Makenjaz Monastery
Makenjaz Monastery ( Armenian Մաքենյաց վանք Makenjaz Wank , also Makenozaz Wank ) is a former monastery of the Armenian Apostolic Church in the east Armenian province of Gegharkunik . It was founded in the 9th century. In the Middle Ages it was an important cultural and educational center of Gegharkunik. Today it is abandoned. The buildings are partially destroyed and the area is overgrown.
location
The monastery is located about five kilometers south of Lake Sevan , the largest freshwater lake in Armenia, in the immediate vicinity of the village of Makenis, on a steep rock above a gorge on the bank of a river.
Building description
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The monastery complex is surrounded by a wall. The buildings within the wall ring were built from the end of the 9th to the 13th century. The main church Surb Astwazazin ( Armenian Սուրբ Աստվածածին , "Holy Mother of God ", western Armenian Surp Asdwadsadsin , other romanizations Surb Astvatsatsin, Surp Astvatsatsin, Surb Astuacacin ) is a cross- domed church with three apses . It was built from basalt stone . There are two large and high extensions on the west side. The central church space is crowned by a conical dome with a tambour . Light enters the interior of the building through four windows in the drum. A second small dome with a small drum is located above the southwest entrance. On both sides of the altar there are large side chapels, the entrances to which are richly decorated with reliefs. The relief of a horse can be seen on the inside above the entrance portal. Another horse relief can be seen at the base of the southwest column. The bell tower is above the west gable. The baptismal font can also be seen in the western section of the building. The Gawit is largely destroyed today. Only a chapel on the southwest side remained.
There is a small cemetery on the monastery site that has been in use since the Middle Ages. There are some khachkars (artistically hewn memorial stones with a relief cross in the middle, which is surrounded by geometric and plant motifs) on the site and inside the church . The monastery complex also has a medieval latrine, which is located in the southwest corner of the area.
history
According to chronicles from the 13th century, a prince named Grigor Supan founded the monastery in 851. Today, however, it is more likely that it was founded in the late 9th century. After the monastery was founded, the river must have changed its course, as the latrine on the outer wall is now a few meters from the bank.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ A b Kojian, Raffi .: Rediscovering Armenia: an archaeological / touristic gazetteer and map set for the historical monuments of Armenia . 2nd ed. Mattit, [Yerevan] 2005, ISBN 99941-0-121-8 ( armeniapedia.org ).
- ↑ a b c d e Holding, Deirdre .: Armenia with Nagorno Karabagh . 3rd ed.Bradt Travel Guides, Chalfont St. Peter, Bucks 2011, ISBN 978-1-84162-345-0 , p. 179 ( limited preview in Google Book search).
Coordinates: 40 ° 7 ′ 30.2 ″ N , 45 ° 36 ′ 47.7 ″ E