AGENCY FOR CONSERVATION
OF HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL MONUMENTS
CHURCH OF SHOGHAKAT
THE CHURCH OF SHOGHAKAT WAS ERECTED IN 1694 BY PRINCE ALAMAL SOTORETSI IN THE TIME OF THE KATHOLIKOS NAHAPAT AT A HOLY SITE OF MARTYRDOM ASSOCIATED WITH THE CONVERSION OF ARMENIA TO CHRISTIANITY IN 301 A.D. AS DESCRIBED BY THE FIFTH CENTURY ARMENIAN HISTORIAN AGATHANGELOS. HE RELATES THAT HRIPSIME, A CHRISTIAN NUN IN ROME, THE ABBESS GAYANE AND OTHER NUNS FLED FROM THE ROMAN EMPEROR DIOCLETIAN TO ARMENIA. THE PAGAN ARMENIAN KING TRDAT MARTYRED HRIPSIME AND GAYANE IN SEPARATE LOCATIONS AND A THIRD UNNAMED NUN HERE. WHEN ST. GREGORY THE ILLUMINATOR ERECTED MEMORIAL STRUCTURES FOR HRIPSIME AND GAYANE, THE STRUCTURE HERE WAS NAMED SHOGHAKAT, REFERRING TO THE RAY OF LIGHT APPEARING AT THE MARTYRDOM OF THE UNNAMED NUN. ST. GREGORY THE ILLUMINATOR LATER CONVERTED KING TRDAT WHO DECLARED CHRISTIANITY THE OFFICIAL RELIGION OF THE KINGDOM. THE ORIGINAL CHURCH HAS NOT SURVIVED. THE PRESENT CHURCH WAS PROBABLY ERECTED AT THE SAME SITE. EXCAVATIONS TO THE SOUTHWEST REVEALED THE REMAINS OF A SINGLE CHAMBER CHURCH POSSIBLY THE ORIGINAL FOURTH CENTURY MEMORIAL CHAPEL.
SHOGHAKAT IS A SMALL, DOMED HALL TYPE CHURCH WITH A SEMICIRCULAR EASTERN APSE FLANKED BY NARROW CHAPELS. FOUR PENDENTIVES HAVE BEEN USED TO MAKE THE TRANSITION FROM THE CENTRAL SQUARE BAY TO THE OCTAGONAL DRUM OF THE DOME, THE ONLY PORTAL IS ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE CHURCH AND LEADS TO THE GAVIT (NARTHEX). THE OCTAGONAL DOME IS CONSTRUCTED FURTHER WEST OF CENTER AS IN SOME EARLY MEDIEVAL ARMENIAN CHURCHES. THIS FEATURE, TOGETHER WITH OTHERS, INDICATES THAT SHOGHAKAT MAY HAVE BEEN CONSTRUCTED ON THE FOUNDATIONS OF A SIXTH OR SEVENTH CENTURY CHURCH.
THE SMALL CHAPEL FOUND ON THE SOUTHWEST SIDE OF THE CHURCH WAS APPARENTLY CONSTRUCTED ON A STEPPED PLATFORM. OUTSIDE THE SOUTHERN WALL, THERE IS A SMALL SEMICIRCULAR APSE WHICH MAY HAVE SERVED AS A SOUTHERN PORTICO. THERE WERE TWO PORTALS, ONE EACH ON THE SOUTH AND WEST SIDES. THE BASES OF THE WALL PIERS ARE CHARACTERISTIC OF THOSE FOUND IN FOURTH TO FIFTH CENTURY ARMENIAN CHURCHES.
(WITH THE GENEROSITY AND ASSISTANCE OF THE ARMENIAN LIBRARY AND MUSEUM OF AMERICA, IN WATERTOWN, MASSACHUSETTS.)
