Hripsime Church :: ARMENIAN HISTORICAL MONUMENTS

Hripsime Church

Turkey / Kars / Bash-Shoragyal / Ani

Location

The remnants of the monument are situated within several metres of the south-eastern corner of the Cathedral, in the same direction: “East of the Cathedral, the ruins of Srbots Hripsimiants Church are seen...”

Karapetian, Samvel. Ani 1050, Yerevan, 2011, p. 162.

Historical Introduction

It is known to have been built on Catholicos Sargis’s initiative between 992 and 1019: “His Holiness Sargis... erected a martyrium for the Hripsimian virgins close to the Cathedral of Ani and carried their relics there with a solemn ceremony, declaring that day a great festival.” Judging from the information reported by the historiographer, St. Hripsime Church probably dates back to the period between 1010/1011 and 1019, for the Cathedral of Ani already existed during its construction.

Karapetian, Samvel. Ani 1050, Yerevan, 2011, p. 162.

Outwardly, the church, which was sometimes identified with the sepulchre of Queen Katramide, used to represent a polygonal central-domed structure and had four apses inwardly. In 1887 a visitor wrote the following about the church, then already mostly lying in ruins: “South-east of the Mother Church stands a semi-ruined chapel which I call Kadramite’s mausoleum. It is built as a polygonal structure which is very similar to the tomb of King Abas of Kars.”

Karapetian, Samvel. Ani 1050, Yerevan, 2011, p. 162.

Description

At present the site of the church represents but a mound of earth where hardly a part of the semi-circular stonework of the bema may be discerned.

Karapetian, Samvel. Ani 1050, Yerevan, 2011, p. 162.

Type Photo
View Exterior
Direction From the south-east
Author Harutiun Kyurkchian
Source Black-and-white negative
Date 1880 y․

Type Photo
View Exterior
Author Ashot Hakobian
Source Colour Negative
Date 2011 y․

The remains of the chancel of St. Hripsime Church (photo by A. Hakobian, 2011)

Type Photo
View Exterior
Author Samvel Karapetyan
Source Colour Negative
Date 2004 y․

An ornamented cornice belonging to St. Hripsime Church. This cornice stone, which was unearthed by the French Archaeological Expedition, can be seen in the photograph by H. Kyurkchian.