AGENCY FOR CONSERVATION
OF HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL MONUMENTS
MONASTERY OF TSAKHATS KAR - CHURCH OF THE FORERUNNER
(1041 A.D.)
CONSTRUCTED IN ONE OF THE MOST DRAMATIC SETTINGS IN ARMENIA, HIGH ON A PROMONTORY AMID CLIFFS AND CANYONS, THIS MONASTERY WAS ONCE ONE OF THE MOST RENOWNED RELIGIOUS CENTERS OF ARMENIA. ACCORDING TO THE ARMENIAN HISTORIAN BISHOP STEPANOS ORBELIAN, IT WAS ALREADY IN EXISTENCE BY THE FIFTH CENTURY, AND WAS BUILT AS THE BURIAL PLACE OF ARMENIAN MARTYRS WHO PERISHED DURING THE RELIGIOUS WARS FOUGHT BY THE ARMENIANS AGAINST THE PERSIANS IN ORDER TO DEFEND THEIR CHRISTIAN FAITH. NEARBY, AT AVARAYR, THE MOST FAMOUS BATTLE OF THESE WARS TOOK PLACE, IN 451 A.D. THE MONASTERY WAS REBUILT DURING THE REIGN OF KING ABAS I BAGRATUNI (930 952) BY A BISHOP NAMED STEPANOS.
THE CHURCH OF ST. KARAPET IS AMONG THE SURVIVING STRUCTURES ON THE EASTERN END OF THE MONASTERY. IT WAS CONSTRUCTED IN 1041 BY THE MONASTERY'S PRELATE VARTIK, WHO ALSO ERECTED THE TWO-STORY MAUSOLEUM CHAPEL NEAR IT. THE CHURCH HAS A CENTRAL DOME, A CRUCIFORM PLAN, AND A CHAPEL IN EACH OF ITS FOUR CORNERS. INSTEAD OF USING SQUINCHES TO SUPPORT THE DRUM OF THE DOME, THE ARCHITECT CONSTRUCTED A PENDENTIVE WITH WHAT RESEMBLE SPHERICAL TRIANGLES.
ST. KARAPET IS OF PARTICULAR INTEREST BECAUSE OF THE CARVED IMAGES ON ITS WALLS, WHICH MAY BE SYMBOLIC REFERENCES TO THE MARTYRS COMMEMORATED HERE. THE RELIEFS INCLUDE GRAPES AND POMEGRANATES CARVED OVER THE SOUTH PORTAL, A MAGNIFICENT EAGLE HOLDING A LAMB IN ITS CLAWS (ORIGINALLY ON THE SOUTH FACADE), A LION AND BULL IN COMBAT, AND A SERIES OF WINE PITCHERS ON THE FRONT OF THE ALTAR PLATFORM WHICH ARE LIKE THOSE AT THE SEVENTH CENTURY CHURCH AT PTGHNI.
(WITH THE GENEROSITY AND ASSISTANCE OF THE ARMENIAN LIBRARY AND MUSEUM OF AMERICA, IN WATERTOWN, MASSACHUSETTS.)
