Dzori Jam Monument Complex :: ARMENIAN HISTORICAL MONUMENTS

Dzori Jam Monument Complex

Georgia / Javakhk / Akhalkalak / Khorenia

Description

The remnants of this village site comprise a pair of uni-nave churches standing close to each other and known as Dzori Zham (Church of the Gorge, as translated from Armenian). Each of the tympanums of these churches retains inscriptions in the Georgian Mesropian script.

Karapetian. Samvel, Javakhk, Yerevan, 2011, p. 260.

The southern entrance tympanum of one of them is engraved with an inscription in nine lines which is not thoroughly preserved. In some parts, it is evidently weathered, a fact which gave I. Rostomashvili and a number of other Georgian scholars grounds to presume that it has been damaged by a hammer or an axe.

Ростомов И., Ахалкалакский уезд в археологическом отношении.– Сборник Материалов для Описания Местностей и Племен Кавказа, вып. XXV, 1898, стр.124. Karapetian. Samvel, Javakhk, Yerevan, 2011, p. 260.

Inscription, Georgian Mesropian, Engraved, Commemoration 12 — 13 cc․

The inscription reads as follows:
...ქან(ე)ლის ძისა ვარდანს მ(ი)ბო[ძე]ს | ს... ხოროდხ(ჳ)რანი ოჲ? დადევანი? | სიოა...? აჯილმლშ(ე)ნითა? | დ(ა) ოტიაგრითა? დე... | ონი... ...თა ოდეს მიმომხოდეს კ(ა)ც(ი)სა? არ...ლ? | [მ]ყო... ასარჯიმლშენს ოცდა ათითა წ... | მთ... [ჩ]ოიდმეტი ათასი თეთრი კათ(ა)ლიკოზ(ის)ა ... | მთ...ა ...ნედ ...სა ქ(უ)ეშე ... | შდნო ... | სი თე... ...ამ... ...თს... ...ლნი. Transl.: ... son Vardan...your..., when..., man..., thirty... thousand ...Catholicos (?)...

Published in: Ростомов И., Ахалкалакский уезд в археологическом отношении.– Сборник Материалов для Описания Местностей и Племен Кавказа, вып. XXV, 1898, стр. 124: ბერძენიშვილი ნ., idem, p. 110: “ჯავახეთი. ისტორიულ-ხუროთმოძღვრული გზამკვლევი”, էջ 41: Karapetian. Samvel, Javakhk, Yerevan, 2011, p. 263. Note: The writing style of the inscription traces it back to the 12th to 13th centuries.

Type Copied Lapidary Inscription
View Exterior
Author Samvel Karapetyan
Source Graphical Drawing

Type Photo
View Detail
Author Samvel Karapetyan
Source Colour Negative
Date 1988 — 1989 yy․

A Georgian Mesropian inscription carved on the tympanum of the only, i.e. southern, entrance of the hall/church within the monument cluster known by the name of Dzori Zham, i.e. Church of the Gorge

Type Copied Lapidary Inscription
View Exterior
Author Samvel Karapetyan
Source Graphical Drawing

Inscription, Georgian Mesropian, Engraved, Commemoration

Another three-line inscription in Georgian Mesropian letters can be found on the entrance tympanum of the church of Karnet:
ქ(რისტ)ე ადიდე იო(ვა)ნე ოქრ(ო)პ(ირ)ი | ქ(ართლისა) კ(ათა)ლ(იკო)ზი ორთავე | შ(ი)ნ(ა) ცხ(ო)რებათა ჲყ(ავ)ნ ა(მე)ნ. Transl.: Christ, may You glorify Catholicos of Kartli Iovane Okropir (the Golden-Mouthed) in both lives. Amen.

Published in: სილოგავა ვ., მრავალთავი, ვიი, էջ 177: “ჯავახეთი. ისტორიულ-ხუროთმოძღვრული გზამკვლევი”, էջ 41: Karapetian. Samvel, Javakhk, Yerevan, 2011, p. 264. Misreading: “ჯავახეთი. ისტორიულ-ხუროთმოძღვრული გზამკვლევი” has ჲოანე, იყავნ. Note: Catholicos Iovane Okropiri II held throne between 1033 and 1048. He should not be taken for Catholicos Iovane Okropiri I, who served from 980 until 1001.

Type Copied Lapidary Inscription
View Exterior
Author Samvel Karapetyan
Source Graphical Drawing

Inscription, Georgian Mesropian, Engraved, Commemoration

One of the church walls is inwardly engraved with a two-line, hardly intelligible inscription in the Georgian Mesropian script:
ვიყ... ...ად | რნი ...

Published in: Ростомов И., Ахалкалакский уезд в археологическом отношении.– Сборник Материалов для Описания Местностей и Племен Кавказа, вып. XXV, 1898, стр. 124. ბერძენიშვილი ნ., idem, p. 111: Karapetian. Samvel, Javakhk, Yerevan, 2011, p. 264.

Type Copied Lapidary Inscription
View Exterior
Author Samvel Karapetyan
Source Graphical Drawing

Type Photo
View Exterior
Author Samvel Karapetyan
Source Black-and-white negative
Date 1988 — 1989 yy․

Type Photo
View `
Author Samvel Karapetyan
Source Black-and-white negative
Date 1988 — 1989 yy․

Type Photo
View Partial view
Author Samvel Karapetyan
Source Black-and-white negative
Date 1988 — 1989 yy․

Type Photo
View Exterior
Direction From the south-east
Author Samvel Karapetyan
Source Black-and-white negative
Date 1988 — 1989 yy․

Type Photo
View Detail
Author Samvel Karapetyan
Source Colour Negative

Type Photo
View Exterior
Direction From the west
Author Samvel Karapetyan
Source Black-and-white negative
Date 1988 — 1989 yy․

A hall/church

Type Photo
View Exterior
Direction From the west
Author Samvel Karapetyan
Source Black-and-white negative
Date 1988 — 1989 yy․

Type Photo
View Interior
Direction From the west
Author Samvel Karapetyan
Source Black-and-white negative
Date 1988 — 1989 yy․

Type Photo
View Interior
Direction From the east
Author Samvel Karapetyan
Source Black-and-white negative
Date 1988 — 1989 yy․

Type Measurement
View Exterior
Author Samvel Karapetyan
Source Sketch