Armenian architecture. Temple architecture of Armenia

The Armenian Apostolic Church is one of the oldest Christian churches. The first Christians appeared in Armenia back in the first century, when two of Christ’s disciples, Thadeus and Bartholomew, came to Armenia and began preaching Christianity. And in 301, Armenia adopted Christianity as the state religion, becoming the world's first Christian state.

The main role in this was played by Saint Gregory the Illuminator, who became the first head of the Armenian Church (302-326), and the king of Great Armenia Trdat, who before that was the most severe persecutor of Christians, but suffered a serious illness and miraculous healing through prayers, having previously spent 13 years in Gregory’s prison , completely changed his attitude.

Despite constant wars and persecution from the Persians, Arabs, the Mongol-Tatar yoke and finally the Ottoman-Turkish invasion, the Armenians never changed their faith, remaining devoted to their religion.

Over the 1700 years of Christianity, many temples were built in Armenia. Some of them were destroyed as a result of persecution, some were damaged by earthquakes, but most of the unique and ancient temples have survived to this day.

1. Tatev Monastery. We think many will agree with us that this is not only the most beautiful monastery, but also a temple complex that is leading in its energy and aura. You can talk about Tatev for a very long time, but it’s better to come once and feel its magical power.

2. Haghpat Monastery. Just like Tatev, you want to come to Haghpat again and again. And as one of the famous Armenian songwriters said, it is impossible to truly love Armenia if you have not seen the sunrise over the Haghpat Monastery.

3. Noravank monastery complex. Surrounded by red rocks, Noravank is incredibly beautiful in any weather.

4. Geghard Monastery. A unique architectural structure, part of which is carved into the rock. It is one of the most popular places among tourists.

5. Haghartsin Monastery. One of the most mysterious places in Armenia, the Haghartsin monastery complex, immersed in the greenery of mountain forests. Located near everyone's favorite Dilijan.

6. Makaravank Monastery. Just like Haghartsin, it is surrounded by dense forest in the Tavush region.

7. Odzun Monastery. The recently restored Odzun Monastery is one of the oldest monasteries in the Lori region.

8. Etchmiadzin Cathedral. The cathedral, built in 303, is the religious center of all Armenians.

9. Khor Virap Monastery. Located at the foot of Mount Ararat, Khor Virap stands apart from all the temples, because... It was from here that the Christian era of Armenia began. The monastery was built on the site of the dungeon where the first Catholicos of Armenians, Gregory the Illuminator, spent many years in captivity.

10. Akhtala Monastery. Another unique architectural structure of the Lori region.

11. Temple of Saint Gayane. Located a few hundred meters from the Cathedral in Etchmiadzin. It is one of the best monuments of Armenian architecture.

12. Church of St. Hripsime. Another temple with unique architecture located in Etchmiadzin.



13. Vahanavank Monastery. Located near the city of Kapan.Surrounded by the stunning nature of the Syunik mountains, the monastery complex is the tomb of the Syunik kings and princes.



14. Sevanavank monastery complex. Located on the peninsula of Lake Sevan.

15. Saghmosavank Monastery. It is located near the city of Ashtarak, on the edge of the Kasakh River gorge.



16. Hovhanavank Monastery. Located near Saghmosavank.

17. Monastic complex Kecharis. Located in the ski resort, the city of Tsakhkazor.



18. Khnevank Monastery. Located near the city of Stepanavan, the temple is another most beautiful temple in the Lori region.

19. Goshavank Monastery. The monastery complex founded by Mkhitar Gosh is located in the village of the same name near Dilijan.



20. Gndevank Monastery. Surrounded by beautiful rocks, it is located in the Vayots Dzor region, near the resort town of Jermuk.

21. Marmashen Monastery. Surrounded by an apple orchard on the banks of the Akhuryan River near the city of Gyumri, the monastery complex is especially beautiful in May, when the trees are in bloom.



22. Vorotnavank Monastery. Located near the city of Sisisan.

22. Harichavank Monastery. It is located in the Shirak region near the city of Artik.



23. Tegher Monastery. Located on the southeastern slope of Mount Aragats.



24. Sanahin Monastery. Along with the Haghpat Monastery, Geghard, the churches of Etchmiadzin (the Cathedral, the temples of St. Hripsime and Gayane), as well as the Zvartnots Temple, it is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Located near the city of Alaverdi.



25. Tatevi Mets Anapat (Great Tatev Hermitage). The monastery is located in the Vorotan Gorge. It was part of Tatev University. It was connected to the Tatev Monastery by an underground passage, which was destroyed during the earthquake.

26. Ayrivank Temple. This small temple is located on the other side of Lake Sevan.



27. Tsakhats Kar Temple. Located near the village of Yeghegis, Vayots Dzor region.



28. Church of St. Oganes in the village of Ardvi near the city of Alaverdi



29. Vagramashen Church and Amberd Fortress. Located at an altitude of 2300 m on the slope of Mount Aragats.



30. Ruins of the Zvartnots Temple. Translated from ancient Armenian it means “Temple of Vigilant Angels.” Located on the way from Yerevan to Etchmiadzin. Destroyed during an earthquake in the 10th century, it was discovered at the beginning of the 20th century. Included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.



31. Garni Temple. And, of course, we cannot ignore one of the most popular temples - the only temple of the pre-Christian era preserved on the territory of Armenia - the pagan temple of Garni.

Of course, not all Armenian churches are represented here, but we tried to highlight the most significant of them. We are waiting for you among our guests and we will show you the brightest and most beautiful Armenia.

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photo: , Andranik Keshishyan, Mher Ishkhanyan, Arthur Manucharyan

), which, in addition to ensuring the life of cities, formed part of their defensive system.

The masterpiece of ancient architecture of Armenia is Garni, built by the Armenian king Trdat I (54-88) in 76, as evidenced by his inscription in Greek discovered there.

In addition to the cities themselves, architecture also developed in individual princely possessions, fortresses and especially church complexes, which, experiencing rapid development, became the cultural centers of their time. In the country recently liberated from the Arab yoke, relatively small buildings were initially built, the earliest of which are known in the 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 the plan 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 buildings of the same type, there is an addition of corner chapels (Shoghakavank Monastery, 877-888), as well as a tendency to include these chapels in the overall composition of the buildings (Kotavank, Makenyats monasteries). The dome 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 chapels 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 supporting the dome, and the dome rests on the corner walls of the four limits. In 903, the Kotavank church was built, the Byurakan church dates back to the first quarter of the 10th century, the domed Gndevank temple in the Vayots Dzor gavar was built in 936, and the Makenyats church was built at the end of the 10th century.

The architectural school of Ani-Shirak, which developed in the possessions of the Bagratids (the central possession of Gavar Shirak), became more fruitful. The capital of the Ani Bagratids was initially Bagaran, later Shirakavan, where at the end of the 9th century, following the example of the Aruch temple (7th century), King Smbat I built a new temple. Later in Kars in 940. 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 sailing construction, the faceted shape of the dome drum gives way to a round one; in this case, the domes are often crowned with an umbrella-shaped covering. During the same period, under the influence of the folk dwelling - glkhatun - the original centric form of covering of monastery buildings - gavits (gavits - original church vestibules that performed various functions: tombs, places for parishioners, halls for meetings and classes) developed.

Fortresses

Amberd Fortress, 1026	Tignis Fortress, 9th century	City fortress walls of Ani, X-XI centuries

In the middle of the 10th century, the Tashir-Dzoraget school of architecture developed: in 957-966. the Sanahin monastery is being built, in 976-991. Queen Khosrovanuysh and his youngest son Gurgen founded the Haghpat Monastery - one of the largest architectural and spiritual centers in Armenia. Almost all architectural types of the 7th century were implemented in temples of the 10th century, but Armenian architects especially often turned to the structure of domed halls. In the architecture of the 10th century, a composition of vestibules - gavits - began 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. The Virgin Mary in Bjni (1031), Vagramashen (1026), Bheno Noravank (1062), Vorotnavank (1007) and some others. At the beginning of the 11th century, the monastery of Varagavank and Khtskonk (1029) was built in Western Armenia.

The development of stone civil buildings is closely related to the development of monastic complexes, remarkable examples of 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. What stands out are the original four-pillar halls and pillarless rooms with ceilings on intersecting arches, especially characteristic of the gavites that were widely built in monasteries. Four-pillar gavites were most often square in plan with arches spanning between the columns and walls. In the center, a dome or tent with a round opening at the top is made on four columns (gavit in Sanahin 1181).

In 1188, on the site of the old Getik church, Mkhitar Gosh founded a new building - the cross-domed mirror of Nor Getik or Goshavank. Construction of the main church of St. Astvatsatsin (Virgin Mary) is carried out in 1191-1196. architect Hysn.

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 an original structural system made it possible to build a new type of interior. The bright plasticity and main divisions 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 tent, placed above a square of crossed arches, enriched the composition, giving it harmony and vertical direction. A typical example is the Great Gavit of the Haghpat Monastery (1209). In its 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 in Armenia 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 rise in Armenian architecture begins in the last quarter of the 12th century under the rule of the Zakarians. Monuments from the end of the 12th century to the first quarter of the 13th century show the continuity of development of architectural traditions, despite more than a century of Seljuk yoke. New style features developed in the 10th-11th centuries are fully preserved, decorative methods become more subtle. Church complexes began to expand with new buildings from the 13th century. Among the largest and most famous architectural monuments of the early 13th century are Harichavank (1201), Makaravank (1205), Tegher (1213-1232), Dadivank (1214), Geghard (1215), Saghmosavank (1215-1235), Ovanavank (1216), Gandzasar (1216-1238), etc. Elements of the construction of church ensembles, in addition to the gavits themselves, were also gavit-mausoleums, libraries, bell towers, refectories, reservoirs and other memorial buildings.

By the middle of the 13th century there are Gtchavank (1241-1246), Khorakert (1251), by the end of the 13th century Tanade (1273-1279) and Haghartsin (1281).

The architecture of monasteries received particular development in the 13th century. There were very different principles for planning monastic complexes. While maintaining the typology of the temples, their proportions were changed, in particular the drum, facade gables and tent were significantly increased. Gavits are built with very diverse spatial solutions. The traced diagram 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 13th century, Lori, Artsakh and Syunik schools stood out among the architectural schools, and from the end of the same century also Vayots Dzor. Vayots Dzor became one of the centers of Armenian culture at the end of the 13th - first half of the 14th century. Gladzor University also operated here and where a separate branch of the Armenian miniature school developed. Such architectural monuments as Noravank (1339), Areni Church (1321), Zorats (no later than 1303), etc. were built in Vayots Dzor. The rise of the Vayots Dzor school of architecture is associated with the activities of the princely house of Orbelian.

Prominent architects, stone craftsmen and artists of the era - Momik, Pogos, Siranes (gavit of the Arates church, 1262, family tomb of the Orbelyans, 1275) and others.

In the XII-XIV centuries, the buildings of princely mausoleums-churches developed (Yegvard Church, 1301, Noravank, 1339, Kaputan, 1349). At the same time, the foreign yoke led the country's economy to a catastrophic situation, emigration of the population increased, and monumental construction almost stopped. In the 12th-14th centuries, architecture flourished in the Kingdom of Cilicia, where the traditions of classical Armenian architecture were combined with the features of Byzantine, Italian, French art and architecture. The development of architecture was largely determined by the development of Armenian cities, which became centers for the development of secular urban architecture. For Armenian architecture, the construction of port cities is becoming a new phenomenon. The principles of construction of mountain towns and villages were basically the same as in Armenia proper.

Gallery. VIII-XIV centuries

Architecture of Ani

In the IX-XI centuries. An independent Bagratid state emerges on the territory of Armenia with its capital in Ani. The architecture of this time continues to develop the principles of architecture of the 7th century. Centric and basilical structures continue to be developed in religious buildings. In centric buildings, the tendency to unite the interior around a central axis, the dominance of the 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 stretched out. Decorative decoration and stone carving become of great importance (the Church of Gregory in Ani, late 10th century; the Church of Arakelots in Kars, mid-10th century).

The development of the domed basilica is illustrated by the Ani Cathedral, 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 structure of the temple is cruciform, which indicates the influence of the cross-dome 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 elegant decorative fittings, and in the interior - in the complex profile of beam-shaped columns, emphasizing the vertical direction of the divisions, to which the pointed shape of the main arches also corresponds. The noted details (lancet, vertical division of abutments, arcature, etc.) to some extent anticipate the techniques of Romanesque and early Gothic buildings that developed somewhat later in European countries.

Over the course of the 15th-16th centuries, Armenian architecture itself developed in places of compact residence of Armenians in Russia, Georgia, Ukraine, Crimea, and Poland.

Starting from the second half of the 17th century, comparative peace was observed in Armenia; after a three-century break, conditions were created for the development of national architecture. Construction is developing mainly in three directions: 1) restoration of old churches and temples, 2) construction of new ones, 3) development of existing ones through new structures. Significant construction work is underway in Vagharshapat, the main cathedral and the temple of St. are being restored. 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-nave basilicas. Three-nave basilicas of the 17th century, in contrast to their early medieval counterparts, are simpler, without much decorative luxury, often made of poorly processed stone. Typical examples of the architecture of the era: churches of Garni, Tatev (1646), Gndevaz (1686), Eghegis (1708), Nakhichevan (St. Our Lady in Bista (1637), St. Shmavon in Farak (1680), St. Gregory the Illuminator in Shorota ( 1708)) and others.

In the 17th century, relatively few domed churches were built. The large church of Khor Virap (1666) and Shoghakat (1694) of Etchmiadzin had the structure of a domed hall. Domed basilica churches were built mainly in Syunik and Nakhichevan. During this period, the main building material was basalt, the use of which was very expensive. For this reason, simpler materials, mainly brick, are beginning to be used.

Gallery

XIX century. Early 20th century

In the 19th century, urban planning and architecture of the cities of western Armenia (Van, Bitlis, Karin, Kharberd, Yerznka, etc.) experienced minor changes. The annexation of Eastern Armenia to Russia at the beginning of the same century created the conditions for economic growth and comparative development of architecture and urban planning. Cities were partially (Yerevan) or completely (Alexandrapol, Kars, Goris) developed according to the canonical main layout plans. 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 centers of capitalist development in 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 the Arno Babajanyan Concert Hall on Abovyan Street), Treasury and Treasury Chamber (now a bank on Nalbandyan Street), Teachers' Seminary.

XX century

In 2005, construction began on the third building of the Central Bank of the Republic of Armenia (architect L. Khristaforyan).

Armenian architects of the 21st century participate in international competitions. Armenians distinguished themselves at an international competition for a project for the development of one of the central quarters of Doha, the capital of Qatar. They took second place (the Spaniards took first place). Authors of the project: L. Khristaforyan (group leader), M. Zoroyan, G. Isakhanyan, V. Mkhchyan, M. Soghoyan, N. Petrosyan.

Notes

1. K. V. Trever. Essays on the cultural history of ancient Armenia (II century BC - IV century AD). - M. L., 1953. - P. 187.
2. Armenians- article from the Great Soviet Encyclopedia (3rd edition)
3. Xenophon, Anabasis
4. Great Soviet Encyclopedia
5. Armenian Soviet Encyclopedia. - T. 6. - P. 338.(Armenian)
6. Plutarch. Comparative Lives, Crassus, § 33
7. Plutarch. Comparative Lives, Lucullus, § 29
8. V.V. Shleev. General History of Arts / Under the general editorship of B.V. Weymarn and Yu.D. Kolpinsky. - M.: Art, 1960. - T. 2, book. 1.
9. Armenian Soviet Encyclopedia. - T. 7. - P. 276.(Armenian)
10. Treasures of the Armenian mountains - Sevanavank
11. M. Hakobyan. Armenian architecture through the centuries
12. Al-Masudi “Gold mines and placers of gems” page 303
13. Armenian Architecture - VirtualANI - The church at Shirakawan
14. Armenian Architecture - VirtualANI - The Cathedral of Kars
15. Armenia // Orthodox Encyclopedia. - M., 2001. - T. 3. - P. 286-322.
16. Cyril Toumanoff. Armenia and Georgia // The Cambridge Medieval History. - Cambridge, 1966. - T. IV: The Byzantine Empire, part I chapter XIV. - pp. 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.

17. Armenian Architecture - VirtualANI - The Monastery of Varagavank
18. Armenian Soviet Encyclopedia. - T. 1. - P. 407-412.(Armenian)

The temple architecture of Armenia deserves special attention. Armenia is the first country to adopt Christianity as a 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, especially, Russian. Their characteristic feature is a cone-shaped dome.

Haghpat Monastery. X-XIII centuries - With. Haghpat. This is a functioning monastery in the village of Haghpat of the same name in northern Armenia, 10 km from the city of Alaverdi. The Haghpat Monastery is a significant monument of urban planning in medieval Armenia, distinguished by its unity and compactness of asymmetrical layout, beautiful silhouette on the mountainous terrain. The monasteries of Haghpat and Sanahin were included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1996.

Kobayr Monastery. XII-XIII centuries - With. Kober Kayaran. This is a medieval Armenian monastery. Located near the city of Tumanyan, Lori region of Armenia.

Akhtala Monastery and Fortress. XIII century - With. Akhtala. A monastery and fortress on a small plateau in the gorge of the Depet River (currently an urban village in the Lori region of Armenia). In the 10th century the fortress of Ptgavank (Akhtala) became the most important strategic point of the kingdom of the Kyurikyan-Bagratids.

Church complex Sanahin. X-XII centuries -G. Alaverdi (Sanain village). 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 lands, the number of brethren in the X-XI centuries. reached 300-500 people, among whom were scientists and cultural figures.

Odzun Monastery. VI century - With. Odzun. Located in the east of Gavar Tashir in the historical province of Gugark. The village has preserved the domed basilica of the Odzun Monastery, presumably dating back to the 6th century. The church is located on the central hill of the village and is visible from almost any point.

Church of St. John in Ardvi, XVII century.

Goshavank, XII-XIII centuries - v. Ghosh. Armenian medieval monastery complex in Varazhnunik Gavar in the historical province of Airarat. One of the largest cultural, educational and religious centers of medieval Armenia. The sources mention it as a seminary, university, etc. Prominent cultural figures of Armenia studied and lived here.

Marmashen Monastery, 10th century. - With. Vagramaberd. Located 10 km northwest of the city of Gyumri in the village of the same name Marmashen. Built in the 10th-13th centuries in the Shirak region of Ayrarat province. The Marmashen Monastery consists of three religious buildings. The main temple is located in the center of the courtyard and is the largest building; it is built of red brick and is a domed hall.

Karmravor Church, 7th century. The temple was built by priests Gregory and Manas. It is a small cross-shaped building with an octagonal drum installed on the roof.

Gayane, 630 - Vagharshapat (Etchmiadzin). 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 included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Tatev Monastery, 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 hermitage of Tatevi Anapat, the Wings of Tatev cable car, the natural bridge of Satani Kamurj, the Satani Kamurj cave and many other attractions.

Tanaat Monastery, 5th century. - With. Aravus. It is located in Vayots Dzor region, on a picturesque mountain range. The path leading to it is replete with numerous turns with sharp changes in elevation. The monastery complex consists of two churches, a cemetery and the ruins of the ancient Gladzor University. It is made of deep blue basalt, and therefore it is often called the “Black Monastery”.

Tsakhats kar, X-XI centuries. - With. Artabuink.

Church of Zorats (XIV century).

Arates Monastery. 7th century

Church of St. Karapet. Yeghegis.

Sevanavank Monastery. 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 and built their cells and chapel here. Thanks to the favorable position of the island, their number increased, and active construction of the monastery began. To build the walls, a ledge was cut out of the rock around the island, on which large stone blocks were laid. The wall surrounded the island, and a watchtower with a gate was built above it. Next, the monks built three churches, cells and outbuildings.

Hayravank Monastery. 9th century It is located near the village of Hayravank, on the western shore of Lake Sevan, Gegharkunik region of Armenia.

Geghard Monastery, XII-XIII centuries. - With. Geghard. Geghard (literally “spear”) is a monastery complex, a unique architectural structure in the Kotayk region, Armenia. Located in the gorge of the mountain river Gokht (the right component of the Azat river), approximately 40 km southeast of Yerevan. Included by UNESCO in the list of World Cultural Heritage Sites.

Katoghike Church, 12th century, Yerevan.

Chapter “Armenian Architecture” of the book “General History of Architecture. Volume I. Architecture of the Ancient World." Author: O.X. Khalpakhchyan; edited by O.Kh. Khalpakhchna (ed.), E.D. Kvitnitskaya, V.V. Pavlova, A.M. Pribytkova. Moscow, Stroyizdat, 1970

Armenia is a high-mountainous country located between the Asia Minor and Iranian plateaus. The Armenian people were formed as a result of a long process of merging tribal unions of Hays, Armens, Urartians, etc., which proceeded especially intensively after the fall of the state of Urartu. Founded in 624 BC the state of the Armenians was incorporated in 520 BC. e. into the Persian Achaemenid state, and in 323 BC. e. - Hellenistic state of the Seleucids. The struggle of Rome with the Seleucids favored the restoration of the Armenian kingdoms - Airarat, 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 - Greater Armenia, which under Tigran II (95-55 BC) reached its highest development and was considered one of the powerful and advanced countries.

Under the Artashesids, Armenia was a military-slave state. The large population spoke a common Armenian language and professed a single pagan religion. The king and the high priest were vested with unlimited power. The bdeshkhs, the hereditary rulers of the outlying lands, had great rights.

The country's natural resources contributed to the development of agriculture, crafts and trade. The trade routes between East and West that passed through Armenia contributed not only to cultural growth, but also to the construction of cities. The main population developed a distinctive local culture based on ancient traditions. In the cities and among slave owners, the Armenian Hellenistic culture, generated by close communication with 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 buildings, such as the fortress walls of Tigranakert (Fig. 38) and Garni. The oldest Armenian script was used to write chronicles and temple books.

Theatrical art has reached a high level. In cities (Artashat, Tigranakert) theater buildings were erected in which works by Greek and Armenian authors were staged.

Statues of pagan gods and deified kings were widespread (Fig. 39). The height of the bronze statues reached 6-7 m. Bas-reliefs were common in monumental architecture; they depicted plant-geometric patterns (Fig. 40), and less often animals.

Architecture has reached a high level of development.

In mass construction, small, roughly chopped stone and brick were used in small fortifications. The walls were laid using 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 dovetail ties (Armavir). The column rods and lintel stones were tied together with pyrons. The floors of conventional structures are flat on wooden beams with a clay-adobe coating, which in areas with significant precipitation had a large slope. In permanent buildings, rafters were used under pitched tiled roofs. Ceilings made of stone slabs, arches and vaults made of stone on lime mortar (Garni) were also practiced.

Layout of cities of the first Armenian kingdoms of the VI-IV centuries. BC e. not known. From the description of the Greek author Xenophon, who saw in 401 BC. e. in Armenia, a large settlement, 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 Arsacid dynasty in Armenia from the 3rd century. BC e. according to II century AD e. About 20 large and small cities were founded. In most cases, they were located in the most important economic and strategic points, on the site of 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 cities reflected both the Urartian and the Hellenistic traditions that were dominant at that time, from the combination of which the distinctive features of urban planning in Armenia were subsequently developed.

The cities of Armavir (III century BC), Ervandashat (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 located on the edge (Artashat) or in the center (Tigranakert, Vagharshapat) of the city.

The cities built on mountainous terrain had a random plan configuration. The outlines of the lowland cities were regular. The structure of the street network of both types of cities is not clear. 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 on new territories (Tigranakert).

Urban settlements had developed fortifications. The citadel was combined with the city’s fortifications into a single defensive system. The perimeter of the city and the citadel was surrounded by powerful walls and towers. The fortification system included a secret (underground) passage for evacuation when the fortress was captured, as well as for collecting water in case of damage to the water supply system. According to Movses Khorenatsi, the secret passage in the Yervandashat citadel was built under the palace staircase.

Maximum use was made of terrain features that strengthened the city’s defense (steep slopes, water lines). The development of military technology also changed the nature of fortifications. Unlike Urartian times, water ditches and ramparts were built in front of the walls as an obstacle to siege engines. At the same time, the role of towers increased, the main purpose of which was to conduct not frontal, but flanking 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 built on a promontory 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, in many places inside the fortress, ditches were cut to the level of the Arake River to collect water.

Within the settlement, the cape was fenced along the shore with walls, in front of which a water ditch and rampart were built on the side of the plain. This is how it was fortified, according to Strabo’s description, Artashat, built according to a pre-planned 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.

Much 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, and 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 area. The number of inhabitants exceeded 100 thousand. According to Strabo and Appian, they were mostly resettled from the “12 Hellenistic cities” conquered in Cappadocia and Cilicia. Tigranakert, one of the largest cities in the world at that time (some scientists compare it with Nineveh and Babylon, others with advanced Hellenistic cities), was distinguished by its amenities and had powerful defensive structures (Fig. 42). According to Appian, the city walls were 50 cubits high (about 26 m) and were so wide that they housed warehouses and royal stables. The inaccessibility of the walls was strengthened by frequently erected towers, a water ditch and an earthen rampart.

Vagharshapat (now Etchmiadzin), located on the Ararat plain, was 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 well-known villa is Yervandakert (late 3rd - early 2nd century BC) near Ervandashat, the Garni fortress (III-II centuries BC), the country palace of Tigran II (1st century BC). ) near Tigranakert.

Served as the summer residence of the Arsacid kings Garni fortress founded on the site of a Cyclopean fortress, on a high triangular cape, surrounded by the Azat River on two long sides (Fig. 43). A deep, in some places up to 150 m, gorge with steep slopes served as a natural boundary. The walls were erected only on the side facing the plain. The length of the wall was at least 314 m, with a thickness of 2.07-2.08 m. The wall facing north onto the plain was often (10-13.5 m), and to the east, towards the gentle slope, less often (25 -32 m) arranged rectangular towers (6 x 6.2 - 6.7 m), built from large basalt blocks (Fig. 44). The only narrow (2.16 m) arched gate was placed between two close towers.

The construction of roads and bridges has received significant development. 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 distinguished by their improvement. The highways were designed for double-track movement of wheeled vehicles. The roads were paved with stone slabs laid on top of a leveled base. With steep terrain, rocks were cut and trenches were dug in the hills. Inns were built along long stretches.

Bridges were built temporary and permanent. There were three bridges near Artashat: over the water ditch, over the Metsamor River (called Taperakan) and over the Arake River, the last two of which were stone. The four-span bridge over the Arpa River near the village of Areni was built from clean-hewn basalt stones, fastened with metal brackets filled with lead.

The features of Hellenistic culture were also clearly evident in the architecture of various buildings. The ruins of ancient settlements and fragments of buildings (Fig. 45) indicate the spread in Armenia of types of buildings characteristic of antiquity - temples, sanctuaries, theaters, etc.

An idea of ​​​​civil buildings can be formed from literary information and from some few examples.

Rural houses are described by Xenophon in Anabasis. They were dugouts with an upper passage widened downward. They went down there by stairs, 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 ghlhatun, that is, a house with a head. Usually it was erected on a slope, one side buried in the ground. The glkhatun is square or rectangular in plan. Its walls were made of torn stone and clay mortar. Mandatory elements: a hearth or tonir (a 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), rising above the building in in the form of a small mound. Depending on the size of the room and the quality of the masonry of the walls, 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. A 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 entered the home through a light-smoke hole along the stairs.

In the urban housing of the Armenians, the compositional features of the Urartian urban residential buildings apparently developed. According to fragmentary data from historians, the cities of Artashat, Ervandashat, 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 capital houses of traders and artisans, whose occupations were reflected in the nature and type of their homes. Associated with agriculture, the majority of the urban population lived on the outskirts and suburbs, in houses that had much in common with rural housing.

It is not known what the palaces of the nobility were like in the capitals of Armenia during the Hellenistic period. Considering the laudatory reviews of ancient authors about these cities, one must assume that the residences of rulers were also among the best city buildings. The palace of the Yervandashat citadel, named by the Armenian historian of the 5th century. Favstos Buzand (Favst of Byzantium) “large city,” as described by Movses Khorenatsi, had high walls with copper gates and iron stairs. One must think that the palaces of the rulers of this time located in the citadel, like the Urartian palaces (Erebuni, Teishebaini), were a complex of premises combined in one building.

Country villas and summer residences had a different character, surrounded by gardens, ponds with fish and vast forests with wild animals for hunting. According to Movses Khorenatsi, the royal villa of Yervandakert consisted of scattered, cheerful-looking, light, elegant and incomparable buildings located among fragrant flower beds. Apparently the country palace of Tigran II near Tigranakert and the palace of King Khosrov II (330-338) mentioned by Favstos Buzand under the name Tiknuni, near Dvin, in the oak forest of the Azat River valley, belonged to the Ervandakert type.

47. Garni. Palace Tower: general view and plan

Movses Khorenatsi’s truthful description of the architectural appearance of Yervandakert also applies to the royal summer residence in the Garni fortress. The palace complex consisted of separate buildings. To date, the remains of the temple, the front and column halls, the residential building and the bathhouse 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 unique ensemble (Fig. 46).

The top of the cape was occupied by a temple, facing the square with its main northern façade. Considering 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.

To the west of the temple, at the edge of the cliff, there was a ceremonial hall. Its basement floor 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.

Adjoining the hall from the north was a residential building, the basement of which included a small winery. Traces of painting the basement rooms in pink and red colors preserved on the plaster give reason to assume the richness of the decoration of the residential and state rooms of the palace.

On the northern side of the square, at an angle to the residential building, there was a palace bathhouse. Constructed of torn stone with lime mortar, the building included at least five rooms, four of which had apses at the ends (Fig. 47). Some apses with a lower floor level probably contained small pools. Judging by the design features of the walls that survived to a height of 2-2.5 m, the first apsidal room from the east served as a dressing room, the second as a bathing room with cold water, the third with warm water, and the fourth with hot water. The latter also housed a water tank with a combustion chamber 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 pillars (with a diameter of 19 to 25 cm) 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 surviving floors with remains of stone mosaics in some rooms. Of particular interest is the mosaic of the dressing room floor, dating from the 3rd-4th centuries. Its plot is taken from Greek mythology and contains images of the sea, fish, Nereids, ichthinocentaurs and the gods of the Ocean and Talas on a greenish background (Fig. 48). An interesting inscription on the mosaic reads: “Receiving nothing, they worked.”

Bath Garni in its composition, the presence of several bathing halls with different temperatures and hypocaust heating 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 (IV 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 a building with internal pillars is also typical for the columned hall of the fortified city of Bagineti near Mtskheta (Georgia).

Religious buildings in Armenia were dedicated to pagan deities, who received Greek names under Tigran II. There were temples in many cities and settlements, where they were erected either in the form of individual 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 Agathangeos (Agathangel) and Zenob Glak and the only surviving example - the temple in Garni (second half of the 1st century), pagan temples were stone rectangular buildings.

50. Garni. Pagan temple, second half of the 1st century. General view from the northwest, plan and northern façade

51. Garni. Pagan temple. Intermediate column capital, pediment corner and lion's head on cornice

Temple in Garni built from blocks of pure cut basalt. The stones, some over 4m long and weighing up to 5t, were laid dry and secured with brackets and pyrons. In style, the temple, a six-column peripterum, is close to similar monuments in Asia Minor (Termes, Sagala, Pergamon), Syria (Baalbek) and Rome (Fig. 50). It is made in Hellenistic architectural forms, but is distinguished by local features of details and decoration.

The temple stood on a high podium (area 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, at 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 architrave. The small size of the cella indicates that it contained a statue of a deity, possibly the sun god Mithras, and the cult action was carried out in the pronaos.

The bases of the temple columns are close to Attic in shape, the trunks are smooth, the Ionic capitals with lushly drawn volutes and ionics are decorated with foliage patterns, different in all 24 columns. The richly ornamented entablature is distinguished by a significant projection 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 gable of the cornice is decorated with lion heads and acanthus leaves; the pediment is smooth. The ceilings of the portico and circumambulation of the Garni temple were decorated with octagonal and diamond-shaped ornamented caissons, analogues of which are found in the monuments of Syria. The high quality of 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 visible in the development of details: the variety of ornamental motifs, the presence of samples of local flora in the ornamentation (flowers, walnut leaves, grapes, pomegranates) , manner of execution and flat carving.

The described architectural features and the richness of the ornamental decoration of the temple in Garni indicate its dominant 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 (distant and close) points of view.

Architectural monuments of the slave period in Armenia indicate a high level of development of architecture. Thanks to cultural ties with the Hellenistic world, the architecture of Armenia received a new direction of development, during which favorable conditions were created for the formation of remarkable architecture of the feudal period.

Architecture

The attention of European scientists to Armenian ancient monuments 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, made the first attempt at a systematic study of Armenian architecture. Viewing this architecture as a local expression of Byzantine art, Choisy nevertheless pointed to some specific forms and methods of construction, as well as possible Armenian influence on Balkan, and especially 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(“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 major works devoted to medieval architecture, and the work carried out by Armenian and foreign scholars over the past forty years has significantly expanded the field of research.

Strzhigovsky argued that Armenia played a major role in the origin and development of Christian architecture. He believed that the Armenians had embodied in stone the corbelled dome common in the brick architecture of northern Iran. He also believed that the Armenians were the first to build a church in the shape of a square with small niches, topped with a dome. According to Strzygowski, the Armenians introduced other types of domed buildings, and 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 St. Sophia and the Italian genius in St. Peter,” wrote Strzygovsky, “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 scientists 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 verify the existence of the same types of buildings, located at gigantic distances from each other. A. Grabar's studies of the memorial chapels of Christian martyrs and their relationship 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 the primary source from which all others only drew inspiration.

The opposite point of view was expressed by the Georgian scientist G. Chubinashvili. Without any justification, dating Armenian monuments to later centuries, often with a shift of several centuries, this man proved the priority and superiority of Georgian models, believing that Armenian churches are nothing more than a pale copy of Georgian prototypes. Such statements, made with complete disregard for historical information, are unacceptable and are refuted by other reputable scholars. In reality, 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 mutual exchange took place: Armenian and Georgian architects must have often collaborated, as evidenced by Armenian inscriptions in the Georgian churches of Jvari and Ateni-Zion (Ateni Zion). The latter mentions the name of the architect Todosaka and his assistants. Without contrasting the architectural monuments of two countries, but by examining them together, one can reveal secrets hidden from us for centuries.

The monuments of Garni are the only remains of the pagan architecture of Armenia known to us. During the excavations, the walls of powerful fortifications and fourteen rectangular towers, a large vaulted hall and several smaller rooms that made up the royal palace were found (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 Garni baths (according to Arakelyan)

The most valuable ruins are the remains 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, reached by nine steps, the lower part of the walls of the naos and pronaos, parts of the twenty-four Ionic columns and the entablature. This type of Roman columned temple is known from the monuments in Asia Minor - the temples of Sagalas and the Baths of Pisidia.

Several centuries separate the Garni temple 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 will become clear why this happened . The names of the customers of the buildings, immortalized in dedicatory inscriptions or recorded by historians, indicate that the churches were erected by Catholicoses and heads of feudal families, such as Amatuni, Mamikonyan, Kamsarakan and Sagaruni. Thus, the feudal organization favored the spread of churches in different areas of the country. The absence of a central authority that could limit church architecture to certain types also partly explains the wide variety of designs and styles of this period.

Armenian churches are built from local volcanic stone, which comes in yellow, brownish-yellow and darker shades. The stonework is clad in thin, carefully cut and sanded panels; only the corner blocks are monolithic. This construction method 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 does not always coincide with a single external shape. A rectangular outline can mask round, polygonal or more complex shapes, and only triangular recesses in external walls sometimes mark the junction of different types of elements. Sometimes carved decorations and arcades around the walls help soften the ascetic appearance of the facade. There are relatively few windows in the walls. From the 7th century onwards, when domed structures became the main type of building, a pyramidal or conical roof covering the drum of the dome became a characteristic feature of the appearance of Armenian churches.

Rice. eleven. Avan Church, built by Catholicos John. 590–611

When erecting domes over square or octagonal structures, Armenian architects usually resorted to a trompe, a small arch or semi-conical niche at the corners, which allows the transition from a square to an octagon, and from an octagon to a polygonal base for the dome drum. 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 Christendom, to pagan sanctuaries. Armenian basilicas, regardless of whether they have side naves or not, are always vaulted. They have no transepts (transverse naves), and nothing violates the unity of the internal space. Transverse arches, often horseshoe-shaped, rest on T-shaped columns and strengthen 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 with a different roof. The basilica in Ereruk and those that were originally created in Tekor and Dvina, being larger, had side porticos ending in small apses. Yereruk Church has a facade with two towers - the only example in Armenia of such a design, used in several Syrian churches, but these towers project from the side, as in Anatolian shrines.

Rice. 12. Basilica of Ereruk. V–VI centuries (according to Khachatryan)

Churches of the basilica type did not remain “in fashion” for long. From the end of the 6th century they gave way to a variety of central dome-type structures. They trace their origins to the mausoleums of late antiquity and the first Christian martyrs' chapels, but their unexpected appearance in Armenia and the variety of designs suggests that even before the 6th century different schemes were tried at the site. This is confirmed by excavations of the cathedral in Etchmiadzin. The uncovered foundation of the 5th century church is identical in plan to the extant 7th century buildings, having a square shape with four projecting 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 basilica designs. In churches without chapels, the arches supporting the drum of the dome rest on composite columns (Zovuni) or on low walls extending from the north and southern walls (Ptgni, Talish). In three-nave basilicas, the columns on which the arches rest stand freely (Odzun, Bagavan, Mren (see photo 9), St. Gayane Church in Vagharshapat), forming a cross inside a 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 conveyed in the covering. In the restored Talin Cathedral (see photo 10), the northern and southern rays of the cross are elongated in such a way as to form corresponding niches or small apses, resembling a trefoil in plan.

Rice. 14. Cathedral in Mrena. 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 trompe l'oeil dome covers the entire central space (Agrak). When the niches are rectangular along the outer perimeter and there are no side rooms in the eastern part, the free-standing cross is more clearly expressed outwardly. 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, St. Ananias). In another variant of the same basic type, the diameters of the axial convex niches are smaller than the sides of the square, thus defining the angular projections 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 square plots were equal to the central square.

Rice. 15. Talin Cathedral, 7th century.

Rice. 16. Artik Church. VII 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 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, the “watchful forces” (zvartnots), who appeared to Saint Gregory in a vision.

Rice. 17. Plan of the Zvartnots Church. 644–652 (according to Khachatryan), 1:500

From the end of the 4th century onwards, quatrefoil structures were erected mainly as martyrs' chapels in various parts of the world. We find them in Milan (San Lorenzo), in the Balkans and in Syria - in Seleucia, Pieria, Apamea, Bosra and Aleppo, to name a few. In its general design, Zvartnots is connected 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 exedra, each with six columns, and provide easy access to the gallery.

Rice. 18. Sectional view of Zvartnots Church (drawing by Kenneth J. Conant)

The Zvartnots Church was destroyed in the 10th century. Only the foundation, remains of walls, bases, capitals and individual sections of columns have survived to this day, but comparison with other churches with a similar design allowed Toramanyan to propose a reconstruction project accepted by most scholars. The church rose to a great height, the walls above the exedra were pierced by a series of arches opening into a vaulted gallery, and windows were located higher in the walls of the exedra. The dome with a round drum, pierced by windows, is installed using penditives on arches connecting four columns. The semi-domes of the quatrefoil were adjacent to it, and to them, in turn, was adjacent the vault above the bypass gallery.

– Rice. 19. Vagharshapat. Plan of the Church of St. Hripsime. 618 (according to Khachatryan), 1:500

Rice. 20. Vagharshapat. St. Hripsime Church, enveloping diagram (drawing by Kenneth J. Conant)

The project of the Church of St. Hripsime in Vagharshapat is considered the most Armenian of all (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, providing access to the four corner rooms. The dome covers the central octagonal space, flanked by both axial and diagonal niches. On the outside, deep triangular niches mark the joints. The same type of construction, with minor modifications, was repeated during the construction of the Church of St. John in Sisian. The Church of Etchmiadzin at Soradir, known as the Red Church, appears to show an earlier stage of development. There are no corner rooms in the western part, and both axial and diagonal niches are clearly defined on the outside, while in the eastern part two narrow rooms flank the apse. In the Avan Church, on the contrary, the entire ensemble of rooms and niches is hidden in the massive stonework of a smooth rectangular structure, while the corner rooms are round, and 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 displaces the central square, and eight niches are on eight sides (Irindus, Zotavar).

Rice. 21. Ani. Cathedral, 989-1001 (according to Khachatryan), 1:500

As we can see, 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 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 determine the degree of mutual influence over the years. The Garni Temple is located behind the line of development of Armenian architecture, but a domed mausoleum could also exist here, 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 the 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, King Gagik I was lucky to get the service of the architect Trdat, who worked on the restoration of the dome of the Church of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople, damaged during the earthquake of 989. 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 constructing a cross in a rectangle, Trdat emphasized the vertical effect and the elegance of the overall appearance. Pointed stepped arches rising from free-standing column clusters support a round drum on penditives. The dome that rested on the drum is now destroyed. Recessed pilasters placed in the south and north walls face the central columns. The narrow side apses are almost completely hidden by low walls; ten semicircular arches open into the wall of the wide central apse. Ani's clustered columns resemble a design used much later in Gothic architecture, but with a different structural function. On the exterior of the cathedral, the deep triangular recesses that mark the joints in the design create shaded areas and highlight the elegance of the graceful columns of the continuous arcade. The cathedral in Ani is very harmonious, proportional (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 built by Gagik I in Ani, Trdat copied the plan of the Zvartnots Church. 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 at Ani are examples of six- and eight-petal plans, usually with two side apses at the eastern petal, and the whole structure is surrounded by a polygonal wall (for example, the Church of the Savior, see photo 15), sometimes having triangular recesses between the petals (for example, the Church of St. Gregory Abugamrents).

Rice. 23. Ani. Church of St. Gregory Abugamrents, 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), built by King Gagik of Vaspurakan between 915 and 921, with semicircular axial niches along the diagonals, basically repeating the standard design of the Church of Saint Hripsime, is still more similar to the Soradira Church in the Vaspurakan region . 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 projecting from the side walls, and these were the types of churches most often built 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. Marmashen Church. 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 this time, large monastic complexes were erected, for example in Tatev, in the Syunik region, as well as in Sanakhin and Haghpat - in northern Armenia. Such complexes included, in addition to monastic cells, a library, a refectory, a belfry, several churches with large gavits (zhamatun), and it was primarily in the latter that a new method of construction appeared (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 structure has the shape of a six-pointed star, imprinted in heavy stonework. On the outer side, twelve triangular projections were cut into the walls - between the rays of the star.

Rice. 26. Monastery in Sanakhin: 1 - Church of the Mother of God. X century; 2 - Church of the Savior. 966; 3 – a vaulted hall known as the Academy of Gregory the Master; 4 – Chapel of St. Gregory. 1061; 5 - library. 1063; 6 – gavit (zhamatun). 1181; 7 - gavit. 1211; 8 - belfry.

XIII century (according to Khachatryan), 1:500

Six arches rising from clustered columns 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 rests a conical dome.

Rice. 27. Ani. Chapel of the Shepherd. XI century View from above

Rice. 28. Ani. Chapel of the Shepherd. XI century Envelope diagram (according to Strzhigovsky), 1:200

Various systems were used to construct the roofs of the antichapels. 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 of these, masonry arches rest on these columns, cross 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 topped with a dome in the shape of a stalactite. More complex forms are used in the large square gavit of the Khoromos Church, built in 1038. The hall is covered by two pairs of intersecting arches running parallel to the side walls. Over the bays 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 bays rest directly on the arches.

Rice. 29. Haghpat. Gavit. XIII century Envelope diagram (drawing by Kenneth J. Conant)

The four corners of the rectangles are covered by sections of a triangular vault intersecting at right angles. An octagonal drum lined with carved panels rises above a central square and is topped by a small dome supported by six supporting columns. As you can see, different vaults were used here, which was the initial stage of research on such structures as the great gavit of Haghpat, completed in the 12th and 13th centuries. Large arches, intersecting at right angles, again span the square hall, only now the bays are covered with masonry vaults that rest directly on the arches.

This construction method favored the construction of two- and three-story buildings. The first are mostly funerary chapels, in which the lower floor was used directly for burial, and the upper, which was usually smaller in size, served as a chapel. Several such churches were built 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. At the Haghpat Monastery, the lower floors contained one or more small chapels for religious services, and the bell tower at the top was topped with a conical roof (see photo 21). All these structures emphasize vertical structure and lightweight forms.

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. Caravanserais are, in principle, three-nave vaulted basilicas covered with a single roof. There are no windows in the walls; light and air enter only through small holes in the roof. The ruins of the caravanserai at Talin show a more complex design. The vast central area was open and surrounded by a vaulted gallery on three sides; on the north side there were five small rooms opening onto the central area. Three-nave basilica halls stood on either side of the central square, but were not connected. The large hotel at Ani consisted of two separate but adjacent buildings. In each of them, the central rectangular hall was adjoined on both sides by small rooms opening onto 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, although on a smaller scale, another example of a structure with rooms surrounding a central hall. The large portal still retains the remains of complex mosaic decorations and patterns.

Armenian architecture is an important chapter in the history of Christian architecture. She contributed to solving 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 into other countries and influenced their architectural designs. A striking example is a typical Byzantine church of the 10th century, in which the dome over a square bay 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 differences between Byzantine and Armenian structures - in design, construction, scale and decoration - are not emphasized too much."