The Smaller Church :: ARMENIAN HISTORICAL MONUMENTS

The Smaller Church 1605 — 1610 yy․

Azerbaijan / Northern Artsakh / Getabek / Metz Gharamurat

Description
1610 y․

“Behind the church, some 20 to 25 steps northward can be seen the finely-finished walls and dilapidated roof of another church whose door opens in the west...” Presumably, the sanctuary meant is Sourb Khoran (Holy Apse) Church, built by a certain Mr. Aghabab and twice mentioned in a Haysmavurk of 1610.

Yeghishe Charents Art and Literature Museum. Sargis Kamalian Fund, copy-book No. 1, VI-11, p. 30. Barkhutariants provides us with a similar description of the monument, stating, “The ceiling of the smaller church has collapsed” (Barkhutariants, M. Artsakh. Baku, 1895, pp. 308-309); Karapetian, S. The Historical Monuments of Northern Artsakh. In: “Lragir,” 4 March 1995, p. 6; Voskian, H. The Monasteries of Artsakh. In: “Handes Amsorea,” July to September 1952, p. 426; Karapetian, Samvel. Northern Artsakh, Yerevan, 2007, p. 261.

Historical Introduction
1605 y․

A versified colophon by David Geghametsy speaks about the construction of the church in a description of the period marking the Armenians’ deportation (1605), Shah Abbas’ victories against the Turks and the famine of 1606: “The khans of many places Embarked upon construction And built many churches Meeting the people’s decision. One of them was Aghabab, Who built a cut-in-rock church With an apse and two mills. When the Turks left the area They abandoned Chatakh And arrived at Metz Gharamurat, Leaving Nerkin Shen forsaken.” Judging from this record, the monument was established between 1605 and 1610. The colophon (1610) written by Aghabab mentions the church as a newly-erected and already consecrated building: “This book, written in the newly-blessed church of Gharamurat Village, perpetuates Aghabab Agha’s memory. Neither the locals nor the foreigners should dare to sell, steal, or appropriate this holy script.”

Colophons of the Armenian Manuscripts of the 17th century, vol. 1. Compiled by Hakobian, V., Hovhannissian, A. Yerevan, 1974, pp. 363, 367-368; Karapetian, Samvel. Northern Artsakh, Yerevan, 2007, p. 261.

Inscription, Armenian, Engraved, Construction 1701 y․

Sourb Khoran Church had the following inscription incised “...into the tympanum”:
By the grace of God, I, Archimandrite Ohanes, the son of a sinner atoning for the wrong he has committed, had this church built through the means and efforts of many Christians in perpetuation of my parents’ and my souls as well as in memory of all the workers, under Mothers Superior Taguhi and Kayina in the year 1701.
Reference: Yeghishe Charents Art and Literature Museum. Sargis Kamalian Fund, copy-book No. 1, VI-11, p. 30; The Armenian original published in: Barkhutariants, M. Artsakh. Baku, 1895, p. 309; Lalayan, Yer. Gandzak District. In: “Azgagrakan Handes,” vol. 5, Tiflis, 1899, No. 1, pp. 326-327; Corpus..., part 5, p. 273.
Note: Many inscriptions, including this one, often use the Armenian equivalent for the word ‘to build’ in the sense of ‘to repair.’