Mastara ( hy, Մաստարա) is a village in the
Talin Municipality of the
Aragatsotn Province
Aragatsotn ( hy, wikt:Արագածոտն, Արագածոտն, ) is a administrative divisions of Armenia, province (''Marz (country subdivision), marz'') of Armenia. It is located in the western part of the country. The capital and largest city ...
of
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 ...
. The 5th-century Armenian
Church of S. Hovhannes is situated in the northeastern half of the village, while the church of S. Stepanos Nakhava sits on a hilltop to the north. There is also the small medieval Tukh Manuk Church in the village to the southeast.
Etymology
The name Mastara is thought to be derived from the words ''mas'', meaning "a piece", and ''tara'', "I buried/took". This comes from the popular legend that
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 ...
brought back
relic
In religion, a relic is an object or article of religious significance from the past. It usually consists of the physical remains of a saint or the personal effects of the saint or venerated person preserved for purposes of veneration as a tang ...
s of
John the Baptist
John the Baptist or , , or , ;Wetterau, Bruce. ''World history''. New York: Henry Holt and Company. 1994. syc, ܝܘܿܚܲܢܵܢ ܡܲܥܡܕ݂ܵܢܵܐ, Yoḥanān Maʿmḏānā; he, יוחנן המטביל, Yohanān HaMatbil; la, Ioannes Bapti ...
from
Caesaria Caesaria may refer to:
*Caesaria the Elder, abbess of Arles (512–c.525)
* Caesaria the Younger, abbess of Arles (c.525–c.560), niece of the prec.
See also
* Caesarea (disambiguation)
* Caesarian
Caesarean section, also known as C-section ...
, a fragment of which he enshrined beneath the Church of S. Hovhannes.
Gallery
Image:Mastara Church.jpg, S. Hovhannes Church
Image:Mastara, Surb Hovanes Church1.jpg, S. Hovhannes Church
Image:Mastara, Surb Stepanos Nakhavka Church.jpg, S. Stepanos Nakhavka Church
References
*
Report of the results of the 2001 Armenian Census
Populated places in Aragatsotn Province
{{Aragatsotn-geo-stub