Karmravank

Monastery complex from the southwest

Ruins 2006

Karmravank , Karmrakvank or Karmerakvank ( Armenian Կարմրավանք "Red Monastery") is an Armenian monastery in today's eastern Turkey on the southern shore of Lake Van and antiques Vaspurakan . Its founding in the 10th century is attributed to King Gagik I of Vaspurakan (908–943) from the Arzruni dynasty.

Abandoned due to the genocide of the Armenians in 1915, today it only consists of the Holy Cross Church ( Surb Nshan ).

situation

Karmravank is located on the southern shore of Lake Van, twelve kilometers northwest of the island of Aghtamar and the Narekawank monastery . The region is now part of the Van Province (district of Gevaş ), in the Turkish region of Eastern Anatolia .

Historically, Karmravank was located in the former great province of Vaspurakan , one of the 15 provinces of historical Armenia - according to the 7th century geographer Anania Schirakatsi .

history

At the beginning of the 10th century, the prince Gagik Arçrouni of Vaspurakan worked to consolidate his power; he extended his sovereignty to the Bagratids of Mokk , and made a contiguous area of his lands - the potential rival of the Bagratid kingdom of Ani - which is why he was awarded the title of king in 908. He was distinguished by building work and the founding of the Karmravank Monastery, which is personally attributed to him.

The situation of the monastery deteriorated after the Muslim takeover. Abandoned after the genocide from 1915 to 1916, only the badly damaged Surb Nshan Church has remained.

Building trade

The Surb Nshan Church is a domed hall with an apse . The dome is supported by several arches , which is why it takes on a horseshoe shape together with the apse. It is on a reel of brick attached (where most probably also the name of the convent comes), covered by a dome in the interior and an outer pyramid roof.

The other fortified components of the monastery could not be explored due to the lack of licensing by the Turkish state.

literature

Gérard Dédéyan (ed.): Histoire du peuple arménien. Édition Privat, Toulouse 2007, ISBN 978-2-7089-6874-5 .
Robert H. Hewsen: “Van in this world, Paradise in the next”. The historical geography of Van / Vaspurakan. In: Richard G. Hovannisian (Ed.): Armenian Van / Vaspurakan. Mazda Publishers, Costa Mesa 2000, ISBN 1-568-59130-6 , pp. 13-42.

Web links

Commons : Karmravank (Vaspurakan) - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

^ ^A ^b Robert H. Hewsen: "Van in this world, Paradise in the next". In: Richard G. Hovannisian (Ed.): Armenian Van / Vaspurakan. Costa Mesa 2000, pp. 13-42, here p. 27.
^ Gérard Dédéyan (Ed.): Histoire du peuple arménien. Toulouse 2007, p. 43.
^ Gérard Dédéyan (Ed.): Histoire du peuple arménien. Toulouse 2007, p. 276.
^ Gérard Dédéyan (Ed.): Histoire du peuple arménien. Toulouse 2007, p. 288.
↑ ^a ^b ^c Nairy Hampikian: The architectural heritage of Vaspurakan and the preservation of memory layers. In: Richard G. Hovannisian (Ed.): Armenian Van / Vaspurakan. Costa Mesa 2000, pp. 87-116, here p. 101.

38.372315 42.904281Coordinates: 38 ° 22 '20.3 " N , 42 ° 54' 15.4" E

[Hewsen-1] A ^b Robert H. Hewsen: "Van in this world, Paradise in the next". In: Richard G. Hovannisian (Ed.): Armenian Van / Vaspurakan. Costa Mesa 2000, pp. 13-42, here p. 27.

[2] Gérard Dédéyan (Ed.): Histoire du peuple arménien. Toulouse 2007, p. 43.

[Dédéyan_276-3] Gérard Dédéyan (Ed.): Histoire du peuple arménien. Toulouse 2007, p. 276.

[Dédéyan_288-4] Gérard Dédéyan (Ed.): Histoire du peuple arménien. Toulouse 2007, p. 288.

[Hampikian-5] Nairy Hampikian: The architectural heritage of Vaspurakan and the preservation of memory layers. In: Richard G. Hovannisian (Ed.): Armenian Van / Vaspurakan. Costa Mesa 2000, pp. 87-116, here p. 101.