Karmravor Church

Karmravor Church

The church in October 2014
Shown within Armenia
Basic information
Location Ashtarak, Aragatsotn Province, Armenia
Geographic coordinates 40°17′59″N 44°21′56″E / 40.299628°N 44.365417°E / 40.299628; 44.365417Coordinates: 40°17′59″N 44°21′56″E / 40.299628°N 44.365417°E / 40.299628; 44.365417
Affiliation Armenian Apostolic Church
Architectural description
Architectural type Small cruciform central-plan
Architectural style Armenian
Completed 7th century
Specifications
Dome(s) 1

Karmravor (Armenian: Կարմրավոր եկեղեցի; meaning "reddish" because of the color of its dome), also known as the Church of Holy Mother of God (Սուրբ Աստվածածին, Surb Astvatsatsin) is a 7th-century Armenian Apostolic church in the town of Ashtarak in the Aragatsotn Province.

Architecture

Surp Astvatsatsin is a small building with a cruciform central-plan and a dome with an octagonal drum and a Byzantine-style red tile roof. It measures only 19 feet 7 inches by 24 feet 6 inches, and is simply decorated with geometric and foliage patterns around the eaves and cornices. The apse is horseshoe shaped. Many of the original tiles on the roof which were laid on mortar have remained intact, and the church has had only some minor restoration during the 1950s.

According to Thierry, Surp Astvatsatsin marks a turning point in Armenian architecture, with its plan in the shape of a cross with a single dome setting a style that would be repeated over the centuries in spite of other influences.[1] Other churches of a similar style attributed to the 6th or 7th century are St. Marine of Artik, Lmbatavank, St. Astvatsatsin of Talin, and St. Astvatsatsin of Voskepar.

The door of the church was created and carved in 1983 by Sargis Poghosyan.[2]

In the cemetery adjoining the church is the grave of the poet Gevorg Emin.[3]

References

Notes

  1. (Thierry 1989, p. 10)
  2. sargis.me: Author of Karmravor Church's carved door
  3. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=emin&GSbyrel=all&GSdyrel=all&GSob=n&GRid=105034807&df=all&

Bibliography

Media related to Karmravor at Wikimedia Commons

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