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AGENCY FOR CONSERVATION
OF HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL MONUMENTS
MONASTERY OF VOROTNAVANK
(ELEVENTH CENTURY)
THE MONASTERY OF VOROTNAVANK, KNOWN IN DOCUMENTARY SOURCES AS THE MONASTERY OF VAGHADN, WAS FOUNDED BY QUEEN SHAHANDOUKHT OF SIUNIK, WIFE OF KING SMBAT, IN THE ELEVENTH CENTURY, ACCORDING TO THE THIRTEENTH CENTURY BISHOP STEPANOS ORBELEAN. THE AREA WAS ORIGINALLY A PILGRIMAGE SITE BECAUSE OF A CHURCH PRESUMABLY BUILT BY AND NAMED AFTER ST. GREGORY THE ILLUMINATOR. . QUEEN SHAHANDOUKHT ERECTED THE VAULTED CHURCH OF ST. STEPANOS NAXAVKA (ST. STEPHEN THE PROTOMARTYR) AND MANY OTHER STRUCTURES FOR THE MONASTERY.
THE CHURCH OF ST. STEPANOS, CONSTRUCTED IN AD 1000, AND REPAIRED IN THE THIRTEENTH CENTURY BY PRINCE TARSAYICH ORBELEAN, IS AN AISLE–LESS VAULTED BASILICAN–TYPE STRUCTURE WITH A SEMICIRCULAR EASTERN APSE. THE CHURCH HAS SMALL CHAPELS IN THE CORNERS EXCEPT ON THE SOUTHWEST. AN OPENING ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE APSE LEADS TO THE NORTHEAST CHAPEL WHICH ALSO CONNECTS WITH THE NORTHWEST CHAMBER. AN OPENING IN THE SOUTH WALL LEADS TO THE SOUTHEAST CHAPEL. ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE CHURCH, THERE IS A LONG RECTANGULAR HALL ADJOINED BY ANOTHER AT ITS WEST END.
SOUTHEAST OF ST. STEPANOS IS THE DOMED CRUCIFORM CHURCH OF ST. KARAPET ERECTED IN 1006 BY THE QUEEN'S SON SEVADA. IT WAS REPAIRED IN 1315 BY PRINCES BURTEL AND PUGHTA ORBELEAN AND AGAIN IN 1438 BY SARKIS ANGEGHAKOTSI. ST. KARAPET IS RECTANGULAR ON THE EXTERIOR. THE INTERIOR HAS THREE SEMICIRCULAR APSES, A RECTANGULAR NICHE AT THE WEST END, AND FOUR SMALL CHAPELS IN THE CORNERS OF THE CHURCH. THE ONLY PORTAL IS AT THE WEST END. THE CHURCH WAS DECORATED ON THE INTERIOR WITH WALL PAINTINGS, BUT IT IS DIFFICULT TO DETERMINE WHETHER THE INTERIOR OF THE DOME AND DRUM WERE ALSO DECORATED. ALONG THE LENGTH OF THE WEST WALL OF THE CHURCH IS A VAULTED, ARCADED HALL WHICH APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN CONSTRUCTED LATER.
IN 1931, AN EARTHQUAKE SEVERELY DAMAGED THE MONASTERY, THE SOUTH WALL, DOME AND ROOF OF ST. KARAPET COLLAPSED. THE CHURCH ITSELF WAS REPAIRED IN 2003. THE COMMEMORATIVE STELE TO ITS SOUTH SIDE WAS DESTROYED AND THE REST OF THE MONASTIC STRUCTURES SEVERELY DAMAGED.
THE MONASTERY'S OTHER STRUCTURES BUILT AT VARIOUS TIMES INCLUDE ANOTHER CHURCH, A HALL, A GUESTHOUSE, ADMINISTRATIVE BUILDINGS, A SPACIOUS HALL ON THE SOUTHWEST SIDE OF ST. STEPANOS, AND A GAVIT (LARGE NARTHEX) TO THE WEST OF ST. KARAPET.
(WITH THE GENEROSITY AND ASSISTANCE OF THE ARMENIAN LIBRARY AND MUSEUM OF AMERICA, IN WATERTOWN, MASSACHUSETTS.)
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