St. Sargis Church :: ARMENIAN HISTORICAL MONUMENTS

St. Sargis Church

Iran / Western Atrpatakan / Salmast / Havdur

Historical Introduction

In the early 19th century, 4 churches were mentioned in Havdur: “St. Hovhannes [John], St. Sargis, Aghtamar Astvatsatsin [Holy Virgin of Aghtamar] and St. Gevorg [George].” As reported by a visitor, in 1875 only one of them was preserved: “They have a church of a wooden roof dedicated to St. Sargis.”

Intjitjian, Gh. Geography of the Four Parts of the World. Vol. 1. Venice, 1806, p. 250.
Ararat, no. 3 (1876), p. 110.
Գորոյեանց Ն., Պարսկաստանի հայերը [N. Goroyants, The Armenians of Persia] (Tehran, 1968), p. 183.
Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 289.

In 1892 the church of Havdur underwent renovation which was so significant in scale that it was re-consecrated afterwards: “After having performed the ceremony of the blessing of the church of Hovatar Village, the Prior returned to Derik several days before the [feast of the] Ascension of Christ.”

Akanates, “A Letter from Persia,” Mshak, no. 67, 1892, p. 3.
Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 289.

Despite this information, however, in 1896 the church was mentioned as ruined.

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. 289.

Description

The church of Havdur (exterior dimensions: 8.55 x 4.55 metres) was built of unburnt brick. In 2017 it was mostly standing (N 38º18°10.66°°; E 044º43°39.09°°), although it had been reduced to a garage. Its western facade had been destroyed, while the southern niches had been re-built into windows.

Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 289.

Author Sasun Danielian
Date 2017 y․

Type Measurement
Author Ashot Hakobian
Date 2017 y․