Sourb Astvatzatzin Church :: ARMENIAN HISTORICAL MONUMENTS

Sourb Astvatzatzin Church

Georgia / Javakhk / Akhalkalak / Satkha

Historical Introduction
1830 y․

The Armenians who took up residence in the territory of the village in the 1830s consecrated its medieval church as a parish one and dedicated it to the Holy Mother of God.

Karapetian. Samvel, Javakhk, Yerevan, 2011, p. 432.

The inscriptions preserved on its walls are difficult to read. Having no other versions of decipherment at our disposal, we are obliged to re-publish the Georgian Mesropian inscriptions of Satkha according to the ones offered by I. Rostomashvili. It is to be stressed, however, that they should be treated only with some reservation.

Karapetian. Samvel, Javakhk, Yerevan, 2011, p. 434.

Architectural Description

The sanctuary represents a uni-nave building of finely-finished stone (exterior dimensions: 15.12 x 6.98 metres), with its entrances opening from the south and west.

Karapetian. Samvel, Javakhk, Yerevan, 2011, pp. 432, 434.

Inscription, Georgian Mesropian, Engraved, Commemoration

Engraved on the eastern wall of the church:
ქ(რისტ)ე, შ(ეიწყალ)ე ჲ(ე)რ(ე)მ(ა)ჲ ქ(რისტ)ე, შ(ეიწყალ)ე ხ(ა)რაძე. Transl.: Christ, may You be merciful towards Yeremia. Christ, may You have mercy upon Khara’s son.

Published in: Ростомов И., Ахалкалакский уезд в археологическом отношении.– Сборник Материалов для Описания Местностей и Племен Кавказа, вып. XXV, 1898, стр. 104: ცისკარიშვილი ვ., ჯავახეთის ეპიგრაფიკა როგორც საისტორიო წყარო, თბილისი, 1959, էջ 37: Karapetian. Samvel, Javakhk, Yerevan, 2011, p. 434. Misreading: I. Rostomashvili has ირემაი, and V. Tsiskarishvili offers ირემაჲ. Note: V. Tsiskarishvili republished the inscription according to the decipherment by I. Rostomashvili.

Type Copied Lapidary Inscription
View Exterior
Author Samvel Karapetyan
Source Non-Specified

Inscription, Georgian Mesropian, Engraved, Commemoration 11 c․

Carved on the western wall of the monument:
ქ(რისტ)ე, შ(ეიწყალ)ე გიორგაჲ (?) | ქ(რისტ)ე, შ(ეიწყალ)ე ჩ(ოგა)ჲ ბ(ე)შქ(ე)ნ(ი)ს ყ(მა)ჲ. Transl.: Christ, may You have mercy upon Giorga. Christ, may You be merciful towards Beshken’s servant Choga.

Published in: Ростомов И., Ахалкалакский уезд в археологическом отношении.– Сборник Материалов для Описания Местностей и Племен Кавказа, вып. XXV, 1898, стр. 105. ცისკარიშვილი ვ., ჯავახეთის ეპიგრაფიკა როგორც საისტორიო წყარო, თბილისი, 1959, էջ 37: Karapetian. Samvel, Javakhk, Yerevan, 2011, p. 434. Misreading: I. Rostomashvili offers გიორგაი, ჩოგაჲ…, ქორონიკონს. The other versions of decipherment are as follows: გაია, ბეშქენის ყმაჲ (E. Taghayshvili), and ქრონიკონს (V. Tsiskarishvili). Note: I. Rostomashvili traces the inscription back to 1240, taking into account the aforementioned year of the Chronicon, but it is more probable that it was engraved in the middle of the 11th century.

Type Copied Lapidary Inscription
View Exterior
Author Samvel Karapetyan
Source Non-Specified

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

Inscription, Georgian Mesropian, Engraved, Construction 11 c․

Carved on the southern wall of the church:
ად(იდე)ნ ღ(მერთმა)ნ ფ(ა)რს(მა)ნ ე(რისთავთ) ე(რისთავი), ა(ე)შ(ე)ნა ესე ეკლ(ე)ს(ი)აჲ ს(ა)დ(იდე)ბლ(ო)დ მათდ(ა) და მშ(ო)ბ(ე)ლთ(ა) მ(ა)თდ(ა) ს(ა)ლ(ო)ცვ(ე)ლ(ო)დ... Transl.: Lord, may You glorify Prince of Princes (erisTavT erisTavi) Parsman, [who] built this church for his glory and for the remembrance of his parents in prayers.

Published in: Ростомов И., Ахалкалакский уезд в археологическом отношении.– Сборник Материалов для Описания Местностей и Племен Кавказа, вып. XXV, 1898, стр. 106. ცისკარიშვილი ვ., ჯავახეთის ეპიგრაფიკა როგორც საისტორიო წყარო, თბილისი, 1959, էջ 37-38: “ჯავახეთი. ისტორიულ-ხუროთმოძღვრული გზამკვლევი”, თბილისი, 2000, էջ 26: Karapetian. Samvel, Javakhk, Yerevan, 2011, p. 435. Note: The inscription dates from the mid-11th century.

Type Copied Lapidary Inscription
View Exterior
Author Samvel Karapetyan
Source Non-Specified

Inscription, Georgian Mesropian, Engraved, Commemoration 11 c․

Engraved on the same wall of the church:
ქ(რისტ)ე, შ(ეიწყალ)ე ყ(ოველ)ნი. Christ, may You have mercy upon everybody.

Published in: Ростомов И., Ахалкалакский уезд в археологическом отношении.– Сборник Материалов для Описания Местностей и Племен Кавказа, вып. XXV, 1898, стр. 106. ვ. ცისკარიშვილი, ჯავახეთის ეპიგრაფიკა როგორც საისტორიო წყარო, თბილისი, 1959, էջ 38: Karapetian. Samvel, Javakhk, Yerevan, 2011, p. 435. Note: Most probably, the inscription dates back to the same period as the previously-mentioned ones, namely the 11th century.

Type Copied Lapidary Inscription
View Exterior
Author Samvel Karapetyan
Source Non-Specified

Inscription, Georgian Mesropian, Engraved, Commemoration 11 c․

Carved inwardly on the southern wall of the church:
ქ(რისტ)ე, შ(ეიწყალ)ე [ცხორება?] ქ(რისტ)ე, შ(ეიწყალ)ე გ(იორგ)ი. Transl.: Christ, may You have mercy upon Tskhoreba (life?).

Published in: Ростомов И., Ахалкалакский уезд в археологическом отношении.– Сборник Материалов для Описания Местностей и Племен Кавказа, вып. XXV, 1898, стр. 107. ცისკარიშვილი ვ., ჯავახეთის ეპიგრაფიკა როგორც საისტორიო წყარო, თბილისი, 1959, էջ 38: Karapetian. Samvel, Javakhk, Yerevan, 2011, p. 436. Note: The inscription traces back to the 11th century.

Type Copied Lapidary Inscription
View Exterior
Author Samvel Karapetyan
Source Non-Specified

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

Inscription, Georgian Mesropian, Engraved, Commemoration 12 c․

While conducting research in the older church of Satkha in 1989, we found an eleven-line Georgian Mesropian inscription buried under the layer of plaster covering its southern wall outwardly. After the construction of the new church of the village, this inscription, which is a complete discovery, appeared inside the monument:
†. გ(იორგ)ი შ(ა)ზ(ე)ლ(ი)ს ძ(ე)სა და ძეთა | მისთა შ(ეუნდუე)ნ ღ(მერთმა)ნ. დაიდვეს | ორი დღე აღ(ა)პი რომე | რაჲცარა ზედ(ა)შე და სეფ(ი)სკ(უ)ერი | გამოვ(ი)დეს ბ(ა)რბ(ა)რობაი | და მეორედ მოსლვასა | მას {ს}აყდ(ა)რსა შიგ(ა)ნ მყო|ფმა ვერ(ა)ვინ და(ა)კლოს წი|რვ(ა)ი ჩ(უ)ენმა მომ(ა)ვ(ა)ლმან | და ვ(ი)ნცა და(ა)კლოს კ(ა)ნონსამცა | ქ(უ)ეშე არს. ამ(ე)ნ. † Transl.: God, may You have mercy upon Shazel’s son Giorgi and his sons. Two commemoration days were established for them and may the holy sacrament be taken at the feast of [St.] Barbara until the second advent of the one [now] in the bema. Let nobody break [the order of] our liturgy later and may those who upset it be burdened by curse. Amen.

Published in: სილოგავა ვ., “მესხეთი”, 07.02.1991: “ჯავახეთი. ისტორიულ-ხუროთმოძღვრული გზამკვლევი”, თბილისი, 2000, էջ 28: Karapetian. Samvel, Javakhk, Yerevan, 2011, p. 436. Misreading: “ჯავახეთი. ისტორიულ-ხუროთმოძღვრული გზამკვლევი” offers შეუნდვენ, რომე არცა ზედაშე, მოსვლასა, ამა საყდარსა: Note: According to V. Silogava, the inscription was engraved in the 12th century. General Notes: The copies made by I. Rostomashvili do not demarcate the lines of the inscriptions as they are carved so that they are simply ignored as far as the publications of this researcher are concerned. It is difficult to identify all the personalities mentioned in these inscriptions. The only exception is Prince of Princes Parsman, who is to be identified with Parsman Tmogvetsy, the contemporary of King Bagrat IV (1027 to 1072). See გვერდწითელი რ., ზედა თმოგვის წარწერები, საქართველოს სახელმწიფო მუზეუმის მოამბე, ტ. ხივ, 1947, էջ 242; ქართული ეპიგრაფიკა, როგორც ისტორიული წყარო, էջ 75. This viewpoint is also substantiated by the reference to Beshken—presumably, one of the Jaghetsies’ descendants—found in E. Taghayshvili’s version of the decipherment of the second inscription. Beshken Jaghetsy and Parsman Tmogvetsy are mentioned together in the account of the fight between Bagrat IV and Liparit found in the Register of Kartli. As attested by this source, the latter failed to conquer the castle of Aten, as “the rulers of the stronghold were powerful men faithful to Bagrat, with the exception of Parsman Tmogvetsy and Beshken Jaghetsy” (the original reads: “რამეთუ ციხის უფალნი კაცნი მტკიცე იყუნეს ერთგულებასა ზედა ბაგრატისსა, თუინიერ ფარსმან თმოგველსა და ბეშქენ ჯაყელისა”, მატიანე ქართლისა, ქართლის ცხოვრება, ი, ყაუხჩიშვილის ს., გამ., էջ 298). As revealed by the third inscription, Prince of Princes Parsman is the builder of the church of Satkha: it is clear then that he held possession of not only Tmok, but also most part of Javakhk. Most probably, Beshken Jaghetsy owned some estates in this district, too (also see ცისკარიშვილი ვ., idem, pp. 38-39).

Type Copied Lapidary Inscription
View Exterior
Author Samvel Karapetyan
Source Non-Specified
Date 1988 — 1989 yy․

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

Relief, High Relief, Reliefs of Saints

The ornate tympanum of the southern entrance of Sourb Astvatzatzin (Holy Virgin) Church

Karapetian. Samvel, Javakhk, Yerevan, 2011, p. 435.

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

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

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

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