil or Diyarbakir (modern Amida), both in southeastern Turkey.

Carcathiocerta

Ancient ruins at Eğil near the river Tigris

Carcathiocerta was a city in Armenian Sophene near the Tigris, identified with the modern city of Eğil. It was the first capital of Sophene until Arsames I founded the new capital Arshamshat around 230 BCE. 

Not much has been recorded about the city but Strabo in his Geography, calls it “The royal city of Sophene”.

Tigranocerta

Tigranakert of Artsakh

Tigranocerta was the capital of the Armenian Kingdom. It bore the name of Tigranes the Great, who founded the city in the first century BC. The name of the city means “made by Tigran”, and was possibly located near present-day Silvan or nearby Arzan (Arzn, in the Armenian province of Arzanene or Aghdznik), east of Diyarbakır modern day Turkey. It was one of four cities in historic Armenia named Tigranakert. The others were located in Nakhichevan, Artsakh and Utik.

The city’s markets were filled with traders and merchants doing business from all over the ancient world. Tigranocerta quickly became a very important commercial, as well as cultural center of the Near East. The magnificent theater that was established by the Emperor, of which he was an avid devotee, conducted dramas and comedies mostly played by Greek as well as Armenian actors. Plutarch wrote that Tigranocerta was “a rich and beautiful city where every common man and every man of rank studied to adorn it.” Tigranes had divided Greater Armenia – the nucleus of the Empire – into four major strategic regions or viceroyalties.

A Roman force under Lucius Lucullus besieged the city in the summer of 69 B.C. but was unable to swiftly overrun it. Tigranocerta was still an unfinished city when Lucullus laid siege to it in the late summer of 69. The city was heavily fortified and according to the Greek historian Appian, had thick and towering walls that stood 25 meters high, providing a formidable defense against a prolonged siege. The Roman siege engines that were employed at Tigranocerta were effectively repelled by the defenders by the use of naphtha, making Tigranocerta, according to one scholar, the site of “perhaps the world’s first use of chemical warfare.” After a lengthy siege the gates to Tigranocerta were sabotaged and opened by the foreign inhabitants of the city. Lucullus entered the city and sacked Tigranocerta. After the plunder, which included the destruction of statues and temples, the city was set ablaze. An abundant quantity of gold and silver was carried off to Rome as war booty. Lucullus took most of the gold and silver from the melted-down statues, pots, cups and other valuable metals and precious stones. The newly established theater building was also destroyed in the fire. Nonetheless Tigranes managed to escape north into Armenian Highlands.

In the summer of 68 BC Lucullus again marched against Tigranes the Great and crossed the Anti-Taurus range heading for the old Armenian capital Artaxata. Once again Tigranes was provoked to attack and in a major battle at the Arsanias River Lucullus was heavily defeated by the Armenian army. Soon he left this campaign and when winter came on early in the Armenian Highland, his troops mutinied, refusing to go further, and he was forced to withdraw southwards back into Arzenene. From there he proceeded back down through Gordyene into old Assyria. During the winter of 68-67 B.C. at Nisibis, his authority over his army was more seriously undermined as mutiny spread in the legions with the troops refusing to obey Lucullus’ commands. After these defeats Lucullus was thoroughly discredited in the eyes of his soldiers, as well as the senate.

The Roman senate sent Pompey to succeed Lucullus in the eastern campaign. Tigranocerta was retaken briefly by Rome, but given back to Tigranes as a means for consolidating peace. Pompey was inclined to make peace with the 75 year old King and Tigranes continued to rule Armenia as an ally of Rome until his death. As Cicero amply describes in his work For Sestius:

“Tigranes—who was himself an enemy of the Roman people, and who received our most active enemy in his territories, who struggled against us, who fought pitched battles with us, and who compelled us to combat almost for our very existence and supremacy—is a king to this day, and has obtained by his entreaties the name of a friend and ally, which he had previously forfeited by his hostile and warlike conduct.”

During the Ottoman period, Armenians referred to the city of Diyarbekir as Dikranagerd (Western Armenian pronunciation of Tigranakert).

Karin/Theodosiopolis/Erzurum

View of modern Erzurum, East Turkey.

The city of Erzurum was founded by the Armenian royal dynasty. In ancient times, Erzurum existed under the Armenian name of Karin. During the reigns of the Artaxiad and Arsacid kings of Armenia, Karin served as the capital of the eponymous canton of Karin, mentioned in Strabo’s Geography (12.3)  as a large district named Carana. After the partition of Armenia between the Eastern Roman Empire and Sassanid Persia in 387 AD, the city passed into the hands of the Romans. They renamed it to Theodosiopolis, in honour of the Emperor Theodosius the Younger in A. D. 416. It was for a long time subject to the Byzantine emperors, who considered it the most important fortress of Armenia. As the chief military stronghold along the eastern border of the empire, Theodosiopolis held a highly important strategic location and was fiercely contested in wars between the Byzantines and Persians. About the middle of the 11th century it received the name of Arze-el-Rum, contracted into Arzrum or Erzrum. It owed its name to the circumstance, that when the city of Arzek was taken by the Seljuk Turks, A. D. 1049, its Armenian, Syrian, and other Christian inhabitants moved to Theodosiopolis, and gave it the name of their former abode. Which from its long subjection to the Romans had received the epithet of Rúm.

Sources:

• http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.02.0137:book%3D6&force=y
• Getzel M. Cohen (2013), The Hellenistic Settlements in the East from Armenia and Mesopotamia to Bactria and India
• Strabo (1st. c. BC.) Geographica
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artashat
• Horatio Southgate (1840), Narrative of a Tour Through Armenia, Kurdistan, Persia and Mesopotamia: With an Introduction, and Occasional Observations Upon the Condition of Mohammedanism and Christianity in Those Countries, Volume 2
• Gevork Nazaryan, Armenian Highland
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodosiopolis_(Armenia)
• http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0239:book=12:chapter=3
• http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.02.0020:text=Sest.:chapter=27
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carcathiocerta
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tigranocerta

Noravank Monastery 13th century – Armenia

Noravank (meaning “New Monastery”) is a 13th-century Armenian monastery, located 122km from Yerevan in a narrow gorge made by the Amaghu river. The gorge is known for its tall, sheer, brick-red cliffs surrounding the monastery. Noravank was founded in 1205 by Bishop Hovhannes, a former abbot of Vahanavank and became the residence of the Orbelian princes. The architect Siranes and the miniature painter and sculptor Momik worked here in the latter part of the thirteenth and early fourteenth century. In the 13th and 14th centuries it became a major religious and cultural center of Armenia.

The grandest structure is Surb Astvatsatsin (Holy Mother of God), also called Burtelashen (Burtel’s construction) in the honour of Prince Burtel Orbelian, its financier. Surb Astvatsatsin was completed in 1339, a masterpiece of the talented sculptor and miniaturist Momik, who designed it, and was also his last work. The ground floor contains elaborate tombs of Orbelian Princes and their family. 

The complex has several surviving cross-stone (khachkars). The most intricate of them all is a 1308 khachkar by Momik. Standing out against the carved background are a large cross over a shield-shaped rosette and salient eight-pointed stars vertically arranged on its sides. The top of the khachkar shows a Deesis scene framed in cinquefoil arches symbolizing a pergola as suggested by the background ornament of flowers, fruit and vine leaves.

The complex was renovated in the late 1990s and early 2000s under the sponsorship of Mr. & Mrs. Hadjetian.

Ancient cave-dwellings of Khndzoresk

Armenian Highland is distinguished with countless ancient cave dwellings, dating far back into history of human settlement. Discoveries in the Areni cave complex in Armenia yielded phenomenal finds such as the discovery of the world’s oldest leather shoe (5,500-year-old), oldest wine making facility (6,100-year-old), a straw skirt dating to 3900 BC, singes of animal domestication and even a well preserved human brain. There is almost every kind of cave in Armenia, there are man made caves and even caves of hydrothermal origin, which are very rare in the world. These hollows originate when lava from the inner core of the earth mixes with hot springs, creating caves.  We also know that people themselves created caves. Elaborate and often architecturally magnificent, monastery complexes with entire villages, carved out of rock, are found in abundance on the Armenian plateau. Armenians used caves as fortresses, places of worship, as housing, as storage facilities and as shed for the animals. Because of minimal airflow, these caves are warm in winter and cool in summer. Armenian cave-dwellings were well known to the ancient classical writers. Xenophon during his journey in Armenia describes an Armenian village as follows: 

“Their houses were under ground, the entrance like the mouth of a well, but spacious below; there were passages dug into them for the cattle, but the people descended by ladders. In the houses were goats, sheep, cows, and fowls, with their young; all the cattle were kept on fodder within the walls. There was also wheat, barley, leguminous vegetables, and barley-wine, in large bowls.”[1]

Living in caves was common during the entire Armenian history. Such caves were used as dwellings in Armenia until the 1960s. Today, in the villages of Tegh and Khndzoresk in the Syunik marz, caves are still used as cellars and cow-sheds.

Mr. Curzon in his Armenia (cf. Taylor’s N.) gives a detailed account of the construction of these cave houses in Armenia.

“First a site is selected on the side of a gently sloping hill. Then a space as large as the proposed house is excavated. This is divided off into quarters for the stock and rooms for the family by walls and rows of wooden columns, eight or nine feet high. Over these large branches of trees are laid, with a thick layer of smaller branches and twigs on top. Then a large part of the earth taken out in the excavation is spread above, and a layer of turf completes the roof. The houses are now entered through door-ways on the lower side, which is built up four or five feet above the grade of the slope.”[2]

Some cave-dwellings found throughout the Armenian plateau are distinguished with a stone door. The Speleological Center of Armenia has discovered more than 160 man-made structures carved into rocks and caves that were inhabited in the area from Talin to Ashtarak and Araler-Aragats. They differ from other man-made caves in other regions of Armenia with regard to the stone doors. Caves with stone doors have a cave-hall, a stone door and a secret entrance, in the form of a tunnel with specific masonry. They were mainly used as hidden storehouses for the food of small groups of people or communities. Only a few trusted people had access to these reserves.  At the end of the tunnels, there were stone-doors that swung inward.

These doors were a fundamental feature of the caves. If there was a hidden tunnel, there was always  a stone door at the end. The stone doors had pegs near the top that fit into specially carved holes in the frames. Both doors and frames were well-finished. Even today, these doors can be opened and closed. It is unknown when these doors were built, but by the 18th century, they had no practical use anymore. Ancient Armenian writers wrote about them as amazing, unusual structures granted to humans by mythical giants. According to the Speleological Center, caves with such stone doors are often found in the Aragatsotn marz. But there are no rock-carved churches in this region, and the churches that were built from the 5th to the 16th centuries don’t have stone doors. Thus, they conclude that such stone door caves are related to a pre-Christian culture.[3]

Bellow more pictures of cave dwellings in Armenia.

Kronk cave church (12-13 c) in the Tsaghkaberd village, Qashatagh region

The Areni-1 cave complex in the Areni village of southern Armenia along the Arpa River. Descoveries in the complex revealed the among other artifacts: the oldest shoe and the oldest known winery.

6,100 year old Wine making press (oldest known) discovered in Armenian Cave.

Geghard 4th century Armenian Cave Monastery.

Ancient Armenian cave dwellings of Ani

Ancient rock-carved village in Ani. Erosion over the centuries have exposed home interiors.

The entrance to a rock-cut church in the Gayledzor valley cave complex.

Rows of pigeon holes of a dovecote inside a rectangular chamber in the Igadzor valley cave-complex.

Lastiver pagan Cave dweling

Lastiver pre-Christian cave

Lastiver pre-Christian cave

Apse of the rock-cut chapel of the Armenian Monastery, Derevank.

Caves near the village of Tegh

Entrance to the Monastery of the Holy Virgin Mary (5th Century) on a cliff overlooking the village of Kayadibi, near Shabin Karahisar (Arm. Koghonia, Koloneia), looking east.

Entrance to the Monastery of the Holy Virgin Mary (5th Century) on a cliff overlooking the village of Kayadibi, near Shabin Karahisar (Arm. Koghonia, Koloneia), looking east.

Ancient cave-dwellings of Khndzoresk

Ancient cave-dwellings of Khndzoresk

Khosrov Armenia, inhabited lron ago caverns

Ancient cave-dwellings of Khndzoresk

Lastiver pre-Christian cave dwellings

Cave entrance to Geghard 4th century monastery.

Lernanist (Surbi, Aphrey) cave

Ancient man-made cave made from rocks

Ancient Lazar’s cave Alaverdi-Armenia

Recently discovered 5th century Armenian Tzarakar monastery.

The 5th century Armenian Tzarakar monastery.

The conchas of the hall and sanctuary of the main church of Tzarakar Monastery

Khndzoresk – cave settlement

Ancient Ani cave complex

Sources:

[1] http://www.gutenberg.org/files/22003/22003-h/22003-h.htm#FNanchor_218_218

[2] https://archive.org/details/xenophonsanabas00zenogoog

[3] http://hetq.am/eng/print/8079/

The main gate of İstanbul’s Dolmabahçe Palace was designed by Armenian architect Garabet Balyan. (Photo: Mehmet Yaman)

The Turkish Museum of Architecture has recently opened an online exhibition of structures in modern Turkey created by Armenian architects during the Ottoman era. The website describes the Armenian contribution to architectural development of Istanbul as follows:

“Armenian architects took on a prominent role in the construction of palace buildings and official buildings in the Ottoman Empire. The staff of the Imperial Architects Office that directed such construction projects always included Armenian architects. Young recruits to this office were trained within a master-apprentice relationship. In other words, the Imperial Architects Office also operated as a kind of school of architecture.

The architects of the Balian family…, had already been realizing the construction projects of the palace. Almost all the large mosques commissioned by sultans in Istanbul in the first half of the century were the work of the Balians. Increasingly, Levantine, Greek and other Armenian architects began to carry out the projects of public buildings and private buildings of their own communities. They were either trained by practice, or were graduating from the schools of architecture in Europe. Meanwhile, architecture seemed no longer to be a ‘popular’ profession for the Muslims of Ottoman society. After the opening of the School of Fine Arts, for a long period of time, the majority of students at the Department of Architecture were Rum/Greek and Armenian. “

Süleymaniye Mosque, 1890

During the course of the Ottoman history many famous architects of Armenian origin have been instrumental in the development of the empire. The architecture of Istanbul would be unimaginable without the Balian family – a dynasty of famous Ottoman imperial architects of Armenian ethnicity.

For five generations in the 18th and 19th centuries, they designed and constructed numerous major buildings, including palaces, kiosks, mosques, churches and various public buildings, mostly in Istanbul. The nine well-known members of the family served six sultans in the course of almost a century and were responsible for the evolution of the architecture of the then-capital city. The most important and largest construction built by members of the family was Dolmabahce Palace, which is considered to be one of the world’s finest palaces of the 19th century. Most of their buildings are still in use and registered as historical monuments.

Another famous Ottoman-Armenian architect was Mimar Sinan chief Ottoman architect and civil engineer for sultans Suleiman the Magnificent, Selim II, and Murad III, in the 16th century.[5][6][7]  He was, during a period of fifty years, responsible for the construction or the supervision of every major building in the Ottoman Empire. More than three hundred structures are credited to his name. He is also considered one of the world’s first earthquake engineers. His apprentices would later design the Sultan Ahmed Mosque in Istanbul, Stari Most in Mostar and help design the Taj Mahal in the Mughal Empire. He is considered the greatest architect of the classical period of Ottoman architecture, and has been compared to Michelangelo, his contemporary in the West. Among his masterpieces are such famous building as the Süleymaniye Mosque in Istanbul and the Selimiye Mosque in Edirne.

See bellow for the images from the exhibition:

Büyükada Pier by Mihran Azaryan

Saint Savior Hospital Chapel by Kevork Aslanyan

Tobacco Factory – Kadir Has University by Hovsep Aznavur

Saint Stephan Bulgarian Church by Hovsep Aznavur

Bezm-i Alem Valide Mosque by Garabed Amira Balyan

Sanasaryan Han – “Former Police Department” – “Mısır Apartment Block by Hovsep Aznavur

“Saint Mary Church” – “Holy Trinity Church” – “Mahmud II Dam” by Garabed Amira Balyan

Valide Dam by Garabed Amira Balyan

Mahmud II Tomb by Garabed Amira Balyan

Mahmud II Tomb by Garabed Amira Balyan

Military Academy – Kuleli Cavalry Barracks by Garabed Amira Balyan

Mahmud II Tomb by Garabed Amira Balyan

Nusretiye Mosque by Krikor Amira Balyan

Dolmabahçe Palace by Garabed Amira Balyan

Küçüksu Pavilion by Nigoğos Balyan

Selimiye Barracks – “Nusretiye Mosque by Krikor Amira Balyan

Dolmabahçe Palace, Imperial Gate by Nigoğos Balyan

Dolmabahçe Palace Ceremonial Hall by Nigoğos Balyan

Beylerbeyi Palace by Sarkis Balyan

Ihlamur Pavilion by Nigoğos Balyan

“Sadabad Mosque” “Maçka Police Station – İTU Business Administration Faculty” “Maçka Armony – İTU Language School” by Sarkis Balyan

Akaretler Row Houses by Sarkis Balyan

Ministry of War – İstanbul University Rectorate by Sarkis Balyan

Çırağan Palace by Sarkis Balyan

Saint Takavor Church by Mıgırdiç Carkyan

Beyazıt Tower” – “Iron and Steel Factory by Senekerim Balyan – Garabed Amira Balyan

Apartment Blocks by Levon Güreğyan

Saint Mary Church by Garabed Devletyan

Apartment Block by Şabuh Hançer

Dilsizzade Han – Office Building by Isdepan Hamamciyan

Armenian Evangelical Church by Isdepan İzmirliyan

Saint Paul Church by Krikor Hürmüzyan

Ragıp Paşa Apartment Block by Aram ve İsak Karakaş

Ferah Apartment Block by Aram ve İsak Karakaş

Azarian Seaside Mansion – Sadberk Hanim Museum by Andon Kazazyan

Süreyya Movie Theater by Keğam Kavafyan

Saint Leon Church by Boğos Makasdar

Taşciyan Mansion by Artin Macaryan

The Door of Armenian Cemetery by Mihran Kalfa

Armenian Patriarchate by Krikor Melidosyan

“Agopyan Han” – “İş Bankası by Levon Nafilyan

Hovagimyan Han by Levon Nafilyan

Metro Han by Mikayel Nurican

Saint George Church by Bedros Nemtze

Holly Cross Church by Ohannes Serveryan and Saint Gregory Church by Harutyun Serveryan

Old Darüşşafaka Lyceum by Ohannes Kalfa

“Naval Hospital” – “Saint Jacob Row Houses” by Aram Tahtacıyan

Saint Saviour Hospital and Pharmacy by Ohannes Serveryan

Kadıköy and Fatih Municipalities by Yetvart Terziyan

Anadolu Han by Sarkis Taşcıyan

“Church of Immaculate Conception” – “Saint John Chrysostomas Church ” by Andon ve Garabed Tülbentciyan

Saint Nicola Church by Vartan Tıngıryan

Abbas Hilmi Pasha Mansion by Hovsep Aznavur

Saint Mary Church by Andon ve Garabed Tülbentciyan

Sources:

1) http://www.panarmenian.net/eng/news/175916/

2) http://www.archmuseum.org/Gallery/armenian-architects-of-istanbul-in-the-era-of-westernization_62.html

3) http://www.archmuseum.org/Gallery/Photo_62_1_armenian-architects-of-istanbul-in-the-era-of-westernization.html

4) http://www.todayszaman.com//news-339453-armenian-architects-of-istanbul-exhibition-on-display-online.html#.Uv7s8YWkTNg.facebook

5) Fletcher, Richard (2005). The cross and the crescent: Christianity and Islam from Muhammad to the Reformation (Reprinted. ed.). London: Penguin. p. 138. ISBN 9780670032716. “…Sinan the Old-he lived to be about ninety-an Armenian from Anatlia who had been brought to the capital as one of the ‘gathered’.”

6)  Muller, Herbert Joseph (1961). The Loom of History. New American Library. p. 439. According to Herbert J. Muller Sinan “seems to have been an Armenian —though it is almost a criminal offense in Turkey today to mention this probability.”

7) Decree published in the Turkish journal Türk Tarihi Encümeni Mecmuası, vol. 1, no. 5 (June 1930-May 1931) p. 10.  affirms his Armenian background. This decree by Selim II dated Ramadan 7 981 (ca. Dec. 30, 1573), grants Sinan’s request to forgive and spare his relatives from the general exile of Kayseri’s Armenian community to the island of Cyprus.

Mural from the 13th century Armenian monastery Saghamosavank. Saghmosavank monastery stands on the edge of a canyon, dating back to 1215 AD. when by the order of Prince Vache Vachutyan the Surb Sion church was built. The Monastery from west and south sides was surrounded by huge vestibule and library, the composition of which is one of the most unique in Armenia. There is an abundance of tombs and khachkars on the territory of the monastery.

Mural details from the 13th century Armenian monastery.

Monastery of Bardzrakash St. Gregory, Dsegh, ARMENIA (10th-13th century).

The Monastery of Bardzrakash St. Gregory in Dsegh, Armenia is among the 11 monuments and sites shortlisted for ‘The 7 Most Endangered’ 2014 program of the leading European heritage organisation Europa Nostra and the European Investment Bank.

This monastic complex, dedicated to St. Gregory, the first official head of the Armenian Church, dates from the 10th to the 13th centuries. Situated in the cultural landscape of the village of Dsegh, deep in a verdant gorge, the stone structures of the main buildings lie in ruins, without roofs, and encroached on by vegetation.

The rehabilitation of the monument would help establish Dsegh as a center for tourism and boost the local economy. However, it can only be accomplished with international expertise and support. The Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Armenia nominated the monument for ‘The 7 Most Endangered’ 2014.

This year, civil society organizations and public bodies from all over Europe submitted their nominations. Eleven sites were shortlisted by an international panel of specialists in History, Archaeology, Architecture, Conservation and Finance. The final list of 7 sites will be selected by the Board of Europa Nostra. ‘The 7 Most Endangered’ for 2014 will be unveiled at a press conference on 5 May at the House of Europe in Vienna by high-level representatives from Europa Nostra and the EIB Institute.

Europa Nostra provides the following description:

The remains of this monastic complex consist of a remarkable collection of medieval buildings, dating from the 10th to the 13th centuries, in the cultural landscape of the village of Dsegh, birthplace and setting of the writings of Hovhannes Tumanyan, considered by many to be Armenia’s national poet.

Deep in a verdant gorge, the remains of the monastery, dedicated to the first official head of the Armenian Church, include the Church of St. Gregory (10th century), the three-nave basilica of Sourb Astvatsatsin (1221), its narthex with delicately carved reliefs (1247), the Chapel of Sourb Harutiun (1234) and the Mamikonians’ cemetery. These ruins are in a deeply vulnerable state, not only from the encroaching jungle, but also from destructive looting.

It is proposed that the undergrowth that is causing movement in the structures be removed, and preliminary conservation measures be taken as a matter of urgency to stabilize the ruins, alongside an effective drainage system and excavation where necessary. The longer term vision is to see the establishment of Dsegh as a center for tourism within the area, using the cultural landscape and the ruins of monastery of Bardzrakash St. Gregory as a means of boosting the local economy.

Bellow more pictures of the monastery:

Ruins of the Monastery of Bardzrakash St. Gregory, Dsegh, ARMENIA (10th-13th century).

Monastery of Bardzrakash St. Gregory, Dsegh, ARMENIA (10th-13th century).

Bardzrakash St. Grigor Monastery (10th. c.), Dsegh, Alaverdi, Armenia

Bardzrakash St. Grigor Monastery (10th. c.), Dsegh, Alaverdi, Armenia

Bardzrakash St. Grigor Monastery (10th. c.), Dsegh, Alaverdi, Armenia

Ruins of Bardzrakash St. Grigor Monastery (10th. c.), Dsegh, Alaverdi, Armenia

Ruins of Bardzrakash St. Grigor Monastery (10th. c.), Dsegh, Alaverdi, Armenia

Ruins of Bardzrakash St. Grigor Monastery (10th. c.), Dsegh, Alaverdi, Armenia

Ruins of Bardzrakash St. Grigor Monastery (10th. c.), Dsegh, Alaverdi, Armenia

Ruins of Bardzrakash St. Grigor Monastery (10th. c.), Dsegh, Alaverdi, Armenia

Sources:

http://www.europanostra.org/read–amp–share/179/

http://www.armradio.am/en/2014/03/12/monastery-of-bardzrakash-st-gregory-in-armenia-among-europes-most-threatened-heritage/

Armenia on one of the bases supporting imperial reliefs in the Sebasteion, 1st c. AD.

On the left it reads: Armenia.

On the right it reads: Nero Claudius Drusus, Caesar Augustus Germanicus.

Crypt of San Minato al Monte – Florence

Saint Minias or Minas (Armenian: Մինաս) was an Armenian prince serving in the Roman army under Emperor Decius. He was denounced as a Christian after becoming a hermit and was brought before the Emperor who was camped outside the gates of Florence in 250 AD. The Emperor Decius was persecuting Christians at the time. Miniato refused to sacrifice to the Roman gods, and was put through numerous torments - he was thrown into a furnace, was lapidated, and was thrown to a panther at an amphitheater – from which he emerged unharmed after the panther refused to devour him. He was finally beheaded in the presence of the Emperor, but his legend states that he picked up his head, crossed the Arno and walked up the hill of Mons Fiorentinus to his hermitage. A shrine was later erected at this spot. The church of San Miniato al Monte is dedicated to him.

The crypt is the oldest part of the church and the high altar supposedly contains the bones of St Minias himself. In the vaults are frescoes by Taddeo Gaddi. Construction of the present church was begun in 1013 by Bishop Alibrando and it was endowed by the Emperor Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor. The adjoining monastery began as a Benedictine community, then passed to the Cluniacs and then in 1373 to the Olivetans, who still run it. The monks make famous liqueurs, honey and tisanes, which they sell from a shop next to the church.

San Miniato al Monte (St. Minias on the Mountain) basilica in Florence, central Italy, stands atop one of the highest points in the city. It has been described as one of the finest Romanesque structures in Tuscany and one of the most beautiful churches in Italy. There is an adjoining Olivetan monastery, seen to the right of the basilica when ascending the stairs.