Noravank
| Noravank | ||
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 Noravank Monastery in the Amaghu Gorge |
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| place | in the province of Vajoz Dzor | |
| Coordinates | 39 ° 41 '3.6 " N , 45 ° 13' 58.2" E | |
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Noravank ( Armenian Նորավանք , "New Monastery") is an Armenian monastery from the 13th century and was the burial place of the princely Orbelian dynasty until the 19th century.
It is one of the main tourist attractions of Armenia and is on the 1996 Tentative List of UNESCO - World Heritage Site . It is located near the city of Yeghegnadzor in the province of Vayots Dzor Province , about 3 km northeast of the community Amaghu on the territory of the municipality Areni , and about 80 km southeast of Yerevan in the canyon of Amaghu, which is known for its brick-red cliffs.
The monastery
A special feature of the monastery is the facade of the two-storey mausoleum church ( Surb Astvatsatsin ) , donated by Prince Burtel Orbelian and completed in 1339 . The center of the complex is the oldest surviving structure, the new Anabaptist Church ( Surb Karapet ), built in the first half of the 13th century , to the north of the remains of the Old Anabaptist Church, which was destroyed in an earthquake. In 1261, Smbat Orbelian had a Gawit added to the new Anabaptist Church in the west .
A first construction on the site was in 9./10. Century erected. After being destroyed by an earthquake, the complex was renewed in the 12th century. The monastery was expanded in the 13th and 14th centuries and since then it has been home to the burial place of the Orbelian dynasty, which was still in active use until the 19th century. Noravank was the seat of the bishops of Siounie and was culturally significant for its scriptorium with the Momik art workshop .
The monastery complex today consists of the main church of Surp Karapet , consecrated to John the Baptist, with the Gawit (entrance hall) in front of it. The Gregorkirche Surp Grigor is attached to the main church . The church of the Mother of God Surp Astvatstin and the ruins of the destroyed first Anabaptist church are located within the enclosure walls from the 17th and 18th centuries .
After the destruction caused by the earthquakes in 1841 and 1931, Norawank underwent two major renovations in the 20th century (1948–1949 and 1982–1999).
Surp Astvatsatsin
The church Surp Astvatsatsin (Holy Mother of God) was built in the years 1331-1339 according to plans by the monk and artist Momik, who died in 1333 before his work was completed. (This statement is definitely confirmed by a cross stone on the site). It has the three-level structure of a mausoleum church from the 14th century. The first level is accessible via six steps that lead down into the mausoleum. The second level with its cruciform floor plan is reached via two narrow external stairs. The third level is formed by a 12-column rotunda crowned by a dome; this was destroyed in 1840 and rebuilt in 1997. The church has a wealth of sculptures inside and out.
Surp Karapet
The main church of Surp Karapet is also called Surp Stephanos . There are two different details for the construction period: 1216–23 and 1221–27. It is a cross-shaped church building with four corner chapels, once crowned by an octagon with a dome, but which was replaced by a round drum with a conical roof during the restoration in the 1990s .
Gawit
The rectangular Gawit was probably built shortly after the Surp Karapet around 1230, probably with four columns, but was considerably rebuilt in 1261 under Prince Smbat Orbelian (evidenced by half-columns on the walls). A horizontal wall bar bears the building inscription Smbats. It is possible that the roof was destroyed by an earthquake in 1321 and then replaced by the heavy monastery vault. The building has beautiful decorations from the ceiling and contains many tombstones and cross stones. The tympanum is associated with that of the Areni Church because of its similar style and is attributed to Momik.
Surp Grigor
The Church of Surp Grigor , or Smbat Orbelian Chapel (it houses the Smbats tomb), was built by the architect Siranès in 1275 north of the Surp Karapet during the reign of Smbat's brother Tarssayitj Orbelian. It is a single nave church with a barrel vault. A semicircular altar stands on an elevation. Inside the church there are remains of frescoes that are difficult to see. Surp Grigor contains several graves of members of the Smbat Orbelian's family, including his son Tarssayitj, Élikum, brother Stepanos.
West facade of the mausoleum church
East facade of the mausoleum church
The mausoleum church from the south
The south facades of Gawit (left) and New Baptist Church (right), in front of it the remains of the Old Baptist Church
Gravestone (1300) of Elikum Orbelian
literature
- Patrick Donabédian: Documentation of the art places. In: Jean-Michel Thierry: Armenian Art. Herder, Freiburg / B. 1988, ISBN 3-451-21141-6 . P. 498f.
- Jannic Durand , Ioanna Rapti, Dorota Giovannoni: Armenia sacra: mémoire chrétienne des Arméniens (IVe – XVIIIe siècle). (Somogy Éditions D'Art) Musée du Louvre, Paris 2007, ISBN 978-2-7572-0066-7 .
Web links
- Noravank Monastery at Armenica.org (English)
- Noravank Monastery at Armeniapedia.org (English)
- Article Noravank in the Great Soviet Encyclopedia (BSE) , 3rd edition 1969–1978 (Russian)
Individual evidence
- ^ The monastery of Noravank and the upper Amaghou Valley. UNESCO Tentative Lists