Sanahin

Sanahin () is a village in the northern province of Lori in Armenia, now considered part of the city of Alaverdi (a cable car connects it with Alaverdi). The village is notable for its Sanahin Monastery complex, founded in the 10th century and listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, along with the monastery in nearby Haghpat.

Notable people

Sanahin was also the birthplace of the two well-known Mikoyan brothers.Rediscovering Armenia Artem Mikoyan was a well-known airplane constructor, and one of the "fathers" of MiG. Anastas Mikoyan was the politician with the longest career of any member of the Soviet Politburo. He was involved in negotiating the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact, was a member of the Soviet delegation trying to improve relations with Josip Broz Tito's Yugoslavia, and played a major role in the Cuban Missile Crisis negotiations. A fraction of visitors to the monastery also stop at the small nearby Mikoyan museum in the former school, run by Mikoyans' relatives.

Gallery

File:Sanahin-St Gregory.jpg, St. Gregory chapel
File:Monasterio de Sanahin, Armenia, 2016-09-30, DD 37.jpg, The monastery's library
File:Monasterio de Sanahin, Armenia, 2016-09-30, DD 52-54 HDR.jpg, Exterior view
File:Monasterio de Sanahin, Armenia, 2016-09-30, DD 47-49 HDR.jpg, Monastery interior
File:Sanahin12.jpg, Sanahin monastery
File:Sanahin13.jpg, Entrance to the monastery
File:Sanahin - Detail.jpg, Khatchkar detail at the monastery
File:Sanahin14.jpg, Sanahin church

History

The first church of the monastery, Surb Astvatsatsin, was built in the 30s and 40s of the 10th century (during the reign of King Abbas I Bagratuni). In 966, King Ashot III the Merciful and Queen Khosrovanuysh built the Church of the Holy Savior, their sons Kyurike (Gurgen) for the work of Smbat founded a congregation, a high school, invited clergymen, scholars, and writers. The founding abbot was Polycarp, who was succeeded by the scholar Hovhannes.

In 979, by the decree of King Smbat II, the monastery complex of Sanahin became the seat of the newly formed bishop of the Kyurikian kingdom (until the middle of the 11th century), Isaiah was ordained diocese of Tashir. Dioscoros Sanahnetsi (1039-1063), proclaimed a "great orator", was one of the patriarchs. During his time, the library and the chapel of St. Gregory were built, the caring school became a large educational center, the library was enriched, many manuscripts were written and flourished. It was studied, taught and created by scholarly monks Anania Sanahnetsi and Hakobos Karapnetsi. In addition to theology, the school taught philosophy, rhetoric, music, medicine, calendars, and other sciences. According to the legend, Grigor Magistros Pahlavuni taught at the school. Therefore, the hall built between Surb Astvatsatsin and the church of Surb Amenaprkich was called "Magistros Seminary".

During the Seljuk invasions and their rule, which began in the second half of the 11th century, as well as after the fall of the Kyurik kingdom (1113), the Sanahin monastery experienced a bad period. At the end of the 12th century, becoming a part of the Zakarid (Zakaryan) princes as part of the Tashirk province, the monastery restored its role in the care and scientific and cultural life of the country. Large-scale construction works were carried out in that period. From the 80s of the 12th century to the 30s of the 13th century the vestibules of the Holy Savior and Surb Astvatsatsin churches were built, the bell tower, the bookstore, the guest house (not preserved), the Zakarid family tomb, the high art of Grigor Tuteord and Sargis were erected khachkars, the Church of the Holy Savior was renovated. At the end of the 12th century, the famous Sanahin bridge was built on the Debed river, through which the road leading to the monastery passes, and a spring in the village.

In the 12th-13th centuries, the fathers Grigor Tuteord (which means san of Tute), Hovhannes Khachents (teacher of Zakare and Ivane Zakaryan princes), Vardan were famous in Sanahin monastery. The abbot Grigor Rabunapet (Grigor son of Abbas, he was the abbot of Sanahin monastery from 1214) had a great reputation, whose book "Because of the broad and delicate writings on the question of the saints" also served as a textbook. Rabbi Grigor donated 13 manuscripts to the monastery, wrote other works. The normal activity of the monastery was interrupted again during the Mongol invasions starting from the 1230s and during their rule. At the beginning of the 14th century it weakened ին at the end of the century the ruling house of the Zakaryans was torn apart, and the village of Sanahin with its surroundings and monastery became the property of the Arghutyan-Yerkaynabazuk (Arghutyan "the Long Arms"; until the beginning of the 20th century).

In the 14th-15th centuries, the art of writing experienced a new rise in the Sanahin monastery (35 of the manuscripts written there are kept in the Matenadaran). The most memorable is the "Kotuk" of Sanahin (manuscript No. 3032), which contains the chronology of the monastery, valuable information about the history of the congregation.

In the middle of the 17th century, during the leadership of Archbishop Sargis Arghutyan, the main structures of the monastery, which were damaged by earthquakes, were significantly renovated. In 1831, Archbishop Harutyun Ter-Barseghyants, the tribal leader of the monastery, built a single spring near the northern wall (his verse inscription has been preserved on the front), decoded the inscriptions and repaired the structures. At the beginning of the 20th century, the activity of the monastery stopped.

During the Soviet rule, Sanahin Monastery, as a historical and cultural monument, was under state protection, and structures were strengthened and restored. In 1998, by the decision of the Government of Armenia, it was handed over to the administration of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.

References

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{{commons category, Sanahin
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Populated places in Lori Province