St. Sargis Church :: ARMENIAN HISTORICAL MONUMENTS

St. Sargis Church

Iran / Western Atrpatakan / Salmast / Khosrova

Historical Introduction

Judging from the available records, in the early 1800s, “[Khosrova] has two churches: St. Gevorg and St. Anna, which is smaller.” There is no trustworthy information regarding the time of the foundation of these churches which were no longer mentioned after the 1830s. Since 1832 reference has been made to only St. Sargis Church (N 38º09°56.86°°, E 44º44°15.32°°), which is still standing. Hayk Atjemian, a meritorious scholar from Van, states the following about its age: “Probably, the Armenian church of St. Sargis is about 300 years old, [but] it remains obscure how many times it underwent renovation.” Another author traces the monument back to 1717 without substantiating this information.

Ինճիճեան Ղ., Աշխարհագրութիւն չորից մասանց աշխարհի [Gh. Intjitjian, Geography of the Four Parts of the World], vol. 1 (Venice, 1806), p. 250.
Atjemian, “Ancestral Relics,” Vardzk, no. 11 (2016), p. 46.
Պալունի, Վիճակագրական տեղեկութիւն Սալմաստ գաւառի հայ ազգաբնակութեան [Palouny, “Statistical Data Regarding the Armenian Population in Salmast District”], «Նոր-Դար» [Nor-Dar], no. 216, 10 December 1896, p. 3.
Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 299.

Some records mention St. Sargis as a church (in 1875, for example), while others refer to it as a chapel: “They have a chapel of wood named in honour of the holy commander Sargis.”

Ararat, no. 3 (1876), p. 110.
Գորոյեանց Ն., Պարսկաստանի հայերը [N. Goroyants, The Armenians of Persia] (Tehran, 1968), pp. 175-176.
Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 299.

Architectural Description

St. Sargis Church is a simple, rectangular structure (outer dimensions: 12.42 x 7.3 metres) built of stone and plastered with clay. It has a wooden roof, its ceiling resting on a pair of wooden pillars. There is a khachkal (cross-bearer) in the centre of its rectangular sanctuary. Each of the facades has a window, the only entrance of the church opening from its western facade.

Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 300.

Historical Introduction

It is noteworthy that St. Sargis was among those few churches in Salmast which had permission for bell ringing. Thanks to this privilege, in 1890 Daniel Sahakian built a belfry for the church in memory of his parents. As reported by inscription no. 2, in 1900 it acquired a bell thanks to Dolvat Hunanian, who apparently also reconstructed the belfry.

Կիւլոյեան Յ., Ճշմարիտ ժառանգորդը. ազգային բարերար Մ. Սահակեանի մահւան Ա տարելիցին առթիւ [H. Kyuloyan, “The True Descendant: on the Occasion of the First Anniversary of National Benefactor M. Sahakian’s Death”], «Ալիք» [Alik], no. 152, 15 July 1964, p. 2.
Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 300.

A record of 1894 states: “In recent two years, the Armenian church [of Khosrova] has been robbed of all its objects of decoration and vestments for 5 or 6 times. This church is a small structure.”

Tjanaparhord, “Letters from Persia,” Nor-Dar, no. 14, 27 January 1894, p. 3.
Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 300.

According to a press publication, the Assyrians’ spiritual leader, Mar Simon, was buried in St. Sargis Church after his treacherous murder early in March 1918: “Mar Simon’s deformed body, all covered with cuts, was interred in the Armenian church of Khosrova (due to some incident between the local Assyrians and Jilos [Nestorian Assyrians particularly living in Turkey]) after the Armenians had given their consent to it.”

Վազգէն, Ատրպատականի գոյամարտը [Vazgen, “Atrpatakan’s Struggle for Existence”], «Հայրենիք» [Hayrenik], no. 2, December 1930, p. 160.
Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 300.

The earthquake of 1930 left St. Sargis Church dilapidated, and it was renovated in 1953 by Daniel Sahakian’s younger son Michael, who dedicated his work to his parents’ memory. He also donated 10,000 rials in 1954 and 5,000 in 1955 for the completion of the overhaul of the church (this last donation was in memory of his mother).

Կիւլոյեան Յ., Ճշմարիտ ժառանգորդը. ազգային բարերար Մ. Սահակեանի մահւան Ա տարելիցին առթիւ [H. Kyuloyan, “The True Descendant: on the Occasion of the First Anniversary of National Benefactor M. Sahakian’s Death”], «Ալիք» [Alik], no. 152, 15 July 1964, p. 2.
Also see Tghtakits, “A Brief Report,” p. 4.
Alik, no. 178, 13 August 1954, p. 4.
Ibid., no. 119, 6 June 1955, p. 3. Also see Bolatian, “Impressions of the Historical Places of Iran,” p. 2.
Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 300.

For his praiseworthy activities, Michael Sahakian received a special Note of Acknowledgement from the vicar of the Armenian Prelacy of Atrpatakan, Archpriest Karapet Manukian, who particularly stated the following: “Mr. Michael Sahakian has kindly repaired the crumbling church of St. Sargis in his birthplace, Khosrova Village of Shahpoor [Salmast], covering all the expenses, about 2,000 tumans. He has also donated 5,000 rials to the Prelacy for the renovation and furnishing of the church interior, thus becoming the patron of the entire overhaul of the church.”

Alik, no. 137, 27 June 1955, p. 4.
Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, pp. 300-301.

On 24 April 1966, a Holy Mass was celebrated in St. Sargis Church in memory of the victims of the Armenian Genocide of 1915. Archpriest Mesrop Minassian, a survivor of the Genocide from Margs Village of Hayots Dzor District, Western Armenia, delivered a special speech on the occasion.

Թղթակից, Ապրիլեան Եղեռնի առթիւ Ս. պատարագ եւ հոգեհանգիստ [Tghtakits, “A Holy Mass and a Requiem Service to Mark the April Genocide”], «Ալիք» [Alik], no. 97, 10 May 1966, p. 5.
Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 301.

On 25 April 1974, another liturgy was served in memory of the Genocide victims by the vicar of the Armenian Prelacy of Atrpatakan, Archimandrite Tirayr Panossian.

Alik, no. 122, 5 June 1974, p. 8.
Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 301.

For the first time, the church was measured in 1976, its plan being first published in 1977.

Research on Armenian Architecture: Iran, vol. 1, p. 116.
Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 301.

Lapidary Inscriptions

A finely-dressed stone set above the entrance tympanum bears the construction inscription of the church which follows below together with two other lapidary records relating to the monument.

Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 300.

Inscription, Armenian, Embossed, Construction 1832 y․

Four lines in Armenian inscribed in embossed letters:

Շնորհիւ տեառն մերոյ Յ(իսուս)ի Ք(րիստո)ս(ի) | եւ արդեամբ պարոն Մկրտիչ Մօվիեան | համատանցոյ շինեցաւ Սբ. Սարքի(ս) | եկեղեցիս հայոց ի թվին 1832 ամի:
Transl.: By the grace of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Armenian church of St. Sargis was built with the means of Mr. Mkrtich Movian from Hamadan in 1832.

Published in: Աճէմեան Հ., Հայրենի յիշատակներ, [H. Atjemian, “Ancestral Relics”], «Վարձք» [Vardzk], no. 11 (2016), p. 46 (Atjemian recorded the inscription on 13 August 1959). Bolatian, “Impressions,” Alik, no. 180, p. 2; Research into Armenian Architecture: Iran, vol. 1 (17), p. 173.

Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 300.

Author Samvel Karapetian
Date 2011 y․

The construction inscription (1832) of St. Sargis Church

Inscription, Armenian, Commemoration

Յիշատակ է զանկ | եւ զանգատուն Դա(ւ)լ|ւաթ Յունանեան, 1900 յնսի. 22:
Transl.: This bell and belfry are in memory of Dolvat Younanian. 22 June 1900.

Published in: Աճէմեան Հ., Հայրենի յիշատակներ, [H. Atjemian, “Ancestral Relics”], «Վարձք» [Vardzk], no. 11 (2016), p. 46. Research into Armenian Architecture, ibid.

Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 300.

Author Samvel Karapetian
Date 2011 y․

An inscription of 1900 commemorating the construction of a belfry for St. Sargis church and the donation of a bell

Inscription, Armenian, Repairs

Սոյն եկեղեցին վերանորոգեց | պ. Միքայէլ Սահակեան, | ի յիշատակ իր ծնողների, | պ. Գաբրիէլ Սահակեանի | [հսկո]ղութեամբ | [19 մայիսի] 1953 թ., Խոսրովա:
Transl.: This church was repaired by Mr. Michael Sahakian in memory of his parents under Mr. Gabriel Sahakian’s supervision on 19 May 1953. Khosrova.

Published in: Աճէմեան Հ., Հայրենի յիշատակներ, [H. Atjemian, “Ancestral Relics”], «Վարձք» [Vardzk], no. 11 (2016), p. 46.

Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 300.

Author Samvel Karapetian
Date 2011 y․

An inscription of 1953 from St. Sargis Church

Direction From the north-west
Author Samvel Karapetian
Date 2011 y․

Direction From the south
Author Samvel Karapetian
Date 2011 y․

Direction From the west
Author Samvel Karapetian
Date 2011 y․

Author Samvel Karapetian
Date 2011 y․

Type Measurement
Author P. Cuneo
Date 1976 y․

The plan of St. Sargis church according to P. Cuneo

Type Measurement
Author Ashot Hakobian
Date 2011 y․

The plan of St. Sargis church according to A. Hakobian