Sourb Mateos Avetaranich Church :: ARMENIAN HISTORICAL MONUMENTS

Sourb Mateos Avetaranich Church 10 — 11 cc․

Georgia / Javakhk / Akhalkalak / Burnashet

Historical Introduction
10 — 11 cc․

Originally, the church of Sourb Mateos Avetaranich (St. Matthew the Evangelist), which dates from the 10th to 11th centuries, used to belong to the Byzantine faith.

Karapetian. Samvel, Javakhk, Yerevan, 2011, p. 129.

1830 y․

The Armenian resettlers from Karin who took up living in the site of this village—then lying devastated—in the 1830s found the sanctuary semi-destroyed, with its roof in a state of total collapse. Renovating it with their scanty means,70 they dedicated it to St. Matthew the Evangelist, and started using it as a parish church (there is only a single archive document (1839) which mentions it by the name of St. Hovhannes).

«Արձագանք», 1885, N 3, էջ 43։ Karapetian. Samvel, Javakhk, Yerevan, 2011, p. 129.

1860 y․

In the 1860s, the Georgian spiritual authorites launched legal proceedings against the Armenians charging them with the misappropriation of the church.

Karapetian. Samvel, Javakhk, Yerevan, 2011, p. 129.

1870 y․

The Armenian Consistory of Georgia and Imeret, which was well-aware of all the details concerning this case, wrote the following to the Synod of Echmiatzin in 1870: “...it is only the ceiling of Burnashet’s church that has undergone overhaul.” These lines come to prove that the monument was not stripped of its primary architectural features when being consecrated in the ritual of the Armenian Church; this is the reason why the judiciary bodies decided to leave it in the Armenians’ possession.

Հայաստանի ազգային դիվան, (National Archives of Armenia), ֆ. 56, ց. 1, թ. 13։ Karapetian. Samvel, Javakhk, Yerevan, 2011, p. 129.

A manuscript Gospel, brought by the Armenian resettlers from Karin and known by the name of St. Grigor, made the church a renowned pilgrimage site. It annualy celebrated a feast known as Holy Virgin’s Day: the income of the sanctuary was alternately allocated to the parish schools of Akhalkalak and Burnashet.

«Մշակ», 1877, N 9, էջ 2-3: Էփրիկեան Հ. Ս., Պատկերազարդ բնաշխարհիկ բառարան, հ. Ա, Վենետիկ, 1903-1905, էջ 70։ Հայաստանի ազգային դիվան, (National Archives of Armenia), ֆ. 56, ց. 1, գ. 10470, թ. 1-7։ Karapetian. Samvel, Javakhk, Yerevan, 2011, p. 129.

1890 y․

In the 1890s, the inhabitants of Burnashet planned to build another church and move the aforementioned famous Gospel there: “...the ancient church of our village, which is known as a pilgrimage destination and attracts believers from all parts, is in a total state of disrepair and may pose danger [to the lives of believers] at any moment. The proper bodies think it an imperative to renovate it from its very foundations; this is the reason why the Armenian community of our village unanimously entitled us to apply for permission and embark upon the construction of this church” (in 1892).75 The local inhabitants particularly wrote the following in their letter to the Catholicos: “Your Holiness, unable to erect a church for our religious needs, we have been under the spiritual protection of a small ancient Georgian chapel, standing in our village, ever since we resettled here from Turkey. This chapel retains our renowned Gospel named St. Grigor, which attracts a wide multitide of pilgrims from various districts and places so that we find it extremely disgraceful for us to leave it in such a small chapel...”

Հայաստանի ազգային դիվան, (National Archives of Armenia), ֆ. 53, ց. 1, գ. 3335, թ. 1, 54։ Karapetian. Samvel, Javakhk, Yerevan, 2011, p. 129.

A Georgian journalist who provides information about two inscriptions in Georgian Mesropian letters carved on the church walls, and mentions the participation of Armenian believers in the religious ceremony held on 12 July raises the issue of the true owners of the sanctuary, and summarises his article with the following remark: “Anyway, it would be interesting to find out to whom the church [really] belongs.” Now that more than 100 years have passed since these events, this problem still seems to be the subject matter of many discussions. To shed light upon it, it should be pointed out that primarily it was undoubtedly an Armenian Chalcedonian sanctuary belonging to the Byzantine faith. Not later than the 14th century, as well as in the early 1830s, it was blessed as an Armenian Apostolic church, and has remained as such until our days. Its font, which is still preserved in its northern wall, saw the baptism of many generations of Armenians. In recent years, a number of Armenian churches standing in Tbilisi have been altered through restoration and have been re-consecrated as sactuaries of Byzantine faith so that now they are considered as Georgian churches. In the same manner, the church of St. Matthew the Evangelist is an Armenian Apostolic church thanks to its re-blessing during the aforementioned periods.

“ივერია”, 26.07.1898, N 159. Karapetian. Samvel, Javakhk, Yerevan, 2011, pp. 129-131.

1933 y․

In 1933 St. Matthew the Evangelist was still known as a functioning church.

ბერძენიშვილი ნ., idem, p. 153: Karapetian. Samvel, Javakhk, Yerevan, 2011, p. 131.

Repairs
1884 y․

In 1884 Primate of Akhaltskha Khoren Stepane the Archimandrite initiated some minor-scale repairs in the church of St. Matthew the Evangelist: “He had a big window opened in the dark entrance hall of Burnashet’s church, built stairs and two doors leading to the [Holy] Altar and [enriched it with] an altar stone and a curtain. The church having very little light, he enlarged two of its windows and also had its walls plastered with lime...”

«Արձագանք», 1885, N 22, էջ 309: Karapetian. Samvel, Javakhk, Yerevan, 2011, p. 129.

1980 — 1981 yy․

Between 1980 and 1981, it was restored through the efforts of Georgia’s Department for the Preservation of Monuments.

Karapetian. Samvel, Javakhk, Yerevan, 2011, p. 131.

Inscription, Georgian Mesropian, Engraved, Commemoration

A five-line inscription in Georgian Mesropian characters is engraved above a relief representing Daniel the Prophet amongst the lions (carved above a window opening from the eastern wall of the church):
ო(ჳფალ)ო. ვ(ითარც)ა იჴსენ Dდანიელ პირი|საგან ლომთაჲსა, ეგრ|ე იჴსნენ ამის წ(მიდის)ა ეკლესიი|სა მაშენებელნი ჴელთაგა(ნ) | ჯ(ო)ჯ(ო)ხ(ე)თისათა. Transl.: Lord, save this holy church from the clutches of hell just as You freed Daniel from the lions’ jaws.

Brosset M., Mélanges asiatiques. t. II, 2e et 3e1, St. Pétersburg, 1854, էջ 341։ Ростомов И., Ахалкалакский уезд в археологическом отношении.– Сборник Материалов для Описания Местностей и Племен Кавказа, вып. XXV, 1898, էջ 42: ცისკარიშვილი ვ., նշվ. աշխ., էջ 28: სილოგავა ვ., სამცხე-ჯავახეთის ისტორიული მუზეუმის ქართული ძეგლები, ახალციხე, էջ 47, 118-119, 135: “ჯავახეთი. ისტორიულ-ხუროთმოძღვრული გზამკვლევი”, էջ 77: Karapetian. Samvel, Javakhk, Yerevan, 2011, p. 131.

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

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

The window opening from its eastern facade, and a Georgian Mesropian inscription preserved above the crown of the same window

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

Inscription, Georgian Mesropian, Engraved, Donation

Seven lines in Georgian Mesropian letters engraved inwardly on the northern wall of the church:
†. ს(ა)ხ(ე)ლ(ი)თა ღ(მრთი)ს(აჲ)თა დ|ა შ(უა)მდგ(ო)მლ(ობი)თა წ(მიდის)ა გ(იორგი)ს(ი)|თა დ(ა)გ(ი)წერე მე გ(იორგი)მ(ა)|ნ თქ(უ)ენ ბ(უ)რნ(ა)შნ(ე)ლთა მღ|დ(ე)ლთა. მოგ(ე)ც ყ(ა)ნაჲ თქ(ე)რ|ოანს ჩ(ე)მგ(ა)ნ ნ(ა)სყ(ი)დი. Transl.: In the name of God, with the intercession of Saint Giorgi (Gevorg), I, Giorgi, wrote [donated] to you, to the priests of Burnashen. I gave the field I had bought in Tkeroan.

Brosset M., Mélanges asiatiques. t. II, 2e et 3e1, St. Pétersburg, 1854, էջ 341։ Ростомов И., Ахалкалакский уезд в археологическом отношении.– Сборник Материалов для Описания Местностей и Племен Кавказа, вып. XXV, 1898, էջ 42-43։ ცისკარიშვილი ვ., նշվ. աշխ., էջ 28: ბერძენიშვილი ნ., նշվ. աշխ., էջ 153: სილოგავა ვ., სამცხე-ჯავახეთის ისტორიული მუზეუმის ქართული ძეგლები, էջ 48, 119 135: “ჯავახეთი. ისტორიულ-ხუროთმოძღვრული გზამკვლევი”, էջ 77: Note: V. Tsiskarishvili writes that the toponym Tkeroani is not found in any of the available historical sources so that its decipherment is not trustworthy at all. I. Rostomashvili offers the toponym of Tkrtan. N. Berdzenishvili attempts to associate it with Tikar situated in the neghbourhood of Zresk and Vachian, Javakhk. According to V. Tsiskarishvili, the inscription was carved not later than the 13th century, while V. Silogava traces it back to the period between the 12th and 13th centuries.

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

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

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

Relief, Reliefs of Saints

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

The window opening from its eastern facade, and a Georgian Mesropian inscription preserved above the crown of the same window

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

Type Photo
View Partial view
Direction From the south-east
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․

A hall adjoining the church from the west

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

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

One of the capitals of the portico standing in the south of it

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

A partial view of the portico

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

One of the capitals of the portico of the church of St. Matthew the Evangelist

Type Measurement
View `
Author Samvel Karapetyan
Source Sketch

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

Name	Year/Century	Etymology
St. Hovhannes