Sourb Nshan Church :: ARMENIAN HISTORICAL MONUMENTS

Sourb Nshan Church

Georgia / Javakhk / Akhalkalak / Trkna

Historical Introduction
1840 y․

The construction of Sourb Nshan (Sourb Khach) Church was implemented in the 1840s. In 1848 the Consistory informed the Catholicos that the local inhabitants had completed the monument with their own means, without the knowledge and permission of the spiritual authorities, and wanted to have it consecrated: “...they have erected a wooden church of average dimensions, which has stone walls and a roof of wood...”66

Հայաստանի ազգային դիվան (National Archives of Armenia), ֆ. 56, ց. 6, գ. 5, թ. 5։ Karapetian. Samvel, Javakhk, Yerevan, 2011, p. 500.

19 c․

In the late 19th century, the residents of Trkna faced the necessity of replacing their church, which had been erected with rather scanty means, with a new one. As of 1891, the village already had a newly-erected church which, however, was not predestined to serve its parish for a long time—the earthquake of 19 December 1899 put it into a dangerously dilapidated state.

Мушкетов И., Материалы по ахалкалакскому землетрясению 19-ого декабря 1899 г., “Труды Геологоческаго комитета”, Новая серия, вып 1, СПБ, 1903, стр. 30. Karapetian. Samvel, Javakhk, Yerevan, 2011, pp. 500-501.

Description
1988 y․

During our visit to Trkna in 1988, the monument stood semi-ruined.

Karapetian. Samvel, Javakhk, Yerevan, 2011, p. 501.

Inscription, Armenian, Engraved, Construction 1891 y․

Below follows a five-line inscription carved on the northern part of the entrance of the newly-built church:
1891 ՇԻՆԵՑԱՒ Ս(ՈՒՐԲ) ՆՇԱՆ ԵԿԵՂԵՑԻՍ ԱՐԴ|ԵԱՄԲ ԺՈՂՈՎՐԴՈՑ ՏՐԿՆԱ | ԳԵՂՋ ԵՒ ՄԱՍԱՄԲ ՕԳՆՈՒԹԵԱՄԲ ԻՒՂԱ|ԲԵՐԻ ԴԵՏԱԼԻԹԱՅԻ ԵՒ ՄԵՐ|ՑԱԿԱ ԳԻՒՂՈՐԵՅԻՑ: Transl.: [In the year] 1891, the church of Sourb Nshan was built through the means of the people of Trkna Village and partly with the support of Youghaber, Detalita as well as the adjacent villages.

Karapetian. Samvel, Javakhk, Yerevan, 2011, p. 501.

Type Photo
View Exterior
Direction From the south-west
Author Samvel Karapetyan
Source Colour Negative
Date 2004 y․

Name	Year/Century	Etymology
Sourb Khach