The Diocese of Artsakh ( hy, Արցախի թեմ, Artsakhi t'em) is one of the largest

diocese In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associa ...

s of the

Armenian Apostolic Church , native_name_lang = hy , icon = Armenian Apostolic Church logo.svg , icon_width = 100px , icon_alt = , image = Էջմիածնի_Մայր_Տաճար.jpg , imagewidth = 250px , a ...

covering the self-proclaimed

Republic of Artsakh Artsakh, officially the Republic of Artsakh () or the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (),, is a breakaway state in the South Caucasus whose territory is internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan. Artsakh controls a part of the former ...

. It is named after the historic province of Artsakh; the 10th province of the Kingdom of Armenia. The diocesan headquarters are located on Ghazanchetots street 72, in the town of Shushi. The seat of the bishop is the

Ghazanchetsots Cathedral Holy Savior Cathedral ( hy, Սուրբ Ամենափրկիչ մայր տաճար, ''Surb Amenap′rkich mayr tachar''), commonly referred to as Ghazanchetsots ( hy, Ղազանչեցոց),), ''Kazanchetsots'' (russian: Казанчецоц). In A ...

. On 21 January 2022, Vrtanes Abrahamyan was appointed Primate of the Diocese.

History

The diocese was established in 1989. Since its creation, archbishop Pargev Martirosyan (Պարգև արքեպիսկոպոս Մարտիրոսյան) has served as its primate. All churches in Nagorno-Karabakh were closed in the 1930s by the Soviet government. The totalitarian regime was relatively relaxed by Mikhail Gorbachev. A mass movement for the unification of

Nagorno-Karabakh Nagorno-Karabakh ( ) is a landlocked region in the South Caucasus, within the mountainous range of Karabakh, lying between Lower Karabakh and Syunik, and covering the southeastern range of the Lesser Caucasus mountains. The region is m ...

with

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 ' ...

started in February 1988. With Armenian national identity in rise in the Soviet Union, the Diocese of Artsakh was established in 1989. The 13th century Gandzasar monastery was the first one to be reopened. It remains the historic center of the Diocese of Artsakh, while the

is the administrative center of the diocese. The construction of the Holy Mother of God Cathedral in Stepanakert was launched on July 19, 2006. The cost of the project is around US$2 million and the architect of the church is Gagik Yeranosyan. However, the construction process was slow due to the lack of financial resources. Upon its consecration, it will become the seat of the Diocese of Artsakh.

Active churches

Here is the list of churches, monasteries and chapels functioning under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Artsakh, along with their location and year of consecration:

Churches

* Vankasar Church, near Martakert, 7th century * Holy Resurrection Church, Hadrut, 1621 * Saint John the Baptist Church (Kanach Zham),

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

, 1818 * Saint John the Baptist Church, Martakert, 1881 * Ghazanchetsots Holy Savior Cathedral, Shusha, 1888 * Church of the Holy Ascension,

Lachin Lachin ( az, Laçın, , ; hy, Բերձոր, translit=Berdzor; ku, Laçîn) is a town in Azerbaijan and the administrative center of the Lachin District. It is located within the strategic Lachin corridor, which links the disputed region of N ...

, 1998 * Church of the Holy Martyrs, Zabux, 2002 * Church of the Holy Mother of God, Askeran, 2002 * Church of St. Nerses the Great, Martuni, 2004 * Surp Sarkis Church, Qızılqaya, 2005 * Surp Sarkis Church, Yeghtsahogh, 2006 * Saint James' Church, Stepanakert, 2007 * Saint Anthony Church, Zəylik, 2009 * Saint George's Church, Mets Shen, 2011 * Church of the Holy Mother of God, Vaghuhas, 2012 * Saint George's Church, Aşağı Oratağ, 2012 * Saint John the Baptist Church, Daşbaşı, 2013 File:Տիգրանակերտ25.JPG, Vankasar Church, near Martakert, 7th century File:Hadrout011.JPG, Holly Resurrection Church, Hadrut, 1621 File:Shushi-kanach-jam.jpeg, Saint John the Baptist Church (Kanach Zham), Shusha, 1818 File:Martakert055.JPG, Saint John the Baptist Church, Martakert, 1881 File:Ghazanchetsots Cathedral from Shushi Hotel 2014.3.jpg, Ghazanchetsots Holy Savior Cathedral, Shusha, 1888 File:Askeran037.JPG, Church of the Holy Mother of God, Askeran, 2002 File:Martuni003.JPG, Church of St. Nerses the Great, Martuni, 2004 File:Новая церковь, Степанакерт - panoramio (1).jpg, Saint James' Church, Stepanakert, 2007

Monasteries

Amaras Monastery Amaras Monastery ( hy, Ամարաս վանք) is an Armenian monastery near the village of Sos, ''de facto'' in the Martuni Province of the Republic of Artsakh, ''de jure'' in the Khojavend District of Azerbaijan, in the disputed region of Nago ...

, Sos, 4th century * Tsitsernavank Monastery,

Tsitsernavank Tsitsernavank ( hy, Ծիծեռնավանք) is a fifth-to-sixth century Armenian Apostolic monastery in the Lachin District of Azerbaijan. The monastery is within five kilometers of the border of Armenia's province of Syunik, in an area historical ...

, 5-6th centuries * Gandzasar monastery, Vank, 10-13th centuries File:Amaras 18.JPG, Amaras Monastery, Sos, 4th century File:...Ծիծեռնավանք.jpg, Tsitsernavank Monastery, Tsitsernavank, 5-6th centuries File:Gandzasar Monastery3.jpg, Gandzasar monastery, Vank, 10-13th centuries

Inactive/ruined churches and monasteries

This is an incomplete list of inactive or ruined churches and monasteries in the territory regulated by the Diocese of Artsakh: * Katarovank Monastery, Hadrut Region, 4th century * Yeghishe Arakyal Monastery,

Martakert Region Martakert Province ( hy, Մարտակերտ) is a province of the Republic of Artsakh, ''de jure'' part of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The population is mainly Armenian. The province has 43 communities of which one is considered urban and 42 a ...

, 5th century * Dadivank Monastery, Shahumyan Region, 9-13th centuries * Gtichavank Monastery, Togh, 1248 * Monastery of Tsar,

Tsar Tsar ( or ), also spelled ''czar'', ''tzar'', or ''csar'', is a title used by East and South Slavic monarchs. The term is derived from the Latin word ''caesar'', which was intended to mean "emperor" in the European medieval sense of the ter ...

, 1301 * Yerits Mankants Monastery, Martakert Region, 1691 File:Dizapaytt.jpg, Katarovank Monastery, Hadrut Region, 4th century File:Yeghishe Arakyal Monastery - Եղիշե առաքյալի վանք.JPG, Yeghishe Arakyal Monastery, Martakert Region, 5th century File:Дадиванк.jpg, Dadivank Monastery, Shahumyan Region, 9-13th centuries File:Gtichavank.jpg, Gtichavank Monastery, Togh, 1248 File:Yerits Mankants 7.jpg, Yerits Mankants Monastery, Martakert Region, 1691

Gallery

File:Pargev Martirosyan 2.JPG, Archbishop Pargev Martirosyan

External links

Churches of Artsakh after independence

References

{{Dioceses of the Armenian Apostolic Church * Armenian Apostolic Church in the Republic of Artsakh Artsakh Artsakh Artsakh Religious organisations based in the Republic of Artsakh