Areni Church
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Surb Astvatsatsin of Areni (; meaning the "Holy Mother of God Church"; also Areni Church ) is a single-
nave The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...
two-aisled domed church completed in the year 1321. It is located atop a
plateau In geology and physical geography, a plateau (; ; : plateaus or plateaux), also called a high plain or a tableland, is an area of a highland consisting of flat terrain that is raised sharply above the surrounding area on at least one side. ...
overlooking the Arpa River and the village of
Areni Areni () is a village and the center of the Areni Municipality of the Vayots Dzor Province in Armenia. Areni is best known for its wine production, with the majority of wine produced locally from the nearby village of Getap, Vayots Dzor, Getap. ...
in the
Vayots Dzor Province Vayots Dzor (, ) is a province (''marz'') of Armenia. It lies at the southeastern end of the country, bordering the Nakhchivan exclave of Azerbaijan to the west and the Kalbajar District of Azerbaijan to the east. It covers an area of . With a ...
of
Armenia Armenia, officially the Republic of Armenia, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of West Asia. It is a part of the Caucasus region and is bordered by Turkey to the west, Georgia (country), Georgia to the north and Azerbaijan to ...
.


Architecture

S. Astvatsatsin is a domed-hall type church with a single
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 ...
and a
conical In geometry, a cone is a three-dimensional figure that tapers smoothly from a flat base (typically a circle) to a point not contained in the base, called the ''apex'' or '' vertex''. A cone is formed by a set of line segments, half-lines, ...
umbrella type
dome A dome () is an architectural element similar to the hollow upper half of a sphere. There is significant overlap with the term cupola, which may also refer to a dome or a structure on top of a dome. The precise definition of a dome has been a m ...
resting above. Two portals lead into the structure from the south and west. An effigy of the
Virgin Mary Mary was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Joseph and the mother of Jesus. She is an important figure of Christianity, venerated under titles of Mary, mother of Jesus, various titles such as Perpetual virginity ...
is carved upon the tympanum in high-relief above the
lintel A lintel or lintol is a type of beam (a horizontal structural element) that spans openings such as portals, doors, windows and fireplaces. It can be a decorative architectural element, or a combined ornamented/structural item. In the case ...
of the west portal. This carving and many others that may be found on the church are considered to be masterpieces of artwork done by Momik Vardpet, who according to inscriptions was also the architect for the church. He is best known for his high-relief carvings at the monastery of Noravank, located approximately 6 kilometers southeast from Areni. Upon the tympanum above the lintel of the southern portal are the carvings of crosses. In the center of the church interior, arched
pendentive In architecture, a pendentive is a constructional device permitting the placing of a circular dome over a square room or of an elliptical dome over a rectangular room. The pendentives, which are triangular segments of a sphere, taper to point ...
s support the drum and dome above. High-relief carvings of mythical creatures adorn each of the four stone panels between the pendentives and base of the drum. Small vertical windows around the drum as well as small windows at each of the four façades let light into the main floor below. A semi-circular
apse In architecture, an apse (: apses; from Latin , 'arch, vault'; from Ancient Greek , , 'arch'; sometimes written apsis; : apsides) is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical Vault (architecture), vault or semi-dome, also known as an ' ...
is located at the eastern wall of the structure and small "studies" or prayer rooms are adjacent on either side. The arched window above the apse is divided by a single column for decorative and structural purposes. Some interesting tombstones and
khachkars 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 rosettes, interlaces, and ...
may be seen adjacent to the church. Nearby are also the 13th century ruins of lord Tarsaitch Orbelian of Syunik's palace, moved from Yeghegis to Areni during that time. Ruins of a 13th-century bridge built by Bishop Sarkis in 1265-1287 are to the northeast one kilometer. At the same location are the remains of an older bridge.


Gallery

Image:Map of Noravank.gif, Location of the Areni Church and Noravank. Image:Areni Church From Bridge.JPG, Areni S. Astvatsatsin Church as seen from town during the 2014 Areni Wine Festival. Image:Areni church.jpg, View of the Church with graveyard and
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 in front. Image:Areni Church Dome.JPG, Church drum with a conical umbrella type dome. Image:Areni Church W Portal.JPG, Western portal with a decorative tympanum. Image:Areni Church S Portal.JPG, Southern façade and portal to the church. Image:Areni Church Face W.JPG, High-relief decoration of a face upon the upper portion of the western façade. Image:Areni Church Khachkar1.JPG, Khachkar adjacent to the western end of the church. Image:Areni Church Tombstone1.JPG, Decorative tombstone depicting a bishop near the southern façade the church. Image:Areni Church Tombstone2.JPG, Decorative tombstone depicting a hunting scene adjacent to the western façade of the church.


See also

* Noravank monastery, located southeast of Areni Church.


Bibliography

* *


External links


Armeniapedia.org: Areni Church

Armenica.org: Church of Holy Virgin in Areni

About Areni Church
{{Armenian Churches Armenian Apostolic churches in Armenia 14th-century churches in Armenia Areni