Sourb Astvatzatzin (Holy Virgin) Church :: ARMENIAN HISTORICAL MONUMENTS

Sourb Astvatzatzin (Holy Virgin) Church 10 — 11 cc․

Georgia / Javakhk / Akhalkalak / Ghaurma

Location

Sourb Astvatzatzin (Holy Virgin) Church stands in the middle of the village.

Karapetian. Samvel, Javakhk, Yerevan, 2011, p. 348.

Historical Introduction
10 — 11 cc․

Originally, it belonged to the Greek faith. Most probably, it was erected between the 10th and 11th centuries, but in the 1850s, it was consecrated according to the ritual of the Armenian Apostolic Church and started serving the local parish by the name of Sourb Astvatzatzin.

Karapetian. Samvel, Javakhk, Yerevan, 2011, p. 348.

Description

It represents a uni-nave monument thoroughly built of finely-finished stone (exterior dimensions: 9.05 x 5.42 metres), with its only entrance opening from its southern facade. The northern wall of the sanctuary retains a font. From the standpoint of its outer decoration, the church is particularly remarkable for its window frames which are enriched with reliefs. The walls of Sourb Astvatzatzin Church bear inscriptions in the Georgian Mesropian script.

Karapetian. Samvel, Javakhk, Yerevan, 2011, p. 348.

Inscription, Georgian Mesropian, Engraved, Commemoration 11 c․

Five lines engraved on both sides of the western window of the sanctuary:
ქ(რისტ)ე, მ(ო)წყ(ალ)ე ექ(მე)ნ იოვ(ა)ნეს, დხ(ე)ს(ა) მ(ა)ს, შვ(ი)ლ(ი)თ(უ)რ{თ} ა(მი)ნ. თ? Transl.: Christ, may You be merciful towards Iovane and his sons on that day. Amen.

Published in: Ростомов И., Ахалкалакский уезд в археологическом отношении.– Сборник Материалов для Описания Местностей и Племен Кавказа, вып. XXV, 1898, стр. 72։ Такайшвили Е., Археологическая экспедиция 1971-го года в южные провинции Грузии, Тбилиси, 1952, стр. 33։ ცისკარიშვილი ვ., idem, p 30։ ბერძენიშვილი ნ., idem, p. 76: “ჯავახეთი. ისტორიულ-ხუროთმოძღვრული გზამკვლევი”, էջ 35: Karapetian. Samvel, Javakhk, Yerevan, 2011, pp. 348-349. Note: The inscription is attributed to the days of Catholicos of Kartli Iovane Okropiri II (1033 to 1048).

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

Inscription, Georgian Mesropian, Engraved, Commemoration

Carved on both sides of a cross relief sculpted below the cornice running above the ornamented frame of the western window:
(რისტ)ე, ა(დი)დე ოქ(რო)პ(ირ)ი, ქ(ართლისა) კ(ათალიკოზი). Transl.: Christ, May You glorify Catholicos of Kartli Okropir.

Published in: Ростомов И., Ахалкалакский уезд в археологическом отношении.– Сборник Материалов для Описания Местностей и Племен Кавказа, вып. XXV, 1898, стр. 71։ Такайшвили Е., Археологическая экспедиция 1971-го года в южные провинции Грузии, Тбилиси, 1952, стр. 33։ ცისკარიშვილი ვ., idem, p. 30: ბერძენიშვილი ნ., idem, p. 75։ “ჯავახეთი. ისტორიულ-ხუროთმოძღვრული გზამკვლევი”, էջ 35: Karapetian. Samvel, Javakhk, Yerevan, 2011, p. 349. Note: The inscription is traced back to the times of Catholicos of Kartli Iovane Okropiri II (1033 to 1048).

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

Inscription, Georgian Mesropian, Embossed, Commemoration

Nine lines in embossed characters inscribed on both sides of a cross relief decorating the southern entrance tympanum of the monument:
ქ(რისტ)ე, ად(ი)დე | გ(იორგ)ი მ(ე)ფე | და შვ(ილ)ნი | მ(ა)თნი. | ქ(რისტ)ე, ად(ი)დე მ(ე)ლქ(ი)ზ(ედე)კ | ქ(ა)რთლ(ი)ს კ(ა)თ(ა)ლ(ი)კ(ო)ზი | და შე(ე)წ(ი)ე | დღე(ს)ა მ(ა)ს. | ა(მე)ნ. Transl.: Christ, May You glorify King Giorgi and his sons. Christ, May You glorify Catholicos of Kartli Melkisedek and help [him] on that day. Amen.

Published in: Ростомов И., Ахалкалакский уезд в археологическом отношении.– Сборник Материалов для Описания Местностей и Племен Кавказа, вып. XXV, 1898, стр. 71: Такайшвили Е., Археологическая экспедиция 1971-го года в южные провинции Грузии, Тбилиси, 1952, стр. 33: ცისკარიშვილი ვ., idem, pp. 60-61: ბერძენიშვილი ნ., idem, p. 76: “ჯავახეთი. ისტორიულ-ხუროთმოძღვრული გზამკვლევი”, էջ 35: Karapetian. Samvel, Javakhk, Yerevan, 2011, pp. 349-350. Note: According to E. Taghayshvili, the inscription mentions King Giorgi I (1014 to 1027) and Catholicos of Kartli Melkisedek I (1010 to 1033). The inscriptions engraved on the western window of the church bear reference to another Catholicos of Kartli, Iovane Okropiri II (1033 to 1048). The names of these dignitaries give E. Taghayshvili grounds to conclude that Melkisedek I was the one who commenced the construction of the church, whereas Iovane Okropiri II completed it. V. Tsiskarishvili thinks that the sanctuary was founded and thoroughly erected in the days of the former Catholicos. As for the inscriptions mentioning Iovane Okropiri II, they were added later. Besides, according to this scholar, the inscriptions preserved on the walls of the church of Ghaurma show that the village belonged to the Catholicosate of Metskhet.

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

Cross Relief, High Relief

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

A cross relief decorating the front part of the bema

Type Measurement
View Exterior
Author Samvel Karapetyan
Source Sketch

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

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

A window opening from its western facade

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

The crown of the windows opening from the eastern facades of Sourb Astvatzatzin (Holy Virgin)

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

The crown of the windows opening from the southern facades of Sourb Astvatzatzin (Holy Virgin)

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

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

The font of Sourb Astvatzatzin(Holy Virgin) church