Arakelots Monastery (, ''Mšo Surb Arakelots vank' '', "Holy Apostles Monastery of Mush") was an

Armenian Armenian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia * Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent ** Armenian diaspora, Armenian communities around the ...

monastery in the historic province of Taron, 11 km south-east of Mush (Muş), in present-day eastern

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

. According to tradition,

Gregory the Illuminator Gregory the Illuminator ( – ) was the founder and first official Catholicos of All Armenians, head of the Armenian Apostolic Church. He Christianization of Armenia, converted Armenia from Zoroastrianism in Armenia, Zoroastrianism to Chris ...

founded the monastery to house relics of several

apostles An apostle (), in its literal sense, is an emissary. The word is derived from Ancient Greek ἀπόστολος (''apóstolos''), literally "one who is sent off", itself derived from the verb ἀποστέλλειν (''apostéllein''), "to se ...

. The monastery was, however, most likely built in the 11th century. During the 12th-13th centuries it was a major center of learning. In the following centuries it was expanded, destroyed and renovated. It remained one of the prominent monasteries of Turkish (Western) Armenia until the

Armenian genocide The Armenian genocide was the systematic destruction of the Armenians, 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 t ...

of 1915, when it was attacked and subsequently abandoned. It remained standing until the 1960s when it was reportedly blown up. Today, ruins of the monastery are still visible.

Names

The monastery was most commonly known as Arakelots, however, it was also referred to as Ghazaru vank (Ղազարու վանք; "Monastery of

Lazarus Lazarus may refer to: People *Lazarus (name), a surname and a given name * Lazarus of Bethany, a Biblical figure described as being raised from the dead by Jesus * Lazarus, a Biblical figure from the parable of the Rich man and Lazarus * Lazar ...

"), after its first abbot Yeghiazar (Eleazar). It was also sometimes known as Gladzori vank (Գլաձորի վանք), originating from the nearby gorge called Gayli dzor (Գայլի ձոր, "Wolf's gorge"). Official Turkish sources refer to it as Arak Manastırı, a Turkified version of its Armenian name. Turkish sources and travel guides generally omit the fact that it was an Armenian monastery.

History

According to "a late medieval tradition", the monastery was founded in the early 4th century (in 312 AD according to one author) by

to house various relics of

he transferred from Rome. "Those relics (which included the left arms of

Saint Peter Saint Peter (born Shimon Bar Yonah; 1 BC – AD 64/68), also known as Peter the Apostle, Simon Peter, Simeon, Simon, or Cephas, was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus and one of the first leaders of the Jewish Christian#Jerusalem ekklēsia, e ...

and

Saint Paul Paul, also named Saul of Tarsus, commonly known as Paul the Apostle and Saint Paul, was a Christian apostle ( AD) who spread the teachings of Jesus in the first-century world. For his contributions towards the New Testament, he is generally ...

and right arm of the

apostle Andrew Andrew the Apostle ( ; ; ; ) was an apostle of Jesus. According to the New Testament, he was a fisherman and one of the Twelve Apostles chosen by Jesus. The title First-Called () used by the Eastern Orthodox Church stems from the Gospel of Jo ...

) account for the monastery's name." According to

Christina Maranci Christina Maranci (born 1968) is an Armenian-American researcher, writer, translator, historian, and professor at currently serving as the Mashtots Professor of Armenian Studies at Harvard University. She is considered an expert on the history an ...

, evidence shows that the monastery was constructed in the latter half of the 11th century during the rule of the Tornikians—a branch of

Mamikonian Mamikonian or Mamikonean () was an Armenian aristocratic dynasty which dominated Armenia between the 4th and 8th centuries—through the late antique kingdom, Sasanian, Byzantine, and Arab dominations. They were the most notable noble house in ...

s—who ruled Taron between 1054 and 1207. She writes that it is this era "which most scholars date the earliest portion of the structure." According to an inscription on a khachkar, it was renovated in 1125. In the east side of the monastery there were nine 11th century

khachkar A ''khachkar'' (also spelled as ''khatchkar'') or Armenian cross-stone (, , խաչ ''xačʿ'' "cross" + քար ''kʿar'' "stone") is a carved, memorial stele bearing a cross, and often with additional motifs such as rosette (design), rosettes ...

s with inscriptions. In the following centuries it became a prominent educational center. The monastery school was active in 11th-12th centuries under chronicler and teacher Poghos Taronetsi, although it is known that translations were being made at the school since the 5th century. It flourished in 1271–81 under Nerses Mshetsi, who later moved to Syunik and established the

University of Gladzor University of Gladzor () was a medieval Armenian university, one of the two "great centres of learning" along with the University of Tatev () that were "essentially of a single tradition." It was established around 1280 by Nerses of Mush, a st ...

in 1280. Between the 13th and 16th centuries, various Turco-Mongol dynasties ruled Taron. In the 14th century it was destroyed by

Tamerlane Timur, also known as Tamerlane (1320s17/18 February 1405), was a Turco-Mongol tradition, Turco-Mongol conqueror who founded the Timurid Empire in and around modern-day Afghanistan, Iran, and Central Asia, becoming the first ruler of the Timuri ...

's invasions. The Ottoman Empire annexed the region in the mid-16th century. A wall was built around the monastery in 1791. In November 1901 a

skirmish Skirmishers are light infantry or light cavalry soldiers deployed as a vanguard, flank guard or rearguard to Screening (tactical), screen a tactical position or a larger body of friendly troops from enemy advances. They may be deployed in a sk ...

between Armenian ''fedayi'' (irregulars) and the Ottoman forces took place in and around the monastery. According to

Jean-Michel Thierry Jean-Michel Thierry de Crussol (1916–2011) was a French physician and art historian. His specialities are in Byzantine and Armenian art. He was born on 13 August 1916 in Bagnères de Luchon, France. He studied and got his education in Paris. He ...

, "the main church and chapels were still in a reasonably good state in 1960. Soon thereafter, however, they were reportedly dynamited by an official from Mush."

Structure

The ensemble consists of a main church with two chapels, a

narthex The narthex is an architectural element typical of Early Christian art and architecture, early Christian and Byzantine architecture, Byzantine basilicas and Church architecture, churches consisting of the entrance or Vestibule (architecture), ve ...

(''

zhamatun A ''gavit'' (; gawit’) or ''zhamatun'' (Armenian: ) is a congressional room or mausoleum added to the entrance of a church, and therefore often contiguous to its west side, in a Medieval Armenian monastery. It served as narthex (entrance to the ...

''), and a bell tower. ;Within monastery walls The St. Arakelots Church—the monastery's main church—was built in the 11th century. "It consists of an inscribed

quatrefoil A quatrefoil (anciently caterfoil) is a decorative element consisting of a symmetrical shape which forms the overall outline of four partially overlapping circles of the same diameter. It is found in art, architecture, heraldry and traditional ...

masked on the exterior by a massive rectangle. Barrel vaults top each of the four arms of the interior, as well as the corner chapels, which are two-storied at both east and west. A dome on squinches, now collapsed, once rested on an octagonal drum above the structure's central bay. Interior decoration included wall painting, and in the apse one can still discern human figures, most likely representing apostles." It had only one door, on the western side. The church was constructed of brick and mortar. The church was renovated in 1614. Its floor plan was cross-shaped, it had a rectangular shape in the outside. The dome, restored in 1663, was an octagon in the outside. A rectangular

gavit A ''gavit'' (; gawit’) or ''zhamatun'' (Armenian: ) is a congressional room or mausoleum added to the entrance of a church, and therefore often contiguous to its west side, in a Medieval Armenian monastery. It served as narthex (entrance to the ...

(narthex) was built in 1555 by abbot Karapet Baghishetsi. To the west there was a three-storey bell tower with eight columned

rotunda A rotunda () is any roofed building with a circular ground plan, and sometimes covered by a dome. It may also refer to a round room within a building (an example being the one below the dome of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C.). ...

built by Ter Ohannes

vardapet A ''vardapet'' (, Eastern Armenian: ; Western Armenian: ''vartabed'', ) is a title given to highly educated hieromonks in the Armenian Apostolic Church. It has been variously translated as 'doctor', 'doctor-monk', 'archimandrite', or 'doctor of ...

in 1791. (It has been suggested that a bell tower probably existed earlier than that and was destroyed.) Its lowest floor survives. On the foundations of a 14th-century church, the St. Stepanos (Stephen) chapel was built south of the main church in 1663. "Composed of a single aisle terminating in an apse", it is now half-buried in rubble. On the northern side, only ruins of the St. Gevorg (George) chapel could have been found. ;St. Thaddeus Church The St. Tadevos (Thaddeus), though not within the monastery walls, was located some 300 meters northeast. Dated to the 13-14th centuries by

, it was well preserved. On the exterior, it was well-polished tufa; on the inside bricks.

Cultural heritage

The wooden door

The wooden door of the Arakelots Church is considered a masterpiece and one of the finest pieces of medieval Armenian art. It was created in 1134 by Grigor and Ghukas. It depicts non-religious, historic scenes. The front side probably shows a prince as he has a

scepter A sceptre (or scepter in American English) is a staff or wand held in the hand by a ruling monarch as an item of royal or imperial insignia, signifying sovereign authority. Antiquity Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia The '' Was'' and other ...

on his right hand. During World War I, German archaeologists reportedly transferred it to

Bitlis Bitlis ( or ; ) is a city in southeastern Turkey. It is the seat of Bitlis District and Bitlis Province. In the winter of 1921–22

Ashkharbek Kalantar Ashkharbek Kalantar (; February 11, 1884 – June 1942) was an Armenian archaeologist and historian who played an important role in the founding of archaeology in Armenia. Born into the Armenian noble families of Loris-Melikov and Arghutians, ...

moved it to Yerevan's newly founded

History Museum of Armenia The History Museum of Armenia () is a museum in Armenia with departments of Archaeology, Numismatics, Ethnography, Modern History and Restoration. It has a national collection of 400,000 objects and was founded in 1920. Of the main collection, 35% ...

Manuscripts

Many manuscripts were preserved in the monastery. Notably, a manuscript named ''Homiliarium'' (Ms. 7729, commonly known as the "Mush Homiliarium", «Մշո ճառընտիր» ''Mšo Č̣aṙəntir''), the largest known Armenian manuscript. It was not created in the Arakelots Monastery, but rather in the Avag Monastery near Yerznka (Erzincan) between 1200 and 1202; written by the

scribe A scribe is a person who serves as a professional copyist, especially one who made copies of manuscripts before the invention of Printing press, automatic printing. The work of scribes can involve copying manuscripts and other texts as well as ...

Vardan Karnetsi, and illuminated by Stepanos. Written on

vellum Vellum is prepared animal skin or membrane, typically used as writing material. It is often distinguished from parchment, either by being made from calfskin (rather than the skin of other animals), or simply by being of a higher quality. Vellu ...

, it now has 601 pages and weighs 28 kilograms. It originally had 660 pages, 17 of which are now in Venice and one in Vienna. Two pages were transferred to Yerevan from the Moscow Lenin Library in 1977 which were separated in 1918. In 1202 it was robbed by a non-Armenian judge who sold it to the Arakelots Monastery in 1204 for four thousand silver coins collected by locals. It was kept there from its acquisition in 1205 until 1915. During the genocide it was taken to

Tbilisi Tbilisi ( ; ka, თბილისი, ), in some languages still known by its pre-1936 name Tiflis ( ), ( ka, ტფილისი, tr ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Georgia (country), largest city of Georgia ( ...

in two separate parts and later transferred to Yerevan. It is now preserved at the

Matenadaran The Matenadaran (), officially the Mesrop Mashtots Institute of Ancient Manuscripts, is a museum, repository of manuscripts, and a research institute in Yerevan, Armenia. It is the world's largest repository of Armenian manuscripts. It was establ ...

Burials

Historian

Movses Khorenatsi Movses Khorenatsi ( 410–490s AD; , ) was a prominent Armenians, Armenian historian from late antiquity and the author of the ''History of Armenia (book), History of the Armenians''. Movses's ''History of the Armenians'' was the first attempt at ...

and philosopher

David the Invincible David the Invincible or David the Philosopher was a neoplatonist philosopher of the 6th century. David was a pupil of Olympiodorus in Alexandria. His works, originally written in Greek, survive in medieval Armenian translation, and he was giv ...

are believed to have been buried in the monastery courtyard.

References

Bibliography

* * * {{Armenian Churches, state=expanded Culture of Armenia Destroyed Armenian monasteries in Turkey Buildings and structures in Muş Province 11th-century Eastern Orthodox church buildings Buildings and structures demolished in the 1960s Christian monasteries in Turkey