Chuchap Monastery
The monastery Chuchap or Khuchap ( Armenian Խուճապ Chuchap , Georgian ხუჯაბი Chudschabi ) is a former monastery of the Armenian Apostolic Church in the province of Lori in the north of Armenia , right on the border with Georgia. It was founded in the 13th century. However, there are buildings on the site that are much older than the monastery. They are dated to the 9th and 10th centuries. Today the monastery is an overgrown ruin.
location
The monastery complex is located on a wooded slope of the mountain on a wooded slope of the Lalvar mountain near the village of Privolnoye on the border with Georgia . There used to be a village near the monastery that was also called Chuchap.
history
Chuchap was founded as a Catholic monastery. The expansion of the complex began under the rule of the Zakarids, a princely dynasty who ruled from their capital Ani between 1201 and 1260 as vassals of Georgian kings . They converted the monastery into an oriental-orthodox one in the 13th century .
Building description
The main church of the monastery was built in the 13th century in the southern area of the monastery area. It is about the height of a five-story building. The building is a rectangular cross- domed church made of rockite . The outer wall of the altar and the south wall are decorated with finely crafted crosses. Narrow and high windows in the outer walls and on each side of the drum let light into the interior of the building. Their frames are provided on the outside with delicate geometric patterns of plant ornaments. The richly decorated interior was accessed via three portals, the southern and western sides of which are each flanked by a pair of half-columns. The northern portal is very narrow and has a pointed arch. There are two-story chapels on either side of the altar. The door to the right of the altar leads to a spiral staircase that leads to the roof of the building. The octagonal columns were each carved from one stone. Fragments of ancient frescoes have been preserved on the south wall. The central church space is crowned by a (today partially destroyed and overgrown) twelve-sided dome with a drum . A massive gawit is built in front of the church to the west . This is divided lengthways and closed at the top with two vaults. The second church on the site is a single-nave basilica about 25 meters north of the main church . It is older than the main church and was renovated when it was built in the 13th century. To the north of the church are the remains of a largely dilapidated chapel as well as the ruins of residential and farm buildings, some of which are outside the monastery area.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d Khutchap Monastery, Privolnoye, Armenia | World Building Directory | Buildings. Retrieved November 17, 2017 .
- ^ A b Baghdasaryan Brothers: Khutchap monastery. Retrieved November 17, 2017 .
Coordinates: 41 ° 12 ′ 6 ″ N , 44 ° 34 ′ 3 ″ E