Saint Christopher Monastery ( hy, Սուրբ Քրիստափորի վանք; meaning the ''Monastery of Saint Christopher''), is a restored Armenian church of the 7th century, located in a cemetery southeast of the outskirts of Dashtadem village and

Dashtadem Fortress Dashtadem Fortress ( hy, Դաշտադեմի ամրոց) is a substantial fortress of the 10th to 19th centuries located at the southern outskirts of Dashtadem village in the Aragatsotn Province of Armenia. In a cemetery south of Dashtadem, lies ...

in the Aragatsotn Province of Armenia. Adjacent to the church (north) is a 13th-century stone rectangular tower (bell/defensive/funerary) with sloped walls. It has small windows on the upper portion of the wall, but no access to the interior. The surrounding cemetery has been in use from the 6th century to modern times, and contains several interesting

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

. A low-stone wall surrounds the complex and a section of the old cemetery. Dashtadem Fortress may be seen in the distance from the monastery.

Architecture

Surb Nshan Church

The Church of Surp Nshan is constructed of orange and gray tuff stone. Some of the stones on the southern and western exterior façades bear inscriptions in Armenian. A single

compound 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 ...

is centered above the main body of the church, with an octagonal façade around the

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 she ...

and

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 ...

. Light penetrates the interior of the structure via four small windows positioned around the drum, and two slightly larger windows above the entry and the semi-circular apse to the east. A portal to the west serves as the only entrance to the interior. Low-relief pairs of decorative

column A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. In other words, a column is a compression member. ...

s stand at either side of the exterior of the entry, supporting a semi-circular arched

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 w ...

. The lintel has dentil ornamentation lining its outer edge. The interior of the church is unadorned and reminiscent of Kamsarakan S. Astvatsatsin Church found in the nearby village of

Talin Talin may refer to: Places *Talin, Armenia, a city *Tálín, a municipality and village in the Czech Republic *Tallinn, capital of Estonia *Talin, Iran, a village in West Azerbaijan Province *Talin, Syria, a village in Tartus Governorate Other *Ta ...

, within the

Talin Cathedral The Cathedral of Talin ( hy, Թալինի Կաթողիկե եկեղեցի) is a seventh-century Armenian cathedral located in the cemetery of Talin, in the Aragatsotn Province of Armenia. Talin Cathedral Architecture Talin's Katoghike Chur ...

complex.

Gallery

Image:Khachkar on way to Kristapori Vank.JPG, Large khachkar along the road leading to the monastery Image:Kristapori Vank 2.JPG, General view of the Monastery Image:Kristapori Vank Dome Interior.JPG, Church drum and dome interior

References

Bibliography

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External links

Armeniapedia:Kristapori Vank Church
{{Armenian Churches 7th-century churches in Armenia Christian monasteries in Armenia Tourist attractions in Aragatsotn Province Buildings and structures in Aragatsotn Province