Armenian architecture comprises architectural works with an aesthetic or historical connection to the Armenian people. It is difficult to situate this architectural style within precise geographical or chronological limits, but many of its monuments were created in the regions of historical Armenia, the Armenian Highlands. The greatest achievement of Armenian architecture is generally agreed to be its medieval churches and seventh century churches, though there are different opinions precisely in which respects.

Common characteristics of Armenian architecture

Medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...

Armenian architecture, and Armenian churches in particular, have several distinctive features, which some believe to be the first national style of a church building.Architecture, Arts of Armenia (c) Dr. Dickran Kouymjian , Armenian Studies Program, California State University, Fresno
Common characteristics include: *Pointed domes, reminiscent of the volcanic cone of Greater Ararat. The conical or semiconical radially segmented dome or cupola is mounted above vaulted ceilings on a cylindrical

drum The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel-Sachs classification system, it is a membranophone. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a ...

(usually polygonal on the outside, most often octagonal) *The vertical emphasis of the whole structure, with the height often exceeding the length of a church *Reinforcement of the verticality with tall, narrow windows *Stone vaulted ceilings *Composed almost entirely of stone, usually volcanic

tuff Tuff is a type of rock made of volcanic ash ejected from a vent during a volcanic eruption. Following ejection and deposition, the ash is lithified into a solid rock. Rock that contains greater than 75% ash is considered tuff, while rock ...

basalt Basalt (; ) is an aphanitic (fine-grained) extrusive igneous rock formed from the rapid cooling of low-viscosity lava rich in magnesium and iron (mafic lava) exposed at or very near the surface of a rocky planet or moon. More than 90 ...

. *A

composite Composite or compositing may refer to: Materials * Composite material, a material that is made from several different substances ** Metal matrix composite, composed of metal and other parts ** Cermet, a composite of ceramic and metallic materials ...

roof composed of finely-cut

shingles *Frescoes and carvings, if present, are usually ornate and include swirling intertwining grapevines and foliage. *Heavy use of tall structural arches, both for supporting the cupola as part of the drum, the vaulted ceiling, and the vertical walls. *Roofs intersecting to support the dome, both in basilicas and centrally-planned churches. *Sculptural decoration of external walls, including figures.

Classification of Armenian churches

Within the bounds of the aforementioned common characteristics, individual churches display considerable variation which may reflect time, place, and the creativity of its designer.

Toros Toramanian Toros Toramanian ( hy, Թորոս Թորամանեան; 1864 – March 1, 1934) was a prominent Armenian architect and architectural historian. He is considered "the father of Armenian architectural historiography." Biography Toramanian was bor ...

distinguished the following classical styles while studying these variations in the early 20th century:

Construction

Armenian architecture, as it originates in an earthquake-prone region, tends to be built with this hazard in mind. Armenian buildings tend to be rather low-slung and thick-walled in design. Armenia has abundant resources of stone, and relatively few forests, so stone was nearly always used throughout for large buildings. Small buildings and most residential buildings were normally constructed of lighter materials, and hardly any early examples survive, as at the abandoned medieval capital of Ani. Zvartnots img 6971

The stone used in buildings is typically quarried all at the same location, in order to give the structure a uniform color. In cases where different color stone are used, they are often intentionally contrasted in a striped or checkerboard pattern. Powder made out of ground stone of the same type was often applied along the joints of the tuff slabs to give buildings a seamless look. Unlike the Romans or Syrians who were building at the same time, Armenians never used wood or brick when building large structures. Armenian architecture employs a form of concrete to produce sturdy buildings,. It is a mixture of lime mortar, broken tuff, and rocks around which forms a core against which thin slabs of tuff are arranged in brickwork fashion. As the wet mortar mixture dries it forms a strong concrete-like mass sealed together with the tuff around it and, due to tuff's properties, it becomes harder with time. Initially, almost no core was used in the construction of churches, stone blocks were simply sealed together, but as architects saw how those with mortar cores withstood tremors, the size of the core expanded. Frescos of marble or another stone were often affixed to the side of these buildings, usually at a later date.

History of Armenian architecture

The gradual development of Armenian architecture.

Pre-Christian Armenia

During the third millennium B.C, prehistoric Armenian architecture was already distinctive. The most common feature was its groundwork, which incorporated many geometrical shapes, ultimately forming a cell shape. An example of such architecture can be found in Kültəpə, near Nakhchivan. These buildings were approximately 6–7 metres wide and about 5 metres high. Urban architectural traditions, and other forms of art in the years before Christ continued to develop and later were influenced by Greco-Roman art. Urartian architecture is known for its use of intricately cut rocks, used as foundations for mud brick buildings, usually constructed in a compact manner (such as in Erebuni). Garni Armenien msu-2018-3149

Urartian temples had massive stone walls at lower levels and a relatively small interior space, usually square, and rose high; they were generally placed at the highest point of a site. Higher levels were in mud brick, which has not survived, and it is not fully clear how appeared. The late Temple of Garni of the 1st century AD, in a fully

Hellenistic In Classical antiquity, the Hellenistic period covers the time in Mediterranean history after Classical Greece, between the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC and the emergence of the Roman Empire, as signified by the Battle of Actium in ...

style, is the only pagan monument left in any sort of complete state in Armenia, as many others were destroyed or converted to Christian places of worship under Tiridates III of Armenia. Garni includes local elements of sacred numerology and geometry. The temple has a column to inter column ratio of 1/3 (1 is the primary number of the universe and 3 is the holiest of all numbers as it represents the Greco-Roman triad

Jupiter Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the largest in the Solar System. It is a gas giant with a mass more than two and a half times that of all the other planets in the Solar System combined, but slightly less than one-thousand ...

, Juno and

Minerva Minerva (; ett, Menrva) is the Roman goddess of wisdom, justice, law, victory, and the sponsor of arts, trade, and strategy. Minerva is not a patron of violence such as Mars, but of strategic war. From the second century BC onward, the R ...

). Aside from being aesthetically beautiful, Garni's design can be seen as being a reaffirmation of the universal laws that governed man's destiny. The angles, number of columns, and dimensions were created with a careful eye; Armenian

pagan Paganism (from classical Latin ''pāgānus'' "rural", "rustic", later "civilian") is a term first used in the fourth century by early Christians for people in the Roman Empire who practiced polytheism, or ethnic religions other than Judaism. I ...

s wanted to appease the gods and protect humanity from their wrath. This sacred geometry is evident in the entire temple. To the people who created it, it was the perfect embodiment of their communion with the universe. Note that although sacred geometry was mostly used in religious buildings, secular buildings adopted some aspects of it.Sacred Geometry and Armenian Architecture , Armenia Travel, History, Archeology & Ecology , TourArmenia , Travel Guide to Armenia
/ref>

Christian Armenia

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global popula ...

's institution as Armenia's official religion in 301 allowed new developments in Armenian architecture, which nevertheless preserved older traditions. In fact it would be almost impossible to find any religion that rose completely on its own without borrowing some traditions from the past. Exploring Armenian churches is critical to our understanding of Medieval Armenia. Beyond that, the Armenian churches describe us the general landscape of the Christian East at a time when eyewitness accounts were exceedingly rare. In their messages of authenticity and legitimacy, the churches shaped and preserved public memory, negotiating among diverse linguistic, religious, political, and ethnic groups. The first Armenian churches were built on the orders of

St. Gregory the Illuminator Gregory the Illuminator ( Classical hy, Գրիգոր Լուսաւորիչ, reformed: Գրիգոր Լուսավորիչ, ''Grigor Lusavorich'';, ''Gregorios Phoster'' or , ''Gregorios Photistes''; la, Gregorius Armeniae Illuminator, cu, Svyas ...

, and were often built on top of pagan temples, and imitated some aspects of Armenian pre-Christian architecture.

Periods in Armenian architecture

Classical and Medieval Armenian architecture is divided into four separate periods.

The formative period

The first Armenian churches were built between the 4th and 7th century, beginning when Armenia converted to Christianity, and ending with the Arab invasion of Armenia. The early churches were mostly simple

basilica In Ancient Roman architecture, a basilica is a large public building with multiple functions, typically built alongside the town's forum. The basilica was in the Latin West equivalent to a stoa in the Greek East. The building gave its nam ...

s, but some with side apses. By the 5th century the typical cupola cone in the center had become widely used. By the 7th century, centrally-planned churches had been built and a more complicated ''niched buttress'' and radiating ''Hrip'simé'' style had formed. By the time of the Arab invasion, most of what we now know as classical Armenian architecture had formed.

Bagratid revival

From the 9th to 11th century, Armenian architecture underwent a revival under the patronage of the Bagratid Dynasty with a great deal of building done in the area of

Lake Van Lake Van ( tr, Van Gölü; hy, Վանա լիճ, translit=Vana lič̣; ku, Gola Wanê) is the largest lake in Turkey. It lies in the far east of Turkey, in the provinces of Van and Bitlis in the Armenian highlands. It is a saline soda lake ...

, this included both traditional styles and new innovations. Ornately carved Armenian '' khachkars'' were developed during this time.Armenia, Past and Present; Elisabeth Bauer, Jacob Schmidheiny, Frederick Leist , 1981 Many new cities and churches were built during this time, including a new capital at Lake Van and a new Cathedral on Akdamar Island to match. The Cathedral of Ani was also completed during this dynasty. It was during this time that the first major monasteries, such as Haghpat and Haritchavank were built. This period was ended by the Seljuk invasion.

Monasteries flourish

From the 12th to 14th century under the Zakarid dynasty saw an explosion in the number of monasteries built, including Saghmosavank Monastery, the Akhtala monastery,

Kaymaklı Monastery Kaymaklı Monastery ( hye: Ամենափրկիչ Վանք ''Amenaprgič Vank'', meaning Monastery of the All-Saviour; tr, Kaymaklı Manastırı, Amenapırgiç Manastırı) is a ruined Armenian Apostolic monastery near Trabzon, Turkey. The monas ...

, Kecharis Monastery and

Makaravank Makaravank () is a 10th-13th century church complex near the Achajur village of Tavush Province, Armenia, located on the slope of Paitatap Mountain. Though the monastery is no longer used for services, the complex is well preserved. There are 4 ...

Monastery. Monasteries were institutes of learning, and much of medieval Armenian literature was written in this time period. The invasion of

Timur Timur ; chg, ''Aqsaq Temür'', 'Timur the Lame') or as ''Sahib-i-Qiran'' ( 'Lord of the Auspicious Conjunction'), his epithet. ( chg, ''Temür'', 'Iron'; 9 April 133617–19 February 1405), later Timūr Gurkānī ( chg, ''Temür Kü ...

lane and the destruction of Cilician Armenia ended architectural progression from another 250 years.

Seventeenth century

The last great period in classic Armenian construction was under the Iranian

Safavid Safavid Iran or Safavid Persia (), also referred to as the Safavid Empire, '. was one of the greatest Iranian empires after the 7th-century Muslim conquest of Persia, which was ruled from 1501 to 1736 by the Safavid dynasty. It is often conside ...

Shah Shah (; fa, شاه, , ) is a royal title that was historically used by the leading figures of Iranian monarchies.Yarshater, EhsaPersia or Iran, Persian or Farsi, ''Iranian Studies'', vol. XXII no. 1 (1989) It was also used by a variety of ...

s, under which a number of new churches were built, usually at existing holy sites such as

Etchmiadzin Vagharshapat ( hy, Վաղարշապատ ) is the 4th-largest city in Armenia and the most populous municipal community of Armavir Province, located about west of the capital Yerevan, and north of the closed Turkish-Armenian border. It is com ...

as well as in diaspora communities like New Julfa.

Nineteenth century

Armenian architecture experienced a huge stage of development during the 19th century, when the Russians entered Eastern Armenia. A number of architectural masterpieces were built in the Kumayri historic district of

Alexandropol Gyumri ( hy, Գյումրի, ) is an urban municipal community and the second-largest city in Armenia, serving as the administrative center of Shirak Province in the northwestern part of the country. By the end of the 19th century, when the city w ...

and Yerevan , as well in

Kars Kars (; ku, Qers; ) is a city in northeast Turkey and the capital of Kars Province. Its population is 73,836 in 2011. Kars was in the ancient region known as ''Chorzene'', (in Greek Χορζηνή) in classical historiography (Strabo), part of ...

, which is now a part of the

Republic of Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...

. The Armenian buildings of that time were mainly made of black

, therefore those buildings were mainly of black color.

Gallery of Armenian architecture of the 19th century

File:Gyumri Dzitoghtsyan museum.jpg File:Old Gyumri by Asbed.jpg File:Gyumri Old Town.jpg File:Old building of Yerevan State University2.jpg File:Building on Abovyan street.jpg File:Yerevan 1.1 Abovyan Street 01.jpg

Modern times

One of the most prolific architects of Armenian architectural monuments in the 20th century was

Baghdasar Arzoumanian Baghdasar Arzoumanian (1916 - 2001) ( hy, Բաղդասար Արզումանյան, also Bagdasar, Paghtasar, Paghtassar, Baghdik, Bagdik, Arzumanian, Arzoumanyan, Arzumanyan) was an Armenian architect and designer based in Yerevan, Armenia. He was ...

. Based in

Yerevan Yerevan ( , , hy, Երևան , sometimes spelled Erevan) is the capital and largest city of Armenia and one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Yerevan is the administrative, cultural, and i ...

Armenia Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia.The UNbr>classification of world regions places Armenia in Western Asia; the CIA World Factbook , , and ''O ...

, he was the author of an great number of civil and church buildings along with other designs. The legendary architects of the 20th century were Alexander Tamanyan, Rafael Israyelyan, G. Kochar, E. Tigranyan, S. Safaryan, etc. Today the masters of Armenian architecture are S.Gurzadyan, S. Kalashyan, L. Khristaforyan, R. Asratyan etc.

Devastation of Armenian architecture

As a result of Anti-Armenianism, relics of Armenia's past such as churches, cemeteries and khachkars in neighboring countries have been subject to devastation. In certain cases such as in Turkey or Azerbaijan, this had been as a result of national campaigns to eradicate traces of the Armenian people to thwart any potential claims by the

n state. The largest collection in the world was formerly to be found at the ruins of Old Jugha in Nakhichevan (today's

Azerbaijan Azerbaijan (, ; az, Azərbaycan ), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, , also sometimes officially called the Azerbaijan Republic is a transcontinental country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is a part of th ...

). Reports (see RFE/RL) and photographs from observers in Iranian territory emerged at the end of 2005 showing Azeri soldiers making deliberate attempts to destroy the gravestones. More recent photographs have revealed that the entire graveyard has been obliterated and a military training ground has been constructed on the site.Azerbaijan famous medieval cemetery vanishes
/ref>

Armenian architecture in the diaspora

The tumultuous past of Armenia over the last millennium has resulted in the formation of an extensive

Armenian Diaspora The Armenian diaspora refers to the communities of Armenians outside Armenia and other locations where Armenians are considered an indigenous population. Since antiquity, Armenians have established communities in many regions throughout the world. ...

in various corners of the globe. Armenian communities seeking to keep the traditions of their homeland, influenced the architectural vernacular of ''Armenian Quarters'' in cities such as Zamość and

Lviv Lviv ( uk, Львів) is the largest city in Western Ukraine, western Ukraine, and the List of cities in Ukraine, seventh-largest in Ukraine, with a population of . It serves as the administrative centre of Lviv Oblast and Lviv Raion, and is o ...

. This influence is most evident in the sacred architecture of churches built by the Armenian community, where designs based on historic landmarks such as the cathedrals of Ani, Zvartnots and

have been used as inspirational templates to construct these structures in their new surroundings. This tradition still continues into the present day as Armenian immigration has shifted away from the traditional areas of outmigration in Europe and the Middle East into

the Americas The Americas, which are sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North and South America. The Americas make up most of the land in Earth's Western Hemisphere and comprise the New World. Along with th ...

and

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...

. Khachkars have also become additional signifiers of Armenian identity and have been erected in recent year in cities such as

Wrocław Wrocław (; german: Breslau, or . ; Silesian German: ''Brassel'') is a city in southwestern Poland and the largest city in the historical region of Silesia. It lies on the banks of the River Oder in the Silesian Lowlands of Central Europe, r ...

Kraków Kraków (), or Cracow, is the second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula, Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city dates back to the seventh century. Kraków was the official capital of Poland un ...

Elbląg Elbląg (; german: Elbing, Old Prussian: ''Elbings'') is a city in the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, Poland, located in the eastern edge of the Żuławy region with 117,390 inhabitants, as of December 2021. It is the capital of Elbląg Count ...

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...

Novi Sad Novi Sad ( sr-Cyrl, Нови Сад, ; hu, Újvidék, ; german: Neusatz; see below for other names) is the second largest city in Serbia and the capital of the autonomous province of Vojvodina. It is located in the southern portion of the P ...

Serbia Serbia (, ; Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia ( Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin and the Balkans. It shares land borders with Hu ...

Beirut Beirut, french: Beyrouth is the capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, which makes it the third-largest city in the Levant region. The city is situated on a peninsula at the midpoint o ...

Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus lie ...

as well as in

Dearborn, Michigan Dearborn is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2020 census, it had a population of 109,976. Dearborn is the seventh most-populated city in Michigan and is home to the largest Muslim population in the United States per ...

. Many of these were also built as memorials by these local communities as memorials commemorating the

Armenian genocide The Armenian genocide was the systematic destruction of the Armenian people and identity in the Ottoman Empire during World War I. Spearheaded by the ruling Committee of Union and Progress (CUP), it was implemented primarily through t ...

20th century secular buildings in Armenia

File:Yerevan Opera House.jpg, Yerevan opera house by A. Tamanyan (1926–1939) File:Victory Bridge, Yerevan, 2009.jpg, The Victory Bridge on

Hrazdan River The Hrazdan ( hy, Հրազդան գետ, ) is a major river and the second largest in Armenia. It originates at the northwest extremity of Lake Sevan and flows south through the Kotayk Province and Armenia's capital, Yerevan; the lake in turn i ...

File:Armenian architectural characteristics, Mashtots Avenue building in Yerevan, 2009.jpg, Residential building with Armenian decoration in Yerevan File:2014 Erywań, Budynek Zgromadzenia Narodowego Republiki Armenii.jpg File:Matenadaranat night.jpg File:Moscow cinema house 0755 05.jpg File:Универмаг в Ереване.jpg File:View from the Cafesjian Center for the Arts.jpg

21st century buildings in Armenia

Gallery

Examples of Armenian religious architecture

Armenia

File:The Holy Trinity Church, Malatia-Sebastia district, Yerevan, Armenia.jpg, The ''Holy Trinity Church'' (2003) modeled after Zvartnots Cathedral, in the

Malatia-Sebastia Malatia-Sebastia ( hy, Մալաթիա-Սեբաստիա վարչական շրջան, ), also nicknamed colloquially as Bangladesh, is one of the 12 districts of Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, located in the western part of the city. As of the 20 ...

district of Yerevan File:Vanadzor-new-church.jpg, The ''Saint Gregory of Narek Cathedral'' (2005) in Vanadzor, Armenia

Azerbaijan and Artsakh

File:Gandzasar (Vanq) Church.JPG, 13th century Gandzasar monastery, near Vank village File:Klášterní komplex Dadivank - panoramio.jpg, 9th century

Dadivank Dadivank ( hy, Դադիվանք) or Khutavank ( hy, Խութավանք, translation=monastery on the hillЖеан-Паул Лабурдетьте, Доминикуе Аузиас, Армения, Petit Futé, 2007 – p. 203) is an Armenian Apo ...

monastery in

Karvachar Kalbajar ( az, Kəlbəcər , ) is a city and the capital of the Kalbajar District of Azerbaijan. Located on the Tartar river valley, it is away from the capital Baku. The city had a population of 7,246 before its capture by Armenian forces on 2 ...

File:Amaras-church.jpeg, 4th century Amaras Monastery near

Sos is a Morse code distress signal (), used internationally, that was originally established for maritime use. In formal notation is written with an overscore line, to indicate that the Morse code equivalents for the individual letters of "SOS" ...

village File:Տիգրանակերտ25.JPG, 7th century Vankasar Church near Tigranakert File:Dizapaytt.jpg, 4th century

Katarovank Katarovank ( hy, Կատարովանք; az, Qatərəvəng) is an Armenian Apostolic monastery in the Khojavend District of Azerbaijan, in the region of Nagorno-Karabakh. It is located close to the village of Hin Tagher (Köhnə Tağlar). The mon ...

close to

Hin Tagher ) and Katarovank, near Hin Tagher , image_size = 300px , pushpin_map = Azerbaijan#Republic of Artsakh , pushpin_mapsize = 300 , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_nam ...

village File:Армянская церковь в Баку. Охраняется государством. - panoramio.jpg, 19th century Saint Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral in

Baku Baku (, ; az, Bakı ) is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. Baku is located below sea level, which makes it the lowest lying national capital in the world an ...

File:-Շուշիի Ղազանչեցոց եկեղեցին 2.jpg, Ghazanchetsots Cathedral,

Shushi / hy, Շուշի , settlement_type = City , image_skyline = ShushaCollection2021.jpg , image_caption = Landmarks of Shusha, from top left:Ghazanchetsots Cathedral • Yukhari Govha ...

File:Kanach Zham2018-13.jpg,

Kanach Zham Saint John the Baptist Church (), commonly known as Kanach Zham ( hy, Կանաչ Ժամ) is an Armenian Apostolic church in Shusha (known to Armenians as ''Shushi'') in Azerbaijan, in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh, located just uphill ...

Shushi / hy, Շուշի , settlement_type = City , image_skyline = ShushaCollection2021.jpg , image_caption = Landmarks of Shusha, from top left:Ghazanchetsots Cathedral • Yukhari Govha ...

File:...Ծիծեռնավանք.jpg, Tsitsernavank, near Tsitsernavank village File:Yeritzmankantz-Monastery.jpg,

Yerits Mankants Monastery Yerits Mankants Monastery ( hy, Երից Մանկանց Վանք, lit= Three Youths Monastery) is a 17th-century Armenian monastery ''de facto'' in the Martakert Province of the breakaway Republic of Artsakh, ''de jure'' in the Tartar District ...

, near Jraberd File:Tsakuri "Holy Mother of God" church, XII c.jpg, 12th century Holy Mother of God Church,

Tsakuri Tsakuri ( hy, Ծակուռի) or Hunarli ( az, Hünərli, previously ) is a village in the Khojavend District of Azerbaijan, in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh. The village had an ethnic Armenian-majority population prior to the 2020 Nagor ...

, Artsakh

Iran

File:Iran - Aras - St. Stepanos Monastry - panoramio.jpg,

Saint Stepanos Monastery The Saint Stepanos Monastery ( hy, Սուրբ Ստեփանոս վանք, ; fa, کلیسای سن استپانوس, ), also known in Armenian as Maghardavank (), is an Armenian monastery located about 15 km northwest of the city of Julfa in ...

near Julfa File:Armenian Monastery of Saint Thaddeus - closeup.jpg,

Saint Thaddeus Monastery The Monastery of Saint Thaddeus (, ''Surb Tadeosi vank''; fa, کلیسای تادئوس مقدس, ''Kelisā-ye Tādeus moghadas'') is an ancient Armenian monastery in the mountainous area of West Azerbaijan Province, Iran. It is believed to be ...

near Julfa File:Holly Serkis (tehran).jpg, ''Saint Sarkis Church'' (1970) in

Tehran Tehran (; fa, تهران ) is the largest city in Tehran Province and the capital of Iran. With a population of around 9 million in the city and around 16 million in the larger metropolitan area of Greater Tehran, Tehran is the most popul ...

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...

Turkey

File:Khtzkonk-monastery.jpg,

Khtzkonk Monastery Khtzkonk Monastery ( hy, Խծկոնք, also transcribed as Khtskonk and Xc'konk'; tr, Beşkilise) was a monastic ensemble of five Armenian churches built between the seventh and thirteenth centuries in what was then the Armenian Bagratid kingdo ...

Middle East

File:St Elie - St Gregory Armenian Catholic Cathedral.jpg, ''Saint Gregory the Illuminator – Saint Elie (Eghishe) Armenian Catholic Cathedral'' (1909) in downtown

File:Antelias - Armeni.jpg, The ''Holy Mother of God Cathedral'' (1940) at the Catholicossate of the Great House of Cilicia in

Antelias Antelias ( ar, أنطلياس) is a city in Lebanon in the Matn District of the Mount Lebanon Governorate. It is located around 5 km to the north of Beirut. Etymology The name is originally Greek, ἀντήλιος – from ἀντί(an ...

, Lebanon File:Sourp Nshan Church in downtown Beirut.JPG, ''Holy Cross Church'' (Sourp Nshan) in downtown Beirut, Lebanon, adjacent to the Grand Serail File:Sourp Asdvadzadzin Church in Bikfaya.JPG, ''Holy Mother of God Church'' (Sourp Asdvadzadzin) at the Armenian Seminary in Bikfaya, Lebanon File:Armenian Church of the Holy Mother of God, Aleppo, 2010 (1).jpg, Holy Mother of God Armenian Apostolic church,

Aleppo )), is an adjective which means "white-colored mixed with black". , motto = , image_map = , mapsize = , map_caption = , image_map1 = ...

File:Forty Martyrs Cathedral of Aleppo, the belfry.jpg, The belfry of the Forty Martyrs Armenian Cathedral of Aleppo erected in 1912 File:Armenian Genocide Memorial in Der Zor, Syria.jpg, Armenian Genocide Memorial Church in Deir ez-Zor,

Syria Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...

File:Armenian orthodox patriarchate in cairo- khazarian.jp
''St. Gregory The Illuminator Armenian Apostolic Church''
(1928) in

Cairo Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world and the Middle East: The Greater Cairo metr ...

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning the North Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via a land bridg ...

File:The Armenian Orthodox Patriarchate and St. Gregory The Illuminator Armenian Apostolic Church in Cairo.jpg, Interior of ''St. Gregory The Illuminator Church'' of Cairo File:Սբ. Կարապետ եկեղեցին Հորդանանում.jpg, Saint John the Baptist Armenian church on

Jordan River The Jordan River or River Jordan ( ar, نَهْر الْأُرْدُنّ, ''Nahr al-ʾUrdunn'', he, נְהַר הַיַּרְדֵּן, ''Nəhar hayYardēn''; syc, ܢܗܪܐ ܕܝܘܪܕܢܢ ''Nahrāʾ Yurdnan''), also known as ''Nahr Al-Shariea ...

, Al-Maghtas,

Jordan Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...

North America

File:The Holy Trinity Armenian Apostolic Church in Fresno, California.jpg, ''Holy Trinity Armenian Apostolic Church'' (1914) in Fresno,

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

File:Saint Paul Armenian Church in Fresno, California.jpg, ''Saint Paul Armenian Church'' (1979) in Fresno, California File:Saint Gregory the Illuminator Armenian Catholic Church in Glendale , California (2001) crop.JPG, The ''Saint Gregory the Illuminator Armenian Catholic Church'' (2001) in

Glendale Glendale is the anglicised version of the Gaelic Gleann Dail, which means ''valley of fertile, low-lying arable land''. It may refer to: Places Australia *Glendale, New South Wales ** Stockland Glendale, a shopping centre * Glendale, Queensland, ...

, California File:St. Stepanos Armenian Church - Elberon, NJ.jp
''Saint Stepanos Armenian Church''
(1986) in Elberon,

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delawa ...

File:StGregoryMerguerian.jpg, ''St Gregory Armenian Church'' in

Springfield, Massachusetts Springfield is a city in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, United States, and the seat of Hampden County. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers: the western Westfield River, th ...

,USA File:Saint Mary Armenian Church in Toronto, Canada.jpg,

St. Mary Armenian Apostolic Church Established in 1983, St. Mary Armenian Apostolic Church is at church in Toronto, Ontario, Canada in the district of North York. It belongs to the Holy See of Cilicia The Armenian Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia ( hy, Կաթողի ...

, Toronto (1983) in

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...

, Ontario,

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by to ...

Russia

File:Սբ. Պայծառակերպության եկեղեցին և Սբ. Խաչ մատուռը Մոսկվայում.JPG, Holy Transfiguration Cathedral, Moscow

References

Bibliography

External links

Armenian Historical Monuments
presented by the Research on Armenian Architecture organization
Arts of Armenia:Architecture
a chapter in a book by Dickran Kouymjian of Cal State University, Fresno
Index of Armenian Art: Armenian Architecture
a listing and details of Armenian architecture grouped by classification

Armenian Architecture Collection
of the Rensselaer Digital Collections, part of

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute () (RPI) is a private research university in Troy, New York, with an additional campus in Hartford, Connecticut. A third campus in Groton, Connecticut closed in 2018. RPI was established in 1824 by Stephen Van ...

(includes monasteries in Western Armenia)
Armenian Architecture in Turkey
an

Armenian Architectures and Its Protection in Turkey

Cilician Armenian Architecture
{{authority control Architecture in Armenia Church architecture Christian architecture