Armenian Chalcedonian church :: ARMENIAN HISTORICAL MONUMENTS

Armenian Chalcedonian church 11 c․

Georgia / Javakhk / Aspindza / Tzunda

Historical Introduction
11 c․

The only surviving specimen of the ancient cultural heritage of Tzunda is a church dating from the 11th century—this suggests that it was built in the period when the Armenians of Tzunda had already embraced Chalcedonianism.

Karapetian. Samvel, Javakhk, Yerevan, 2011, p. 271.

Description

It represents a uni-nave church entirely built of finely-finished stone and fortified by ramparts. Its western wall retains a three-line inscription in the Georgian Mesropian script.

Inscription, Georgian Mesropian, Engraved, Commemoration

Its western wall retains a three-line inscription in the Georgian Mesropian script:
ს(ა)ხ(ე)ლითა ღ(მრთისა)ჲთა, მე, იჩქ(ი)თმ(ა)ნ გ(უ)რგ(ე)ნის ძემ(ა)ნ | აღვ(ა)შ(ე)ნე ეკლ(ე)ს(ია)ჲ ესე. მ(ა)მ(უ)ლი ჩ(უე)ნი ს(ა)ხ(ე)ლსა ზ(ედ)ა წ(მიდ)ისა | ნ(ა)თლ(ი)სმც(ე)მ(ლი)ს(ა)სა. ს(ა)ლ(ო)ც(ა)ვ(ა)დ ჩემთ(ჳ)ს და მშ(ო)ბ(ე)ლთა ჩ(ე)მთათ(ჳ)ს. Transl.: In the name of God, I, Gurgen’s son Ichkit, built this holy church [that is like] our homeland [to us] dedicated to Saint [Hovhannes] Mkrtich. May you pray for my parents and me.

Published in: Brosset M., Rapports (II) sur un voyage archéologique dans la Géorgie et dans l’Armenie éxecuté en (1847-1848) par M. Brosset, livre 2, St-Pb., 1850, էջ 165: კალისტრატე, “ივერია”, N 239, 1891: Ростомов И., Ахалкалакский уезд в археологическом отношении.– Сборник Материалов для Описания Местностей и Племен Кавказа, вып. XXV, 1898, էջ 129: ცისკარიშვილი ვ., idem, p. 47: ბერძენიშვილი ნ., idem, p. 129: ოთხმეზური გ., ხიი–ხიიი საუკუნეების მიჯნის ქართული ლაპიდარული წარწერები როგორც საისტორიო წყარო, էջ 82-84: სილოგავა ვ., სამცხე-ჯავახეთის ისტორიული მუზეუმის ქართული ძეგლები, էջ 98: Karapetian. Samvel, Javakhk, Yerevan, 2011, p. 271. Note: In his diary of the scientific expedition made to Javakhk in 1933, N. Berdzenishvili writes that the inscription was slightly damaged by fire-arms (see ბერძენიშვილი ნ., ჯავახეთის 1933 წლის ექსპედიციის დღიური: სის. 1, 1964, էջ 129). G. Otkhmezuri establishes the date of the inscription judging from its contents, which refer to the times of Queen Thamar (1184 to 1213). Vahanavank retains another inscription carved by the same person, Ichkit, Gurgen’s son, and bearing reference to this queen. M. Brosset and I. Rostomashvili do not speak about the identity of the people mentioned in the inscription at all. In contrast to them, Kalistrate traces it back to the 11th century, taking into consideration these personalities. He identifies Ichkit’s father Gurgen with Prince of Kartli Gurgen (ერისთავი), who reigned between 914 and 968. Instead of Ichkit, he reads Ioane—a prince who ruled from 1027 until 1072. According to V. Tsiskarishvili, however, the fact that Ichkit built a family church in Tzunda suggests that he was one of the local landlords and could not have been the son of Prince Gurgen of Kartli (ერისთავი). Moreover, there is no prince in Kartli known by the name of Ichkit.

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

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

Type Photo
View Exterior
Direction From the north-west
Author Samvel Karapetyan
Source Colour Negative

The church built by the Chalcedonian inhabitants of the village

Type Photo
View Exterior
Direction From the south
Author Samvel Karapetyan
Source Colour Negative