AGENCY FOR CONSERVATION
OF HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL MONUMENTS
MONASTERY OF MARMASHEN
(986–1029 )
THE MONASTERY OF MARMASHEN WAS ONE OF THE LARGEST, MOST IMPORTANT MEDIEVAL CULTURAL CENTERS OF ARMENIA. ONCE SURROUNDED BY WALLS, MARMASHEN NOW CONSISTS OF TWO GROUPS OF STRUCTURES: THE FIRST IS THE MAIN COMPLEX WITH THREE SURVIVING CHURCHES, A RUINED GAVIT (LARGE NARTHEX), THE REMAINS OF A LARGE ROUND CHURCH, AND A SMALL CHAPEL. THE SECOND GROUP, IN THE DISTANCE TO THE NORTH, CALLED VERIN (UPPER) MARMASHEN HAS A SMALL SEVENTH CENTURY CHURCH AND AN OLD CEMETERY.
THE THREE CHURCHES IN THE MAIN COMPLEX STILL STANDING WERE ERECTED BY PRINCE VAHRAM PAHLAVUNI FROM 986–1029 WITH THE HELP OF HIS MOTHER SHUSHIK AND BROTHERS VASAK, APLGHARIB AND HAMGE ACCORDING TO INFORMATION GIVEN IN THE INSCRIPTION CARVED ON THE SOUTH WALL OF THE LARGE CHURCH IN THE CENTER KNOWN AS THE KATOGHIKE. THE HISTORIAN SAMUEL OF ANI (A FAMOUS MEDIEVAL CAPITAL OF ARMENIA), MENTIONS THAT THE KATOGHIKE WAS BUILT FROM 986–994. THE SECOND CHURCH OF THE GROUP IS LOCATED NEXT TO THE KATOGHIKE'S NORTH WALL AND CONSIDERED TO HAVE BEEN BUILT BETWEEN 994 AND 1029. THE THIRD CHURCH IS TO THE SOUTH OF THE KATOGHIKE AND IS PROBABLY ELEVENTH CENTURY CONSTRUCTION.
THE RUINED GAVIT, LARGE ENOUGH TO SERVE AS AN ASSEMBLY HALL, WAS BUILT AGAINST THE KATOGHIKE'S WEST WALL PROBABLY BY PRINCE VAHRAM IN 1029, IT ALSO SERVED AS THE MAUSOLEUM OF THE PAHLAVUNI FAMILY. INSCRIPTIONS IN THE AREA SHOW THAT PRINCE VAHRAM, HIS GRANDSONS AND OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS ARE BURIED IN THE GAVIT. AN INSCRIPTION DATED 1225 ON THE NORTH WALL OF THE KATOGHIKE REPORTS THAT VAHRAM'S GRANDSONS, ARCHBISHOP KRIKOR AND HIS BROTHER GHARIB, REPAIRED AND RESTORED THE MONASTERY INDICATING IT MAY HAVE BEEN RUINED AND UNINHABITED DUE TO INVASIONS BY THE SELJUK TURKS. THE MONASTERY FLOURISHED UNTIL THE MONGOL INVASIONS IN THE FOURTEENTH CENTURY.
THE KATOGHIKE IS NOTABLE FOR THE USE OF ARCHITECTURAL AND SCULPTURAL FEATURES SIMILAR TO THOSE ON THE IMPRESSIVE CATHEDRAL OF ANI BUILT 989–1001 BY THE ARCHITECT TRDAT, SUCH AS BLIND ARCADES WITH SLENDER COLONNETTES. ON THE EXTERIOR WALLS ARE SEVEN ARCADED WALL–NICHES CARVED ON THE INTERIOR EASTERN APSE. TAMANYAN HAS SUGGESTED THAT IT MAY HAVE BEEN CONSTRUCTED BY TRDAT OR WITH HIS ASSISTANCE.
(WITH THE GENEROSITY AND ASSISTANCE OF THE ARMENIAN LIBRARY AND MUSEUM OF AMERICA, IN WATERTOWN, MASSACHUSETTS.)
