The Monastery of Saint Translators (, ''Surb Targmanchats Vank'', ) is an Armenian
/ref> ttp://www.armenianarchitecture.am/v2/blank.php?QueryString=site&Language=1&tab=0 Archive materials about the Monastery monastery, founded in the 4th century. It is located north of Dashkasan, in

Azerbaijan Azerbaijan, officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, is a Boundaries between the continents, transcontinental and landlocked country at the boundary of West Asia and Eastern Europe. It is a part of the South Caucasus region and is bounded by ...

. The Monastery was founded by Saints

Mesrop Mashtots Mesrop Mashtots (; , ' 362February 17, 440 AD) was an Armenians, Armenian Linguistics, linguist, composer, Christian theology, theologian, Politician, statesman, and Hymnology, hymnologist. He is venerated as a saint in the Armenian Apostolic C ...

and

Sahak Partev Isaac or Sahak of Armenia ( – ) was the catholicos (or patriarch) of the Armenian Church from until . He is sometimes known as ''Isaac the Great'' or ''Sahak the Parthian'' () in reference to his father's Parthian origin. He was the last Ar ...

. In 411 they translated the

Bible The Bible is a collection of religious texts that are central to Christianity and Judaism, and esteemed in other Abrahamic religions such as Islam. The Bible is an anthology (a compilation of texts of a variety of forms) originally writt ...

from Syriac.A Brief History of the Art and Architecture of Artsakh — Nagorno Karabakh
/ref>

History

Saint Translators armenian monastery in Dashkesan

According to some sources the monastery was built in the end of the 4th century and the beginning of the 5th century. In 989 and 1845 the monastery was reconstructed. The monastery rose during the reign of bishop Gabriel Harutunyan. During his reign, many people from near villages help monastery. The new rose of the monastery was during the reign of Stepanos Balyants in the 1830s. It is known that in 1839, monk Grigor Ter-Hovhannesyants three times served as a priest. In 1849 archimandrite Sargis had followed archimandrite Hovhannes. A vaulted barn is located to the east of the monastery.

Name

The Monastery of Saint Translators (Surb Targmanchats) received its name because on its wall

and

translated the

from Syriac.

Description

Church

The main church of the complex is dated to 1630. The church consists of one vaulted rom with an apse in the east, between the two small rooms. Around the nave of the church is located gavit (for porch in Armenian), which stretches west from nave as well. Two-storeyed tower, built of carved stone, is adjacent to the porch to the south and leads to the main entrance of the church. The hall is located north of the church, which probably served as a place of worship -

sacristy A sacristy, also known as a vestry or preparation room, is a room in Christianity, Christian churches for the keeping of vestments (such as the alb and chasuble) and other church furnishings, sacred vessels, and parish records. The sacristy is us ...

The cells

There are cells of the monks 5 meters (16 feet) east of the church, looking west. The cells have 6 vaulted rooms, with each having an entrance and a window looking west. To the southeast of cells from north to south stretches a dining room. From the south to the dining room adjoins a similar room, most likely served as a kitchen. The cells of the monks were built in the same style as the whole church, built in 1630. The barn and dining room were attached with archimandrite Stepanos in the 1830s.

Current status

The monastery complex is in a state of collapse.

References

{{Armenian Churches Armenian Apostolic monasteries in Azerbaijan Ruined abbeys and monasteries Destroyed Armenian churches in Azerbaijan