The Saghmosavank (,
lit. "monastery of the
Psalms
The Book of Psalms ( , ; ; ; ; , in Islam also called Zabur, ), also known as the Psalter, is the first book of the third section of the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible) called ('Writings'), and a book of the Old Testament.
The book is an anthology of B ...
") is a
13th-century
The 13th century was the century which lasted from January 1, 1201 (represented by the Roman numerals MCCI) through December 31, 1300 (MCCC) in accordance with the Julian calendar.
The Mongol Empire was founded by Genghis Khan, which stretched ...
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 ...
monastic complex located in the village of
Saghmosavan
Saghmosavan () is a village in the Ashtarak Municipality of the Aragatsotn Province of Armenia. The town is the site of the Saghmosavank Monastery (the "Monastery of Psalms") with Saint Sion church, built in 1215.
Demographics
Population chan ...
in the
Aragatsotn Province
Aragatsotn (, ) 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 the province is the town of Ashtarak. The Sta ...
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 ...
. Like the
Hovhannavank monastery which is five kilometers south, Saghmosavank is situated atop the precipitous
gorge
A canyon (; archaic British English spelling: ''cañon''), gorge or chasm, is a deep cleft between escarpments or cliffs resulting from weathering and the erosion, erosive activity of a river over geologic time scales. Rivers have a natural tend ...
carved by the
Kasagh river. Their silhouettes dominate the adjacent villages and rise sharp against the background of the mountains crowned by
Mount Aragats
Mount Aragats (, ) is an isolated four-peaked volcano massif in Armenia. Its northern summit, at above sea level, is the highest point of the Lesser Caucasus and Armenia. It is also one of the highest points in the Armenian Highlands.
The Ar ...
.
The monastic structures erected by Prince
Vache Vachutyan
Vache I Vachutian also Vace Vacutian, also known as Amberdtsi Vachutyan (Վաչե Ա. Ամբերդեցի, ruled 1206–1230), was an Armenian prince, and a Court official of the Kingdom of Georgia holding the offices of '' Msakhurtukhutsesi'' (M ...
, the Church of Zion in Saghmosavank (1215) and the Church of Karapet in
Hovhannavank (1216–1221), belong to the same type of cross-winged domed structure with two-floor annexes in all the corners of the building. Subcupola space predominates in the interiors of both churches, which is reflected in the exterior shapes of these structures.
The ''
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 ...
'' attached to the church was erected by his son Kurt in 1255.
Gallery
File:Saghmosavank 2015-1.jpg
File:Saghmosavank 2015-3.jpg
File:Saghmosavank by Armenak Baghdasaryan photo.jpg
Image:Սաղմոսավանք.JPG
Image:Saghmosavank kev.jpg
''Zhamatun''
The ''
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 ...
'' was erected by
Kurt Vachutyan in 1255.
See also
*
Hovhannavank
References
External links
{{Authority control
Oriental Orthodox congregations established in the 13th century
Christian monasteries in Armenia
Christian monasteries established in the 1210s
Buildings and structures in Aragatsotn Province