On the ancient Armenian land, lovers of antiquity and art will find a great variety of monuments and attractions: man-made artifacts of primitive craftsmen and unique creations of medieval architects; pagan sanctuaries; ancient memorial objects of Christianity and Urartian fortresses; castles and cave cities hidden high in the mountains; gorge-gallery, preserved collections of bas-reliefs; khachkars covered with fine carvings and unique frescoes in dilapidated monasteries. Armenia is often called "an open-air museum".
Armenian monastery Khor Virap located near the border with Turkey. The monastery is famous for its location at the foot of the biblical Mount Ararat, where, according to legend, the righteous Noah found himself on the ark after the Flood.
According to legend, the king of Armenia Trdat III after returning to Armenia in 287 kept St. Gregory the Illuminator in prison for confessing Christianity. Gregory healed Tiridates of insanity, after which he was baptized in 301 and declared Christianity the state religion. Subsequently, over the underground prison, in which St. Gregory the Illuminator spent about fifteen years, the monastery of Khor Virap (“deep dungeon”) was erected.
On the site of the ancient Armenian capital Artashat, founded by King Artashes I around 180 BC, there is Khor Virap Hill. The entrance to the underground prison is located in the chapel of St. Gregory, built in 1661. The underground prison is three to six meters deep. On the territory of Khor Virap there is also the Church of Our Lady.
Etchmiadzin Monastery(or "The Descent of the Only Begotten") of the Armenian Apostolic Church is located in the Armavir region, in the city of Vagharshapat. From 303 to 484 and since 1441, the throne of the Supreme Patriarch of the Catholicos of All Armenians has been in the monastery. Included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The structure of the ancient monastery complex includes Etchmiadzin Cathedral - ancient christian temple world, theological educational institutions. The place for the construction of the cathedral to Gregory the Illuminator was indicated by Jesus Christ himself, from where the name came from. After the introduction of Christianity in the country in 303, a wooden cathedral was built, and in the fifth and seventh centuries it was rebuilt in stone.
The interior of the cathedral is decorated with frescoes made in the 17th-18th centuries (Hovnatan Nagash), at the end of the 18th century (H. Hovnatanyan). The cathedral houses a museum (founded in 1955), which houses a collection of medieval arts and crafts.
In Etchmiadzin there is the temple of St. Hripsime, the domed basilica of Gayane with a three-arched gavit, and the church of Shokagat. The three-tiered bell tower was erected in 1653-1658. In the 18th century, six-column rotundas appeared on three sides. The monastery complex includes a refectory (17th century), a hotel (18th century), the house of the Catholicos (18th century), a school (1813), a stone pond (1846) and other buildings.
The environs of Echmiadzin in 1827 were ruined by the Kyzylbash commander Gassan Khan. In the same year, the ringing of bells greeted Field Marshal I.F. Paskevich, who unblocked the monastery. Again, the Etchmiadzin Monastery was saved during the Persian campaign by General Krasovsky in August 1827. According to the Turkmanchay Treaty in 1828, Echmiadzin was included in the Russian Empire.
In the cathedral in 1869, a sacristy was added on the east side to store precious relics and church utensils.
In 1903, a decree was issued according to which all real estate, capital belonging to spiritual institutions and the Armenian Church were transferred to the state. Thanks to the mass protest campaign of the Armenian people, Nicholas II in 1905 signed a decree on the return of the confiscated property of the Armenian Church; reopening national schools.
In 1915, the brethren of the Etchmiadzin Monastery provided selfless assistance to refugees from Western Armenia.
During Soviet power public buildings and numerous residential buildings were built in Etchmiadzin. In 1965, a monument to the victims of the Genocide of 1915-1922 was erected.
Near Yerevan and Vagharshapat is located Zvartnots- a temple of early medieval Armenian architecture. From the ancient Armenian “Zvartnots” means “Temple of Vigilant Angels”. Since 2000, the ruins of the temple and the area around it have been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The temple was built in 640-650 under the Catholicos Nerses III the Builder, who planned to move the residence from Dvin to Vagharshapat. The Byzantine emperor Constans II, who wished to build the same one in Constantinople, attended the consecration ceremony of the colossal temple. Due to the weakness of the nodes of the supports of the upper tier, the temple collapsed in the tenth century during an earthquake. Excavations in 1901-1907 discovered the ruins of Zvartnots. To date, almost the entire first tier has been reconstructed.
According to the reconstruction of T. Toramanian, the temple was a round domed three-tiered structure. A cross is inscribed at the base of the circle, six columns in a semicircle form three wings, the eastern wing is an apse - it was a blank wall covered with mosaics and frescoes. The altar apse has a high elevation, in front is a baptismal font, on one side is a pulpit. A square room, probably a sacristy, adjoined behind. From it, they climbed the stairs to the corridor of the first tier.
The facades of the temple were decorated with arcades, carvings, relief plates with ornaments, bunches of grapes and pomegranates. The columns of Zvartnots were crowned with massive capitals with images of crosses and eagles. On the southwestern side of the temple are the ruins of the dwellings of Nerses III, the patriarchal palace, winepress.
The influence of Zvartnots is clearly reflected in the monuments of the second half of the seventh century - temples in Zoravor, Aruch, Yeghvard, Talin; Church of the Shepherd and the Savior in Ani. Zvartnots repeat the temples of Gagikashen in Ani and Banak, the church in the village of Lekit.
Mashtots Hayrapet Church located in the village of Garni, Kotai region. The Church of Mashtots Patriarch was built of tufa on the site of a pagan sanctuary in the 12th century.
To the right of the entrance there is a carved stone depicting birds, which is inextricably linked with the past pagan sanctuary at this place. Small church. Various ornaments are carved on the facade, entrance, dome. Near the temple - as far as khachkars. In addition to the church of Mashtots Hayrapet, in the village of Garni there is an Armenian pagan temple, the Church of the Holy Mother of God, the remains of the temple of Manuk Tukh, the remains of the church of the fourth century, the sanctuary of Queen Katranide, the church of St. Sergius. Not far away, in the Khosrov Reserve, there is the monastery of Havuts Tar.
Pagan Temple in Garni(I century AD) is located in the valley of the Azat River, 28 km from Yerevan, Kotai region. From the ruins, the temple was restored in Soviet times.
The fortress of Garni was mentioned by the ancient Roman historian Tacitus as early as the first century AD. e. in connection with the events in Armenia. It was built by the Armenian king Trdat in 76. The fortress is a vivid evidence of the centuries-old culture of Armenia in the pre-Christian period. Construction began in the second century BC and continued through antiquity and into the Middle Ages. The Armenian rulers made it impregnable. The citadel served as protection for the inhabitants from foreign invasions for more than a thousand years.
It was a favorite place of the Armenian kings: the inaccessibility and favorable climate turned Garni into a summer residence. The location of the fortress was strategically chosen extremely well. From the Urartian cuneiform it is known that the fortress was conquered by the Urartian king Argishti in the eighth century BC. e. He gathered the population of Garni as a labor force, led them towards modern Yerevan. The people were involved in the construction of the Erebuni fortress, which later became Yerevan.
The fortress of Garni is located on a triangular cape, dominating the surrounding area, it is surrounded by the Azat River, a deep gorge, steep slopes - an impregnable natural boundary. The gorge is distinguished by delightful, seemingly unnatural slopes, from the foot to the top, consisting of regular hexagonal prisms, called the “Symphony of Stones”. The rest of the fortress is protected by a powerful fortress wall with fourteen towers - an insurmountable defensive system.
The towers and fortress walls were built from huge blocks of local basalt with a blue tint, they are connected by iron brackets, filled with lead in the corners of the connection. The thickness of the fortress walls is from 2.07 m to 2.12 m, the length along the perimeter is 314.28 m. The entrance to the fortress was only through one gate, having the width of one chariot.
Historical and architectural complex of Garni located near the village with the same name. The temple of Garni is the only monument left in Armenia from the era of paganism and Hellenism.
The temple is built from blocks of smooth-hewn basalt. The building is made in the Hellenistic architectural forms. Solemnity and majesty of the building are given by nine massive steps stretched along the width of the facade. Reliefs depicting naked Atlanteans standing on one knee, raising their hands and supporting altars, adorn the pylons on the sides of the stairs.
According to the composition, the temple represents a peripter - a rectangular hall with a portico, surrounded by columns from the outside. The elements of the temple are designed with the diversity inherent in local art. In the ornaments, along with variants of the acanthus leaf, there are Armenian motifs: grapes, pomegranate, flowers, hazel leaves. A shallow vestibule leads to the rectangular sanctuary; a richly ornamented architraves adorns the entrance. In a small sanctuary there was only a statue of a deity. The temple served only the king and his family.
In 1679 there was a powerful earthquake, as a result of which the temple was badly damaged. In 1966-1976 it was restored. Near the temple, some elements of the royal palace, an ancient fortress, a bath building built in the third century have been preserved. In the southern part of the fortress there was a palace complex. On the northern territory of the fortress housed the attendants and the royal army. To the west of the temple, on the edge of the cliff, there was a front hall, and a residential building adjoined it. Remains of red and pink paint have been preserved on the plaster, reminiscent of the luxurious decoration of the front and living quarters of the palace. The floors were decorated with Hellenistic mosaics.
In the 19th century, numerous scientists and travelers showed interest in the ruins of the temple: Morier, Chardin, Ker-Porter, Chantre, Shnaaze, Telfer, Smirnov, Romanov, Marr, Buniatyan, Manandyan, Trever. In 1834, the French scientist Dubois de Monpere tried to create a project for the reconstruction of the temple with little accuracy.
At the beginning of the 20th century, a small expedition led by N. Ya. Marr was engaged in archaeological work to measure the temple and discover details. Main architector Yerevan Buniatyan in the early 30s examined the temple in Garni and presented a project for the reconstruction of the original appearance in 1933. Restoration work in the 1960s was entrusted to the architect A. A. Sainyan. In 1976, the Garni temple was completely restored.
Monastic ensemble of Kecharis(11-13 centuries) is located in the city of Tsakhkadzor of the Kotai region, in the gavar (“county”) of Varazhnunik of the province of Ayrarat (Ancient Armenia). Tourists can find the monastery complex on the slope of the Pambak Range, northwest of Tsaghkadzor. The complex includes four churches, two chapels, a gavit, an ancient cemetery with khachkars of the 12th-13th centuries.
Kecharis was founded by princes from the Pahlavuni family in the 11th century. Its construction lasted until the middle of the 13th century. Grigor Magistros in the monastery in 1033 built the church of St. Gregory the Illuminator. The wide dome of the church crowns a spacious vaulted hall.
A small rectangular chapel (11th century) is located between the Churches of the Sign (Surb Nshan) and St. Gregory the Illuminator. Until now, it has been preserved in a dilapidated state; it was the tomb of the founder of the monastery, Grigor Magistros Pahlavuni. Next to the chapel was the school building.
In the 12th century, the narthex of the church was built; it is considered one of the early structures of this type. To the south of the church, behind the khachkars, there is a small church of Surb Nshan (11th century), of a cross-domed type, restored in 1223.
Prince Vasak Khaghbakyan in 1203-1214 erected a third church on the territory of the monastery - Katoghike. To commemorate this event, a khachkar was erected to the east of the church. In 1220, the fourth Church of the Holy Resurrection was erected 120 meters from the buildings. The small temple has a rectangular shape and a high dome. In all four corners of the prayer hall of the church there are two-storey chapels.
The monastery in the 12th-13th centuries was a major spiritual center of Armenia, a school operated under it.
At the medieval cemetery of Kecharis, you can see the burial places of Prince Grigor Apiratyan (1099), Grand Duke Prosh (1284), architect Vetsik.
During the earthquake of 1828, the church dome was badly damaged. Restoration work in the temple was carried out in 1947-1949 and in 1995.
Armenia - the "country of stone" is open to all brave travelers who are not afraid of long journeys; ready to go down and explore a hard-to-reach gorge or climb high up a mountain. In a short period of time in a small area you can feel the course of millennia, see at the same time significant phenomena of the first millennia and the present.
The temple architecture of Armenia deserves special attention. Armenia is the country that was the first to adopt Christianity as the state religion, this happened already in the 4th century, which is why there are so many very ancient churches here. Almost every town and village has a church, and very often it dates back to the 4th-8th centuries.
It is difficult to confuse the Armenian Church with any other, even with the neighboring Georgian, not to mention Byzantine or, moreover, Russian. Their characteristic feature is a cone-shaped dome.
1. . X-XIII centuries - With. Haghpat. This active monastery in the village of the same name Haghpat in the north of Armenia, 10 km from the city of Alaverdi. The Haghpat Monastery is a significant monument of urban planning of medieval Armenia, distinguished by the unity and compactness of the asymmetric layout, a beautiful silhouette on the mountainous terrain. Haghpat and Sanahin monasteries were included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1996.
2. . XII-XIII centuries - With. Kober Kayaran. This is a medieval Armenian monastery. Located near the city of Tumanyan, Lori region of Armenia.
3. . 13th century - With. Akhtala. Monastery and fortress on a small plateau in the gorge of the Depet River (currently an urban-type settlement in the Lori region of Armenia). In the X century. The fortress of Ptgavank (Akhtala) became the most important strategic point of the Kyurikyan-Bagratid kingdom.
4. . X-XII centuries -G. Alaverdi (v. Sanahin). a monument of Armenian architecture, included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The monastery complex, founded in the 10th century, gained worldwide fame. Sanahin owned vast land, the number of brethren in the X-XI centuries. reached 300-500 people, among whom were scientists, cultural figures.
5. . 6th century - With. Odzun. It is located in the east of Gavar Tashir of the historical province of Gugark. The domed basilica of the Odzun Monastery, presumably dating back to the 6th century, has been preserved in the village. The church is located on the central hill of the village and is visible from almost anywhere in it.
6., XVII century.
7., XII-XIII centuries - p. Gosh. Armenian medieval monastery complex in the Varazhnunik gavar of the historical province of Ayrarat. One of the largest cultural, educational and religious centers of medieval Armenia. The sources mention it as a seminary, a university, etc. Prominent cultural figures of Armenia studied and lived here.
8., X c. - With. Vahramaberd. Located 10 km northwest of the city of Gyumri in the village of the same name Marmashen. It was built in the X-XIII centuries in the Shirak Gavar of the Ayrarat province. Marmashen Monastery consists of three places of worship. The main temple is located in the center of the courtyard and is the largest building, it was built of red brick and is a domed hall.
9., 7th century. The temple was built by priests Gregory and Manas. It is a small cruciform building with an octagonal drum on the roof.
10., 630 - the city of Vagharshapat (Echmiadzin). The Armenian Church, located in the city of Vagharshapat in the Armavir region of Armenia, is part of the Etchmiadzin Monastery. Since 2000, the church has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
11., IX-XVII centuries. - With. Tatev. This is an Armenian monastery complex in the Syunik region of Armenia, 20 km from the city of Goris. It is part of a large tourist complex, which also includes the Tatevi Anapat hermitage, the Wings of Tatev cable car, the Satani Kamurj natural bridge, the Satani Kamurj cave and many other attractions.
12., V c. - With. Aravus. It is located in the Vayots Dzor region, on a picturesque mountain range. The path leading to it is replete with numerous turns with sharp elevation changes. The monastery complex consists of two churches, a cemetery and the ruins of the ancient Gladzor University. It is composed of deep blue basalt, and therefore it is often called the "Black Monastery".
13., X-XI centuries. - With. Artabuink.
14. (XIV century).
15. . VII century.
16. . Yeghegis.
17. . XVIII century. Located on the northwestern coast of Lake Sevan, Gegharkunik province, Armenia. The complex of buildings is located on the Sevan peninsula of the same name, which was previously a small island.
At the end of the 8th century, several monks settled on the island of Sevan, who built their cells and a chapel here. Due to the favorable position of the island, their number increased, and the active construction of the monastery began. To build walls in the rock around the island, a ledge was cut down, on which large stone blocks were laid. The wall encircled the island, and above it was built a watchtower with a gate. Then the monks built three churches, cells and outbuildings.
18. . IX century. It is located near the village of Hayravank, on the western shore of Lake Sevan, Gegharkunik region of Armenia.
19., XII-XIII centuries. - With. Geghard. Geghard (literally - "spear") - a monastery complex, a unique architectural structure in the Kotayk region, Armenia. It is located in the gorge of the mountain river Goght (the right side of the Azat River), about 40 km southeast of Yerevan. Listed by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage site.
20. , XII century, Yerevan.
), which, in addition to ensuring the vital activity of cities, were part of their defensive system.
The masterpiece of the ancient architecture of Armenia is Garni, built by the Armenian king Trdat I (54-88) in 76, as evidenced by his inscription in Greek found there.
In addition to the cities themselves, architecture also developed in individual princely possessions, fortresses, and especially church complexes, which, experiencing rapid development, are becoming cultural centers of his time. In the country recently liberated from the Arab yoke, relatively small buildings were first built, the earliest of which are known in mountainous Syunik, on the coast of Sevan.
The first churches built in the 9th century reproduced the compositions of three-apse and four-apse cruciform in terms of the central domed churches of the 7th century (two churches built in 874 on the island of Sevan - Sevanavank and Hayravank). However, in other structures of the same type, an addition of corner aisles is observed (Shoghakavank monastery, 877-888), as well as a tendency to include these aisles in the overall composition of structures (Kotavank and Makenyats monasteries). The domed composition of the 7th century with four free-standing pylons was used in the construction of the Pogoso-Petros temple in Tatev (895-906), and the corner walls of two additional aisles replaced the dome-bearing pylons. The result of such a creative approach to the compositional task was the construction of the main church of the Karakop monastery in Vayots Dzor (911), in which there are no pylons bearing the dome, and the dome rests on the corner walls of the four limits. In 903 the church of Kotavank was built, the church of Byurakan belongs to the first quarter of the 10th century, in 936 the domed temple of Gndevank was built in the Gavar of Vayots Dzor, at the end of the 10th century - the church of Makenyats.
The architectural school of Ani-Shirak, which developed on the possessions of the Bagratids (the central possession of Shirak Gavars), becomes more fruitful. The capital of the Ani Bagratids was originally Bagaran, later - Shirakavan, where at the end of the 9th century, following the example of the Aruch temple (VII century), King Smbat I erected a new temple. Later in Kars in the 940s. King Abbas builds a central domed temple. One of the classic examples of the Ani-Shirak school of architecture is the Marmashen church, the construction of which began in 988 and was completed at the beginning of the next century.
In the X-XI centuries. with the spread of the sail structure, the faceted shape of the dome drum gives way to a round one; while the domes are often crowned with an umbrella-shaped covering. In the same period, under the influence of the people's dwelling - glkhatuna - the original centric form of covering monastic buildings - gavits (gavits - a kind of church vestibules that performed various functions: tombs, places for parishioners, halls for meetings and classes) was developed.
|
|
|
|
| Amberd fortress, 1026 | Fortress of Tygnis, 9th century | City walls of Ani, X-XI centuries |
In the middle of the 10th century, the Tashir-Dzoraget school of architecture developed: in 957-966. the monastery of Sanahin is being built, in 976-991. Queen Khosrovanush and his youngest son Gurgen founded Haghpat Monastery - one of the largest architectural and spiritual centers of Armenia. Almost all architectural types of the 7th century were realized in the temples of the 10th century, but Armenian architects especially often turned to the structure of domed halls. In the architecture of the 10th century, the composition of the vestibules - gavits begins to take shape. Armenian architects of the 10th century enjoyed international recognition.
Until the middle of the 11th century, Armenian architecture developed rapidly in Ani. Among the monuments of other regions of the country, the Kecharis Monastery (1033), the Church of St. Virgins in Bjni (1031), Vagramashen (1026), Bkheno Noravank (1062), Vorotnavank (1007) and some others. At the beginning of the 11th century, the monastery of Varagavank and Khtskonk (1029) were built in Western Armenia.
The development of stone civil buildings is closely related to the development of monastic complexes, wonderful examples architectural ensembles. A significant place in them was given to residential and utility buildings, as well as such secular buildings as refectories, schools, book depositories, hotels, gavits (monasteries in Sanahin, X-XIII centuries, in Haghpat (X-XIII centuries).
Interior of Geghard, early 13th century
Secular buildings in the 12th-14th centuries had a particularly strong influence on Armenian architecture. The original four-pillar halls and pillarless rooms with ceilings on intersecting arches stand out, which are especially characteristic of the gavits widely built in monasteries. Four-pillar gavits were most often square in plan with arches thrown between the columns and walls. In the center, on four columns, a dome or tent is made with a round opening at the top (gavit in Sanahin 1181).
In 1188, on the site of the old Getik church, Mkhitar Gosh founded a new building - the cross-domed church Nor Getik or Goshavank. Construction of the main church of St. Astvatsatsin (Virgin Mary) is carried out in 1191-1196. Hysn architect.
Along with the construction of well-maintained highways, the construction of bridges became widespread, as evidenced by the construction of a single-arch bridge in Sanahin across the river. Debed in 1192
Pillarless halls with ceilings on intersecting arches are an outstanding invention of Armenian architects, in which the original constructive system made it possible to build a new type of interior. Bright plasticity and main articulations here are entirely formed by structural elements that create a clear and logical tectonic structure of the centric rib vault; which was the main structure and main decoration of the spacious hall. A light lantern in the form of a dome or a tent, arranged above the square of crossed arches, enriched the composition, giving it harmony and vertical aspiration. A typical example is the Great Gavit of Haghpat Monastery (1209). In his composition, the final "dome" itself is a system of intersecting arches carrying a light lantern.
Along with monastic buildings, during the period under review, cities were intensively built up and improved. Public and communal buildings were developed: caravanserais, baths, industrial and engineering structures: water mills, irrigation canals, roads, etc.
A new upsurge in Armenian architecture begins in the last quarter of the 12th century under the rule of the Zakarians. Monuments of the end of the XII - the first quarter of the XIII century show the continuity of the development of architectural traditions, despite more than a century of Seljuk yoke. New style features developed in X-XI centuries are completely preserved, decorative methods become more subtle. Church complexes from the XIII century begin to expand with new buildings. Among the largest and most famous architectural monuments of the early XIII century are Harichavank (1201), Makaravank (1205), Tegher (1213-1232), Dadivank (1214), Geghard (1215), Saghmosavank (1215-1235), Hovhannavank (1216), Gandzasar (1216-1238), etc. Elements of building church ensembles, in addition to the actual gavits, were also gavits-mausoleums, libraries, bell towers, refectories, reservoirs and other memorial buildings.
Gtchavank (1241-1246), Khorakert (1251), by the end of the 13th century Tanade (1273-1279) and Haghartsin (1281) belong to the middle of the 13th century.
The architecture of the monasteries received particular development in the 13th century. There were very diverse principles for the planning of monastic complexes. While maintaining the typology of the temples, their proportions were changed, in particular, the drum, facade tongs and tent were significantly increased. Gavits are built with very diverse spatial solutions. The outlined scheme of the vault of the central cell preserved on the southern wall of the gavit of the Astvatsnkal monastery is considered to be the earliest among the known medieval architectural working drawings.
In the XIII century, among the architectural schools, Lori, Artsakh and Syunik stand out, from the end of the same century also Vayots Dzor. Vayots Dzor becomes one of the centers of Armenian culture at the end of the 13th - the first half of the 14th century. Gladzor University also operated here, and where a separate direction of the Armenian miniature school developed. Such architectural monuments as Noravank (1339), Areni Church (1321), Zorats (no later than 1303) and others were built in Vayots Dzor.
Prominent architects, stone craftsmen and artists of the era - Momik, Poghos, Siranes (gavit of the Arates church, 1262, Orbelyan family tomb, 1275) and others.
In the XII-XIV centuries, the buildings of the princely mausoleum-churches developed (the Church of Yeghvard, 1301, Noravank, 1339, Kaputan, 1349). At the same time, the foreign yoke brought the country's economy into a catastrophic situation, the emigration of the population increased, and the construction of a monumental type almost stopped. In the 12th-14th centuries, architecture flourished in the Kingdom of Cilicia, where the traditions of classical Armenian architecture were combined with features of Byzantine, Italian, French art and architecture. The development of architecture was largely due to the development of Armenian cities, which became centers for the development of secular urban architecture. For Armenian architecture, the construction of port cities is a new phenomenon. The principles of building mountain towns and villages were basically the same as in Armenia proper.
Gallery. VIII-XIV centuries
Architecture of Ani
In the IX-XI centuries. on the territory of Armenia, an independent state of the Bagratids arises with its capital in Ani. The architecture of this time continues to develop the principles of architecture of the 7th century. Centric and basilic structures continue to be developed in religious buildings. In centric buildings, the tendency to unite the interior around the central axis, the dominance of the under-dome space in the traditional schemes of the cross-domed church and the domed hall is becoming more and more definite. The proportions of the temple are drawn out. Of great importance is decorative decoration, stone carving (the Church of Gregory in Ani, the end of the 10th century; the Church of Arakelots in Kars, the middle of the 10th century).
The development of the domed basilica is illustrated by the Cathedral of Ani, built by the outstanding Armenian architect Trdat. Its construction began under Smbat II in 989 and was completed during the reign of Gagik I in 1001. The cruciformity is distinguished in the structure of the temple, which indicates the influence of the cross-domed system on the composition. The middle and transverse naves of considerable height (20 m) dominate the interior and facades. The desire for plastic richness was manifested on the facades - in an elegant decorative arcature, and in the interior - in a complex profile of beam-like columns, emphasizing the vertical aspiration of divisions, which also corresponds to the lancet shape of the main arches. The noted details (shooting, vertical dissection of abutments, arcade, etc.) to some extent anticipate the methods of Romanesque and early Gothic buildings that developed somewhat later in European countries.
In fact, Armenian architecture during the XV-XVI centuries developed in the places of compact residence of Armenians on the territory of Russia, Georgia, Ukraine, Crimea, Poland.
Since the second half of the 17th century, relative peace has been observed in Armenia, after a three-century break, conditions are being created for the development of national architecture. Construction is developing mainly in three directions: 1) the restoration of old churches and temples, 2) the construction of new ones, 3) the development of existing ones at the expense of new structures. Significant construction work is underway in Vagharshapat, restoration main cathedral and the church of St. Gayane. New church buildings were built according to the principles of Armenian architecture of the 4th-7th centuries - domed basilicas, domed halls and especially three-aisled basilicas. Three-nave basilicas of the 17th century, unlike their early medieval counterparts, are simpler, without much decorative luxury, often made of poorly processed stone. Typical examples of the architecture of the era: the churches of Garni, Tatev (1646), Gndevaz (1686), Yeghegis (1708), Nakhichevan (St. Our Lady in Bist (1637), St. Shmavon in Farak (1680), St. Gregory the Illuminator in Shorot ( 1708)) and others.
In the 17th century, relatively few domed churches were built. The structure of the domed hall had a large church Khor Virap (1666) and Shoghakat (1694) of Etchmiadzin. Domed basilica churches were built mainly in Syunik and Nakhichevan. During this period, the main building material was basalt, the use of which was costly. For this reason, simpler materials are starting to be used, mainly brick.
Gallery
XIX century. Early 20th century
In the 19th century, the urban planning and architecture of the cities of western Armenia (Van, Bitlis, Karin, Kharberd, Erznka, etc.) experienced minor changes. The accession of Eastern Armenia to Russia at the beginning of the same century created the conditions for an economic upsurge and a comparative development of architecture and urban planning. Cities partially (Yerevan) or completely (Alexandrapol, Kars, Goris) were equipped according to the canonical plans of the main layouts. The reconstruction and construction of cities developed especially at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries, when the listed cities became the centers of the capitalist development of Armenia.
The history of Armenian architecture of the 20th century begins with the engineer-architect V. Mirzoyan. He designed the buildings of the Yerevan Men's Gymnasium on the street. Astafyan (now Arno Babadzhanyan Concert Hall on Abovyan St.), Treasury and Treasury Chamber (now a bank on Nalbandyan St.), Teacher's Seminary.
20th century
In 2005, the construction of the third building of the Central Bank of the Republic of Armenia began (architect L. Khristaforyan).
Armenian architects of the 21st century participate in international competitions. Armenians excelled in international competition for the development project of one of the central quarters of Doha - the capital of Qatar. They took the second place (the Spaniards took the first place). Project authors: L. Khristaforyan (team leader), M. Zoroyan, G. Isakhanyan, V. Mkhchyan, M. Sogoyan, N. Petrosyan.
Notes
- C. V. Trever. Essays on the history of the culture of ancient Armenia (II century BC - IV century AD). - M. L., 1953. - S. 187.
- Armenians- article from the Great Soviet Encyclopedia (3rd edition)
- Xenophon, Anabasis
- Great Soviet Encyclopedia
- Armenian Soviet encyclopedia. - T. 6. - S. 338.(arm.)
- Plutarch. Comparative Lives, Crassus, § 33
- Plutarch. Comparative Lives, Lucullus, § 29
- V. V. Shleev. General History of Arts / Under the general editorship of B. V. Weimarn and Yu. D. Kolpinsky. - M .: Art, 1960. - T. 2, book. 1.
- Armenian Soviet Encyclopedia. - T. 7. - S. 276.(arm.)
- Treasures of the Armenian mountains - Sevanavank
- M. Hakobyan. Armenian architecture through the ages
- Al-Masudi "Gold mines and placers of gems" page 303
- Armenian Architecture - VirtualANI - The church at Shirakawan
- Armenian Architecture - VirtualANI - The Cathedral of Kars
- Armenia // Orthodox Encyclopedia. - M ., 2001. - T. 3. - S. 286-322.
- Cyril Toumanoff. Armenia and Georgia // The Cambridge Medieval History. - Cambridge, 1966. - Vol. IV: The Byzantine Empire, part I chapter XIV. - S. 593-637.:
Armenian architects enjoyed an international reputation; thus Odo the Armenian took part in the construction of the Palatine chapel at Aix and Tiridates of Ani restored the church of Holy Wisdom at Constantinople after the earthquake of 989.
- Armenian Architecture - VirtualANI - The Monastery of Varagavank
- Armenian Soviet Encyclopedia. - T. 1. - S. 407-412.(arm.)
Architecture
The attention of European scientists to the Armenian monuments of antiquity was first attracted by French and English travelers of the 19th century. Based on their descriptions, drawings and plans, Auguste Choisy, in his History of Architecture, published in 1899, first attempted a systematic study of Armenian architecture. Considering this architecture as a local expression of Byzantine art, Choisy nonetheless pointed out some specific forms and methods of construction, as well as a possible Armenian influence on the Balkan, and primarily Serbian, monuments. The connection between Armenian and Byzantine architecture was explored in 1916 by Millet in his book L "Ecole grecque dans I" architecture Byzantine("The Greek School in Byzantine Architecture"). By this time, new monuments had become known, which was facilitated by excavations in Ani and other cities of Armenia, expeditions of Russian archaeologists and research by Armenian scientists, especially the architect Toros Toramanyan. The results of their work were widely used by I. Strzhigovsky in the monograph "Architecture of Armenia and Europe", which was published in 1918. Since then, Armenian monuments have been included in all large-scale works devoted to medieval architecture, and the works carried out by Armenian and foreign scientists over the past forty years have significantly expanded the field of research.
Strzygowski argued that Armenia played a major role in the origin and development of Christian architecture. He believed that the Armenians embodied in stone the dome on the supporting ledges, common in the brick architecture of northern Iran. He also believed that the Armenians were the first to erect a square-shaped church with small niches, topped with a dome. According to Strzygovsky, the Armenians also introduced other types of domed buildings, he traced their influence on the art not only of Byzantium and other Christian countries of the Middle East, but also of Western Europe, both in the Middle Ages and in the Renaissance. “The Greek genius in Hagia Sophia and the Italian genius in Saint Peter,” wrote Strzygowski, “only realized more fully what the Armenians had created.”
Recognizing the great importance of Strzygowski's book - the first systematic study of Armenian architecture - most scholars still reject the extremes of his assessments. excavations in different countries revealed to the world many new monuments of early Christianity, and scientists were able to ascertain the existence of the same types of buildings, remote from each other for gigantic distances. A. Grabar's studies of the memorial chapels of Christian martyrs and their relation to the mausoleums of late Antiquity put the problem of the origin and development of Christian architecture on a broader basis. No country can be considered a primary source from which all others have only drawn inspiration.
The opposite point of view was expressed by the Georgian scientist G. Chubinashvili. Dating the Armenian monuments to later centuries without any justification, often with a shift of several centuries, this person proved the priority and superiority of the Georgian samples, believing that Armenian churches are nothing more than a pale copy of the Georgian prototypes. Such statements, made with complete disregard for historical information, are unacceptable and are refuted by other reputable scientists. In fact, there was a parallel development in both countries, especially in the early centuries, when the Georgian and Armenian churches were united and constant and frequent contacts were maintained between them. There is no doubt that a mutual exchange took place: Armenian and Georgian architects must have often collaborated, as evidenced by the Armenian inscriptions in Georgian churches Jvari and Ateni-Sion (Atenian Zion). The latter mentions the name of the architect Todosaka and his assistants. Not opposing the architectural monuments of the two countries, but considering them together, one can reveal the secrets hidden from us for centuries.
The monuments of Garni are the only remnants of the pagan architecture of Armenia known to us. During the excavations, walls of powerful fortifications and fourteen rectangular towers, a large vaulted hall and several smaller rooms that made up the royal palace (see photo 8), as well as parts of the baths built to the north of the palace and consisting of four rooms with an apsidal completion.
Rice. 10. Plan of the baths of Garni (according to Arakelyan)
The most valuable ruins are those of a temple built during the reign of Tiridates I shortly after 66 AD. The temple stood until 1679, when it was destroyed by an earthquake. Now only the lectern remains, to which nine steps lead, the lower part of the walls of the naos and pronaos, parts of twenty-four Ionic columns and the entablature. This type of Roman temple surrounded by columns is known from the monuments in Asia Minor - the temples of Sagalas and the baths of Pisidia.
Several centuries separate the temple of Garni from Christian shrines, the earliest surviving examples of which date back to the end of the 5th century. And until other monuments are found, we cannot trace the early stages of the development of Christian architecture in Armenia. But in the period from the end of the 5th century to the middle of the 7th century, there was a rapid development of architecture, as evidenced by numerous monuments. If at first glance the surge in construction activity at a time when Armenia lost its independence and the country was divided between Byzantium and Persia seems surprising, it is worth remembering what was said earlier about the nakharars, the wealth accumulated by them and the church, and it becomes clear why it happened . The names of the building owners, immortalized in dedicatory inscriptions or recorded by historians, testify that the temples were built by catholicoses and heads of feudal families, such as Amatuni, Mamikonyans, Kamsarakans and Sagarunis. Thus, the feudal organization favored the spread of churches in different regions of the country. The absence of a central authority that could limit church architecture certain types, also partly explains the wide variety of designs and styles of this period.
Armenian churches are built from local volcanic stone, which has yellow, brownish-yellow and darker hues. The stonework is sheathed in thin, carefully cut and sanded panels; only corner blocks are monolithic. This method of construction was used for both heavy columns and vaults. Why churches, often small in size, give the impression of solidity and strength. The shape of the interior spaces does not always coincide with a single external shape. A rectangular outline can mask round, polygonal, or more complex shapes, and only triangular indentations in exterior walls sometimes mark the junctions of dissimilar elements. Sometimes carved decorations and arcades around the walls help soften the austere appearance of the façade. There are relatively few windows in the walls. Starting from the 7th century onwards, when dome structures became the main type of buildings, the pyramidal or conical roof covering the drum of the dome became feature appearance Armenian churches.
Rice. eleven. Church of Avan, erected by Catholicos John. 590–611
When erecting domes over square or octagonal structures, Armenian architects usually resorted to a tromp, a small arch or semi-conical niche at the corners, which allows you to go from a square to an octagon, and from an octagon to a polygonal base for the drum of the dome. Where the dome was supported by free-standing columns, they used pendantives (sails), inverted spherical triangles placed between adjacent arches, to create a continuous base for the drum.
All earlier surviving Armenian churches are basilicas. This project ultimately goes back, as elsewhere in the Christian world, to pagan sanctuaries. Armenian basilicas, whether they have side aisles or not, are always vaulted. They do not have transepts (transverse aisles), and nothing violates the unity of the internal space. The transverse arches, often horseshoe-shaped, rest on T-shaped columns and reinforce the vaults of the nave and side aisles. One roof sometimes covers all three limits, as in the Kasakh basilica, one of the most ancient. In other churches, the central nave rises higher than the side ones and is covered by a different roof. The basilica in Ereruk and those that were originally created in Tekor and Dvin, being larger, had side porticoes ending in small apses. The Yereruk Church has a facade with two towers - the only example of such a design in Armenia, used in several Syrian churches, but these towers jut out from the side, as in Anatolian shrines.
Rice. 12. Basilica of Yereruk. 5th–6th centuries (according to Khachatryan)
Churches of the basilica type did not remain "in vogue" for long. From the end of the 6th century, they gave way to a variety of central domed structures. They trace their origins to the mausoleums of late antiquity and the first Christian martyr chapels, but their unexpected appearance in Armenia and the variety of designs suggests that different schemes were tried on the site even before the 6th century. This is confirmed by the excavations of the cathedral in Etchmiadzin. The exposed foundation of the church of the 5th century is identical in plan to the buildings of the 7th century that have come down to us, having the shape of a square with four protruding axial niches and four free-standing columns supporting the dome.
Rice. 13. Cathedral in Talish. 668 1:500
In the 6th century, the widespread use of domes changed the design of basilicas. In churches without aisles, the arches supporting the drum of the dome rest on composite columns (Zovuni) or on low walls stretching from the north and south walls (Ptghni, Talish). In the three-nave basilicas, the columns on which the arches rest stand freely (Odzun, Bagavan, Mren (see photo 9), the Church of St. Gayane in Vagharshapat), forming a cross inside the square. The parts coming from the central span are covered with a vault higher than the aisles, therefore, the shape of the cross is also transmitted in the covering. In the restored cathedral of Talin (see photo 10), the northern and southern arms of the cross are elongated in such a way as to form corresponding niches or small apses, resembling a shamrock in plan.
Rice. 14. Cathedral in Mren. 638–640 1:500
In a number of projects, a strictly central version of the plan appears. In its simplest form, the square is supported by four convex niches, and a dome on tromps covers the entire central space (Agrak). When the niches are rectangular and along the outer perimeter and there are no side rooms in the eastern part, the free-standing cross is outwardly expressed more clearly. Sometimes, as in Lmbat and the church of Ashtarak, known as Karmravor (see photo 11), the rays of the cross, except for the eastern one, also have a rectangular outline inside. The trefoil is a variant of the niche-buttress square, where the western beam is longer than the others and has a rectangular perimeter (Alaman, Saint Ananias). In another version of the same basic type, the diameters of the axial convex niches are smaller than the sides of the square, thus defining the corner protrusions that provide eight points of support for the drum (Mastara, Artik, Voskepar) (see Photo 12). In these churches, the dome covers the entire central space, however, in the church of St. John the Baptist in Bagaran, now almost completely destroyed, a different method was used. The niches had a diameter that was smaller than the sides of the square, but the dome, supported by four free-standing columns, no longer covered the entire central space. This method was used in Etchmiadzin, where, due to the large size of the building, the corner squares were equal to the central square.
Rice. 15. Cathedral of Talin, 7th century
Rice. 16. Church Artik. 7th century (according to Khachatryan), 1:500
In its simplest form, the niche-buttress square is essentially a quatrefoil, and the best example of a quatrefoil is the great church of Zvartnots, built between 644 and 652 by Catholicos Nerses III the Builder next to his palace. According to the legend, it was placed on the spot, on the road to Vagharshapat, where King Tiridates met Gregory the Illuminator, and the church was dedicated to the angels, “vigilant forces” (zvartnots), who appeared to St. Gregory in a vision.
Rice. 17. Plan of the church Zvartnots. 644–652 (according to Khachatryan), 1:500
From the end of the 4th century onwards, four-leaf structures were erected mainly as chapels of martyrs in different parts of the world. We find them in Milan (San Lorenzo), in the Balkans and in Syria - in Seleucia, in Pieria, Apamea, Bosra and Aleppo, and this is far from full list. According to its general design, Zvartnots is associated with these shrines, although it is somewhat different from them. A round bypass gallery surrounds the tetraconch, a square room extends beyond the round wall in the east. Of the four niches, only the eastern one has a solid wall, the other three are open exedras, each with six columns, and provide free access to the gallery.
Rice. 18. Sectional view of Zvartnots Church (drawing by Kenneth J. Conant)
Zvartnots Church was destroyed in the 10th century. Only the foundation, the remains of walls, foundations, capitals and individual sections of columns have survived to this day, but comparison with other churches with a similar project allowed Toramanyan to propose a reconstruction project accepted by most scholars. The church rose to a great height, the walls above the exedras were pierced with a series of arches opening into a vaulted gallery, and windows were located higher up in the walls of the exedras. The dome with a round drum, pierced by windows, is installed with the help of penditives on arches connecting four columns. Semi-domes of the quatrefoil adjoined it, and they, in turn, were adjoined by a vault over the bypass gallery.
– Rice. 19. Vagharshapat. Plan of the Church of Saint Hripsime. 618 (according to Khachatryan), 1:500
Rice. 20. Vagharshapat. Saint Hripsime Church, Envelope Diagram (drawing by Kenneth J. Conant)
The most Armenian of all is the project of the church of St. Hripsime in Vagharshapat (see photo 14). It is an improved version of the niche-buttress square, in which four small cylindrical niches are located between axial semicircular niches that open access to four corner rooms. The dome covers the central octagonal space, adjoining both axial and diagonal niches. From the outside, deep triangular niches mark the places of articulation. The same type of construction was repeated with minor changes in the construction of the church of St. John in Sisian. The Church of Etchmiadzin in Soradir, known as the Red Church, apparently demonstrates an earlier stage of development. There are no corner rooms in the western part, and both axial and diagonal niches are clearly expressed on the outside, while in the eastern part two narrow rooms are located on the sides of the apse. In the church of Avan, on the contrary, the entire ensemble of rooms and niches is hidden in the massive masonry of a smooth rectangular structure, while the corner rooms are round, not square, as in the church of St. Hripsime (see Fig. 11). In these churches, the addition of diagonal niches defines an octagonal space, in others the octagon completely replaces the central square, and eight niches are located on eight sides (Irind, Zotavar).
Rice. 21. Ani. Cathedral, 989-1001 (according to Khachatryan), 1:500
As we can see, the Armenian architects of the 6th and 7th centuries, when erecting a dome over a square space, made different decisions. Throughout this period, Armenia was in contact with Persia, as well as with the eastern provinces of the Byzantine Empire and Georgia, where similar constructions were carried out. The engineering problems that the architects had to solve were identical, especially in those areas where the building material was stone, as in Armenia. It is no longer possible to establish the degree of mutual influence over the prescription of years. The temple of Garni is located behind the line of development of Armenian architecture, but here, too, there could be a domed mausoleum, which, as in other countries, served as a prototype. It should only be emphasized that in their experiments the Armenians often followed an independent course.
With the onset of the Bagratid era, building activity resumed, and with it a vast array of structural forms created in earlier centuries was revived. Ani, the city of a thousand and one churches, protected by a double line of fortifications, was the most important center. Moreover, Tsar Gagik I was lucky to get the architect Trdat, who was working on the restoration of the dome of the Church of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople, damaged during the earthquake of 989, to serve. The very fact of Trdat's participation in the construction and restoration of the most famous buildings of the Byzantine Empire speaks of his wide popularity. In Ani, Trdat's masterpiece is the cathedral, built between 989 and 1001. In this version of the construction of the cross in a rectangle, Trdat emphasized the vertical effect and the elegance of the general appearance. Pointed stepped arches rising from free-standing column bundles support a round drum on penditives. The dome resting on the drum is now destroyed. Recessed pilasters placed in the southern and northern walls face the central columns. Narrow side apses are almost completely hidden by low walls, ten semicircular arches open in the wall of the wide central apse. The bundled columns of Ani resemble the design used much later in Gothic architecture, but with a different structural function. On the outer side of the cathedral, the deep triangular recesses that mark the articulations in the project create shaded areas and emphasize the elegance of the graceful columns of the continuous arcade. The cathedral in Ani is very harmonious, proportionate (see photo 13), once had a majestic dome and is rightfully considered one of the most valuable examples of medieval architecture.
Rice. 22. Ani. Church of the Savior. 1035–1036, 1:350
In the church of St. Gregory, also erected by Gagik I in Ani, Trdat copied the plan of the church of Zvartnots. Today, only the foundation remains of it, which shows that Trdat replaced the solid wall of the eastern niche of Zvartnots with an open exedra. Other churches in Ani are examples of six- and eight-lobe plans, usually with two side apses at the east petal, and the whole structure is surrounded by a polygonal wall (example - the Church of the Savior, see photo 15), sometimes with triangular recesses between the petals (example - the Church of St. Grigory Abugamrents).
Rice. 23. Ani. Church of St. Gregory Abugamrenz, 1:350
During this period, modifications of the niche-buttress square also appear, in which the niches are smaller than the sides, for example, in the Kars Cathedral (see photo 16) and in the church known as Kümbet Kilise, located near the city. The plan of the Church of the Holy Cross in Akhtamar (see photo 17), erected by King Gagik of Vaspurakan between 915 and 921, with semicircular axial niches along the diagonals, basically repeating the typical design of the Church of St. . In both cases, there are no corner rooms, and narrow side apses are located on the sides of the eastern apse. It was a hall church, in which the dome was supported by columns protruding from the side walls, and it was such churches that were most often erected in later centuries. Marmashen Cathedral (see photo 18) is one of the best surviving examples of churches of this type.
Rice. 24. Akhtamar. Church of the Holy Cross. 915–921 (according to Khachatryan), 1:350
Rice. 25. Church of Marmashen. 986-1029 (according to Khachatryan), 1:350
Architects of the 10th and subsequent centuries did not always return to old models and often created new, more progressive types of structures. At that time, large monastic complexes were being built, for example, in Tatev, in the Syunik region, as well as in Sanahin and Haghpat - in the north of Armenia. Such complexes included, in addition to monastic cells, a library, a refectory, a belfry, several churches with large gavits (zhamatun), and the new method of construction was manifested first of all in the latter (see photo 19). The earliest known example of the new type is not the gavit, but the Church of the Shepherd, built in the 11th century outside the city walls of Ani. In plan, this three-story building has the shape of a six-pointed star, imprinted in heavy stonework. From the outside, twelve triangular ledges were cut in the walls - between the rays of the star.
Rice. 26. Monastery in Sanahin: 1 - church Mother of God. X century; 2 - Church of the Savior. 966; 3 - vaulted hall, known as the Academy of Gregory the Magister; 4 - Chapel of St. Gregory. 1061; 5 - library. 1063; 6 - gavit (zhamatun). 1181; 7 - gavit. 1211; 8 - belfry.
13th century (according to Khachatryan), 1:500
Six arches rising from the columns gathered in bundles at the corners of the star meet in the keystone and carry the entire load created by the second floor. This floor is round inside and hexagonal outside, above it rises a round drum, on which a conical dome rests.
Rice. 27. Ani. Chapel of the Shepherd. 11th century View from above
Rice. 28. Ani. Chapel of the Shepherd. 11th century Envelope scheme (according to Strzygowski), 1:200
Various systems were used to construct the roofs of the anti-chapels. In one of them, attached to the south side of the Church of the Holy Apostles in Ani (see photo 19), six columns adjacent to the walls divide the rectangular space into two square bays. Above each, masonry arches rest on these columns, crossing each other diagonally, and low walls rising above the arches support the ceiling. The side walls are reinforced with wall arches that support low columns. The central space is crowned with a stalactite-shaped dome. More complex forms are used in the large square gavit of the Horomos church, built in 1038. The hall is covered by two pairs of intersecting arches running parallel to the side walls. Above the spans to the east and west of the central square, the ceiling rests on small walls rising above the arches, as in the Church of the Holy Apostles at Ani, but the vaults of the side spans rest directly on the arches.
Rice. 29. Haghpat. Gavit. 13th century Envelope circuit (drawing by Kenneth J. Conant)
The four corners of the rectangles are closed by sections of a triangular vault that intersect at right angles. The octagonal drum, lined with carved panels, rises above the central square and is topped by a small dome resting on six load-bearing columns. As you can see, different vaults were used here, which was the initial stage of research completed in the 12th and 13th centuries on such structures as the large gavit of Haghpat. Large arches intersecting at right angles again cover the square hall, only now the spans are covered with masonry vaults that rest directly on the arches.
This method of construction favored the construction of two- and three-story buildings. The first are for the most part funerary chapels, in which the lower floor was used directly for burial, and the upper one, which was usually smaller, served as a chapel. Several such churches were erected in the 11th-14th centuries, mainly in the province of Syunik. One of the most richly decorated is the chapel of the Noravank monastery complex in Amagu (see photo 20). Three-story buildings - belfry towers - were erected in large monasteries. In the Haghpat monastery, one or more small chapels for religious services were located on the lower floors, and the bell tower at the top was topped with a conical roof (see photo 21). In all these structures, the vertical structure and lightweight forms are emphasized.
With the development of transit trade during the reign of the Bagratids, caravanserais and hotels were built on the main trade routes in different parts of the country. Caravanserai, in principle, are three-nave vaulted basilicas covered with a single roof. There are no windows in the walls, light and air enter only through small openings in the roof. The ruins of the caravanserai in Talin show a more complex construction. The vast central platform was open and surrounded by a vaulted gallery on three sides, on the north side there were five small rooms overlooking the central platform. Three-nave basilica halls stood on the sides of the central square, but were not connected. The large hotel in Ani consisted of two separate but adjacent buildings. In each of them, small rooms adjoining the central rectangular hall on both sides, overlooking the hall. It is believed that the large rooms located on the short sides of the rectangle served as shops. In the northwestern part of the city of Ani are the ruins of a palace, probably built in the 13th century. Here we have, albeit on a smaller scale, another example of a structure with rooms surrounding a central hall. The large portal still preserves the remains of complex mosaic decorations and patterns.
Armenian architecture is an important chapter in the history of Christian architecture. She contributed to solving the engineering problems associated with the construction of domed stone structures. Maintaining contact with the West and East, Armenia used the experience of other countries, but its architects always did everything in their own way, giving standard solutions a national flavor. Even scholars who reject Strzygowski's extreme assessments admit that the architectural forms created in Armenia penetrated other countries and influenced their architectural solutions. A vivid example is a typical Byzantine church of the 10th century, in which the dome over a square span rests on corner tromps. As R. Krautheimer noted in his work on early Christian and Byzantine architecture, “of all the border countries of the empire, only Armenia was on an equal footing with Byzantine architecture. But the difference between Byzantine and Armenian structures - in design, construction, scale and decoration - is not emphasized too much.
Chapter “Architecture of Armenia” of the book “The General History of Architecture. Volume I. Architecture ancient world". Author: О.X. Khalpakhchyan; edited by O.Kh. Khalpakhchna (responsible editors), E.D. Kvitnitskaya, V.V. Pavlova, A.M. Pribytkova. Moscow, Stroyizdat, 1970
Armenia is a mountainous country located between the Asia Minor and Iranian plateaus. The Armenian people was formed as a result of a long process of merging of the tribal unions of the Hays, Armens, Urartians, etc., which proceeded especially intensively after the fall of the state of Urartu. Founded in 624 BC the Armenian state was incorporated in 520 BC. e. into the Persian state of the Achaemenids, and in 323 BC. e. - the Hellenistic state of the Seleucids. The struggle of Rome against the Seleucids favored the restoration of the Armenian kingdoms - Ayrarat, Lesser Armenia, Sophene and Armenia. The Ayrarat kings from the Artashesid dynasty (189 BC - 1 AD) managed to unite the Armenian lands into a single monarchy - Great Armenia, which under Tigran II (95-55 BC) reached the highest development and was considered one of the most powerful and advanced countries.
Under the Artashesids, Armenia was a military-slave-owning state. A large population spoke the common Armenian language and professed a single pagan religion. The king and the high priest were invested with unlimited power. Big rights had bdeshkhs - hereditary rulers of the outlying lands.
The natural wealth of the country contributed to the development of agriculture, crafts and trade. The trade routes between East and West passing through Armenia favored not only the cultural upsurge, but also the construction of cities. The main population developed an original local culture based on ancient traditions. In the cities and among the slave owners, the Armenian Hellenistic culture, generated by close contact with the ancient states, spread.
The oldest writings in Armenia were Aramaic (the inscriptions of Artashes I on boundary stones), and from the 1st century. BC e. - Greek signs. Literary works were written in Greek and inscriptions were carved on structures, for example, the fortress walls of Tigranakert (Fig. 38) and Garni. The most ancient Armenian writing was used for writing chronicles and temple books.
Theatrical art reached a high level. In the cities (Artashat, Tigranakert) theatrical buildings were erected, in which the works of Greek and Armenian authors were staged.
Statues of pagan gods and deified kings were widespread (Fig. 39). The height of bronze statues reached 6-7 m. In monumental architecture, bas-reliefs were common, they depicted a plant-geometric ornament (Fig. 40), less often animals.
Architecture has reached a high level of development.
 |
 |
 |
 |
In mass construction in small fortifications, small, roughly chipped stone and brick were used. The walls were laid with clay and lime mortar. Monumental structures were made of large basalt squares (in the fortress wall of Garni they reach 5-6 tons of weight; Fig. 41, left). The squares were laid dry, flat and fastened with iron staples filled with lead ( Garni) or iron staples in the form of a dovetail (Armavir). The pillars of the columns and the lintel stones were connected with pyrons. The ceilings of conventional structures are flat on wooden beams with clay-adobe coating, which had a large slope in areas with significant precipitation. In capital buildings, rafters were used for pitched tiled roofs. Stone slab ceilings, arches and vaults made of stone on lime mortar (Garni) were also practiced.
The layout of the cities of the first Armenian kingdoms of the 6th-4th centuries. BC e. not known. From the description of the Greek author Xenophon, who saw in 401 BC. e. there is a vast settlement in Armenia, it follows that it consisted of the castle of the local ruler and the fortified houses of the townspeople surrounding it.
During the Artashesid dynasty and the first kings from the Arshakid dynasty in Armenia from the 3rd century. BC e. according to the 2nd century AD e. about 20 large and small cities were founded. In most cases, they were placed in the most important economic and strategic points, on the site of the Urartian settlements. For example, one of the Armenian capitals, Armavir, arose at the beginning of the 6th century. BC e. after the fall of the state of Urartu on the site of the Urartian city of Argishtikhinili. In this regard, the structure of the cities reflected both the Urartian and the Hellenistic traditions that prevailed at that time, from the combination of which the distinctive features of the urban planning of Armenia were subsequently developed.
The cities of Armavir (3rd century BC), Yervandashat (late 2nd century BC), Artashat (170-160 BC), Tigranakert (77 BC) ) and others had a clear plan structure. From the descriptions of historians - the Greek Plutarch and Strabo and the Armenian Movses Khorenatsi - we can conclude that the cities consisted of a citadel and a settlement. The citadel occupied a hill dominating the city and its surrounding territory and, depending on the relief, was placed on the edge (Artashat) or in the center (Tigranakert, Vagharshapat) of the city.
The cities built on the mountainous terrain had a random configuration of the plan. The outlines of the plain cities were regular. The structure of the street network of both types of cities has not been elucidated. It can be assumed that the cities founded on the site of ancient settlements (Armavir, Vagharshapat) had less pronounced features of Hellenistic urban planning than those built in new territories (Tigranakert).
Urban settlements had developed fortifications. The citadel was combined with the fortifications of the city into a single defensive system. The perimeter of the city and the citadel was surrounded by powerful walls and towers. The system of fortifications included a secret (underground) passage for evacuation when the fortress was captured, as well as for water intake in case of damage to the water supply. According to Movses Khorenatsi, a secret passage in the Yervandashat citadel was arranged under the palace stairs.
The relief features that strengthen the defense of the city (steep slopes, water lines) were used to the maximum. The development of military technology also changed the nature of the fortifications. In contrast to the Urartian time, water ditches and ramparts were arranged in front of the walls as an obstacle to siege machines. At the same time, the role of towers also increased, the main purpose of which was to conduct not frontal, but flank fire, which was most effective during an assault supported by siege engines. The towers began to be significantly extended beyond the walls, brought closer together and made higher (Fig. 41, right).
Cities were erected on a cape jutting into a river bend or formed by the confluence of rivers, which facilitated defense and provided the population with water. According to the description of Movses Khorenatsi, during the construction of Yervandashat on a rocky hill, ditches were cut in many places inside the fortress to take water to the level of the Arak River.
Within the boundaries of the settlement, the cape was surrounded by walls along the coast, in front of which a moat and a rampart were arranged from the side of the plain. So it was fortified, according to Strabo's description, Artashat, built according to a predetermined plan (according to legend, the choice of location was made on the advice of Hannibal). The city was considered the largest cultural and economic center of Armenia in the 2nd century BC. Strabo calls it a beautifully built royal city, and Plutarch calls it a large and very beautiful city, the Armenian Carthage. It had a luxurious royal palace, outstanding religious temples, tombs, theaters, craft and trade buildings.
Great attention was paid to the improvement of the urban area. Steep reliefs were softened by the construction of terraces with stone retaining walls, as, for example, in Armavir. The main streets and squares were paved, water mains were laid.
 |
Capital Tigranakert, founded by Tigran II, was built at a rapid pace. Construction was carried out according to plan with the active participation of the population. The city was located in a naturally fortified mountainous place. The number of inhabitants exceeded 100 thousand. According to Strabo and Appian, most of them were resettled from the “12 Hellenistic cities” conquered in Cappadocia and Cilicia. Tigranakert, one of the largest cities in the world at that time (some scholars compare it with Nineveh and Babylon, others with advanced Hellenistic cities), was notable for its landscaping and had powerful defensive structures (Fig. 42). According to Appian, the city walls had a height of 50 cubits (about 26 m) and were so wide that they housed warehouses and royal stables. The impregnability of the walls was strengthened by the frequently erected towers, a water moat and an earthen rampart.
Vagharshapat (now Etchmiadzin), located on the Ararat plain, had similar fortifications, founded as the new capital of Armenia by King Vagharshak (117-140), on the site of Vardkesavan, dating back to the 3rd-2nd centuries. BC e.
In addition to city fortifications, fortresses and castles were erected, which simultaneously served as country residences. Of these, the Yervandakert villa (late III - early II century BC) near Yervandashat, the Garni fortress (III-II centuries BC), the country palace of Tigran II (I century BC) are known. ) near Tigranakert.
 |
 |
 |
Served as the summer residence of the Arshakid kings Garni fortress It was founded on the site of a Cyclopean fortress, on a high triangular cape, surrounded by the Azat River from two long sides (Fig. 43). Deep, in some places up to 150 m, the gorge with steep slopes served as a natural boundary. The walls were erected only from the side facing the plain. The length of the wall was at least 314 m, with a thickness of 2.07-2.08 m. -32 m) spaced rectangular towers (6 x 6.2 - 6.7 m), built of large basalt blocks (Fig. 44). The only narrow (2.16 m) arched gates were placed between two adjacent towers.
Significant progress was made in the construction of roads and bridges. In particular, Tigran II built a highway connecting Artashat and the Ararat valley with Tigranakert.
According to Herodotus, Strabo and Pliny the Elder, the roads of Armenia were notable for their improvement. The highways were designed for double-track wheeled traffic. The roads were paved with stone slabs laid over a leveled base. With a steep relief, they cut through the rocks, and trenches broke through in the hills. Inns were erected on long hauls.
Bridges were built temporary and permanent. There were three bridges near Artashat: across the water moat, across the Metsamor River (called Taperakan) and across the Arak River, of which the last two were made of stone. A four-span bridge across the Arpa River near the village of Areni was built from cleanly hewn basalt stones fastened with lead-filled metal brackets.
The features of the Hellenistic culture were also clearly manifested in the architecture of various buildings. The ruins of ancient settlements and fragments of structures (Fig. 45) testify to the spread in Armenia of types of buildings characteristic of antiquity - temples, sanctuaries, theaters, etc.
An idea of civil buildings can be compiled from literary information and from some few examples.
Rural houses are described by Xenophon in Anabasis. They were dugouts with an upper passage widened downwards. They went down the stairs there, and special corridors were dug for the cattle. Such a dwelling was discovered near Leninakan. It is close to the medieval type of dwelling that existed in Armenia, called tun or glhatun, that is, a house with a head. Usually it was erected on a slope, deepening one side into the ground. Glkhatun is square or rectangular in plan. Its walls were made of torn stone on clay mortar. Mandatory elements: hearth or tonir (stove, which is a barrel-shaped jug buried in the ground), wall niches of various sizes and a ceiling made of wooden beams laid in the form of a truncated square or polyhedral prism (with a light-smoke hole), towering above the building in the form of a small mound. Depending on the size of the room and the quality of the wall masonry, the ceiling rests on wall or free-standing wooden pillars on stone bases, the number and location of which determines the compositional features of the interior. The door - one for people and livestock - is placed in one of the corners of the front facade. In winter, when the door was covered with snow, people got into the dwelling through the light-smoke hole along the stairs.
In the urban dwelling of the Armenians, apparently, the compositional features of the Urartian urban residential buildings were developed. According to fragmentary data of historians, the cities of Artashat, Yervandashat, Armavir, Arshamashat and especially Tigranakert were built according to all urban planning rules and had comfortable multi-storey dwellings. The central part of the city was occupied by the capital houses of merchants and artisans, whose occupations were reflected in the nature and type of their dwellings. Associated with agriculture, most of the urban population lived on the outskirts and in the suburbs, in houses that had much in common with rural housing.
What were the palaces of the nobility in the capitals of Armenia of the Hellenistic period is not known. Taking into account the laudatory reviews of ancient authors about these cities, it must be assumed that the residences of the rulers were among the best urban structures. The palace of the Yervandashat citadel, named by the Armenian historian of the 5th c. Favstos Buzand (Favst Byzantine) "big city", according to the description of Movses Khorenatsi, had high walls with copper gates and iron stairs. One must think that the palaces of the rulers of that time, located in the citadel, like the Urartian palaces (Erebuni, Teishebaini), were a complex of premises united in one building.
Country villas and summer residences, surrounded by gardens, ponds with fish and vast forests with wild animals for hunting, had a different character. According to Movses Khorenatsi, the royal villa Yervandakert consisted of disparate, cheerful-looking, bright, elegant and incomparable buildings located among fragrant flower beds. Obviously, the country palace of Tigran II near Tigranakert and mentioned by Favstos Buzand under the name Tiknuni, the palace of King Khosrov II (330-338) near Dvin, in the oak forest of the Azat River valley, obviously belonged to the Yervandakert type.
 |
 |
 |
| 47. Garni. Palace tower: general view and plan |
 |
 |
Movses Khorenatsi's true description of the architectural appearance of Yervandakert is also applicable to the royal summer residence in the Garni fortress. The palace complex consisted of separate buildings. To date, the remains of the temple, the main and columned halls, residential building and baths have been excavated. They were located around a spacious square in the southern part of the fortress, remote from the gates, where they formed a kind of ensemble (Fig. 46).
The top of the cape was occupied by a temple facing the square with its main northern facade. Taking into account the size of the temple and its location on the axis passing through the gates of the fortress, it can be assumed that it served as the main architectural accent of the ensemble.
From the west of the temple, at the edge of the cliff, there was a front hall. Its basement was an elongated vaulted room (12.5 x 22.5 m) with six square pillars on the longitudinal axis. The walls were divided by pilasters placed along the axis of the pillars, between which there were arched niches. In the 7th century a round Christian temple was built over the ruins of the hall.
From the north, a residential building adjoined the hall, the basement of which included a small winery. The traces of pink and red coloring of the basements preserved on the plaster give grounds to assume the richness of the decoration of the residential and ceremonial chambers of the palace.
On the northern side of the square, at an angle to the residential building, there was a palace bath. The building, built of torn stone with lime mortar, included at least five rooms, of which four had apses at the ends (Fig. 47). In some apses with a lower floor level, there were probably small pools. Judging by the design features of the walls that survived up to a height of 2-2.5 m, the first apsidal room from the east served as a dressing room, the second served as a bathing hall with cold, the third with warm, and the fourth with hot water. The latter also housed a water tank with a furnace compartment in the basement. The floors were made of two layers of baked bricks (64 x 66 x 6 and 64 x 66 x 4 cm) covered with polished knock (7 cm thick). The floors rested on brick columns (from 19 to 25 cm in diameter) and were heated from below by hot air with smoke coming from the firebox (Fig. 47). Some idea of the interior decoration is given by the floors that survived in some rooms with the remains of stone mosaics. Of particular interest is the floor mosaic of the cloakroom, dating back to the 3rd-4th century BC. Its plot is taken from Greek mythology and contains images of the sea, fish, nereids, ichthinocentaurs and the gods of the Ocean and Talas against a greenish background (Fig. 48). An interesting inscription on the mosaic reads: "Receiving nothing, we worked."
The Garni bath in its composition, the presence of several bathing halls with different temperatures and heating of the hypocaust system, has much in common with the ancient baths of Syria and Asia Minor, especially with the baths in Mtskheta-Armazi (II-III centuries) in Georgia, in Dura-Europos and in Antioch on the Orontes (4th century).
Of interest are the remains of a rectangular room (6.3 x 9.75 m) located near the eastern fortress wall, dating back to the 3rd-4th centuries. (Fig. 49). Its wooden ceiling rested on two internal wooden pillars (diameter 31 cm) with stone bases. A similar composition of the building with internal pillars is also characteristic of the columned hall of the fortified city of Bagineti near Mtskheta (Georgia).
The religious buildings of Armenia were dedicated to pagan deities who received under Tigran II Greek names. There were temples in many cities and settlements, where they were erected either in the form of separate buildings or in the form of large complexes. Among the latter, the temples of Ashtishat and Bagrevand were the most famous. After the adoption of Christianity at the turn of the 3rd-4th centuries, almost all pagan temples were destroyed. Judging by the information of the Armenian historians Agatangeos (Agafangel) and Zenob Glak, and by the only surviving example - the temple in Garni (second half of the 1st century), pagan temples were rectangular stone buildings.
 |
 |
 |
| 50. Garni. Pagan temple, second half of the 1st c. General view from the northwest, plan and northern facade |
 |
 |
 |
| 51. Garni. Pagan temple. The capital of the intermediate column, the corner of the pediment and the head of a lion on the cornice |
Temple in Garni built from blocks of pure hewn basalt. Stones, some more than 4 m long and weighing up to 5 tons, are laid dry and fastened with brackets and pyrons. The style of the temple, a six-column peripter, is close to similar monuments of Asia Minor (Termes, Sagala, Pergamon), Syria (Baalbek) and Rome (Fig. 50). It is made in Hellenistic architectural forms, but differs in local features of details and decor.
The temple stood on a high podium (with an area of 11.82 x 16.02 m, not counting the stairs) with a two-stage base. A wide staircase with nine high steps led to the podium, enclosed between the side walls, on the ends of which there were bas-reliefs of kneeling figures with raised arms (Fig. 51); such a sculptural motif is known from the monuments of the Eastern Roman provinces (for example, Niha in Syria, 2nd century BC). In front of the rectangular cella (5.14 x 7.29 m) covered with a semicircular vault, there was a shallow pronaos with antae and an entrance decorated with a rich casing. The small size of the cella indicates that it contained a statue of a deity, possibly the sun god Mithra, and the cult action was performed in the pronaos.
The bases of the columns of the temple are close to Attic in their forms, the trunks are smooth, the Ionic capitals with richly traced volutes and ionics are decorated with leafy ornaments, different in all 24 columns. The richly ornamented entablature is distinguished by a significant extension of the upper part of the architrave and frieze. A similar technique is also found in the monuments of Syria (II century) and Italy (IV century). The gooseneck of the cornice is decorated with lion heads and acanthus leaves; gable is smooth. The ceilings of the portico and the bypass of the temple of Garni were decorated with octagonal and diamond-shaped ornamented caissons, analogies to which are found in the monuments of Syria. The high quality of the basalt carving testifies to the first-class work of the Armenian craftsmen who erected the buildings of Armavir, Yervandashat, Garni, etc. Their participation is especially evident in the development of details: a variety of ornamental motifs, the presence of samples of local flora in ornamentation (flowers, walnut leaves, grapes, pomegranates) , manner of execution and planar carving.
The described architectural features and the richness of the ornamental decoration of the temple in Garni testify to its leading role in the ensemble of the palace square. This is confirmed by the composition of the temple, designed to contrast the horizontal divisions of the podium with the verticals of the columns, clearly outlined against the sky, as well as the isolated location of the building, which created the possibility of its perception from different (far and near) points of view.
The architectural monuments of the slave-owning period of Armenia testify to the high level of development of architecture. Thanks to cultural ties with the Hellenistic world, the architecture of Armenia received a new direction in its development, during which favorable conditions were created for the formation of a remarkable architecture of the feudal period.
