- Byzantine, Western Medieval, and Islamic Art & Architecture, Medieval Art and Architecture of the South Caucasus, Late Antique and Medieval Visual Culture, Armenian Studies, Architecture, Archaeology, Art History, Medieval Studies, and 9 moreMiddle East Studies, Medieval Archaeology, Late Antiquity, Byzantine Studies, Early Medieval Archaeology, Ottoman Studies, Islamic Art, Mediterranean Studies, and Medieval Armenian Cultureedit
A century ago, Josef Strzygowski considered that Armenian architecture played a transitional role between Iranian domed structures and Byzantine constructions of the Justinian epoch (6th century). Nowadays, some points of that almost... more
A century ago, Josef Strzygowski considered that Armenian architecture played a transitional role between Iranian domed structures and Byzantine constructions of the Justinian epoch (6th century). Nowadays, some points of that almost forgotten theory require revision and further consideration. But several ideas of the famous scholar deserve our attention. In particular, it is important to deepen the study of the probable Sasanian origins of some decorative motives and relief images of medieval Armenian architecture taking into consideration their new meaning in the context of Christian culture. The purpose of this study is to understand the impact of the Sasanian elements in the decoration system of Armenian churches of the 7th and the 10th-11th centuries, the periods of the highest development of national architecture, when it revealed the closest relationships with the Byzantine tradition. At the same time Armenian architecture interpreted both the Graeco-Roman and several local architectural peculiarities. The decoration of the domes in the interior of the 7th-century Armenian churches and the order-like blind arcades of the facades of the monuments of the Late Antique and Bagratid periods reveal Sasanian iconographic origins. Also, some ornaments and a range of mythical creatures on the reliefs and other features, such as the carpet-like curved ceilings of the zhamatun (narthex) of the Hoṙomos monastery, reflect the artistic characteristics of the Sasanian and early Islamic Iranian architecture.
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Это вторая наша статья, освещающая итоги исследования церкви в Нижней крепости (Ахчкаберд) столицы средневековой Армении Ани, до сих пор должным образом не изучавшейся. В ней подробнее раскрываются особенности пространственной композиции... more
Это вторая наша статья, освещающая итоги исследования церкви в Нижней крепости (Ахчкаберд) столицы средневековой Армении Ани, до сих пор должным образом не изучавшейся. В ней подробнее раскрываются особенности пространственной композиции и пластического декора фасадов храма, впервые обращено внимание на богатство пластики барабана, уточняется место этой постройки в развитии архитектуры и орнаментального искусства средневековой Армении. Обозначены истоки архитектурного типа крестообразных церквей с помещениями в четырех углах, легшего в основу композиции храма, и круг построек XII-XIII вв., в которых очевидна вариативность воплощений этого типа. При анализе пластики фасадов особое внимание уделено аркатуре на спаренных колонках на западном и южном фасадах церкви и оформлению окон. Замечено, что мастер Ахчкабердской церкви моделирует формы орнаментов с определенной живостью. В исполнении некоторых растительных мотивов он свободен от плоской поверхности, и резьба местами напоминает ску...
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Статья посвящена реконструкции и научной интерпретации форм купольной главы одного из ключевых памятников архитектуры Армении рубежа XII-XIII вв. - церкви, построенной амирспасаларом и шахиншахом Закаре Мхаргрдзели из рода Закарянов во... more
Статья посвящена реконструкции и научной интерпретации форм купольной главы одного из ключевых памятников архитектуры Армении рубежа XII-XIII вв. - церкви, построенной амирспасаларом и шахиншахом Закаре Мхаргрдзели из рода Закарянов во Внутренней крепости Ани, именуемой в народной традиции Ахчкабердом (Девичьей крепостью). Исследование является второй статьей о купольных главах Ани и в то же время продолжает серию публикаций об этой церкви, начатых в 2019 г. в соавторстве с Е. А. Лошкаревой. Предпринятое в мае 2019 г. новое обследование руины этой анийской церкви и обмеры ее фрагментов позволили реконструировать высокий 12-гранный барабан, украшенный рельефной аркатурой и фризом и увенчанный зигзагообразным широким карнизом, служившим основой складчатого зонтичного шатра. В статье выдвигаются предположения о рождении такой формы главы в результате творческого соединения двух архитектурных идей эпохи Багратидов: декорации барабана Анийского кафедрального собора конца X в. и складчато...
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How was architecture designed in the pre-modern world? Following contemporary conventions, we might automatically assume that the process began with a drawing. The historical evidence suggests otherwise, however, for medieval Europe, for... more
How was architecture designed in the pre-modern world? Following contemporary conventions, we might automatically assume that the process began with a drawing. The historical evidence suggests otherwise, however, for medieval Europe, for Byzantium, and ...
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This is the first article of a projected series of reports concerning the architecture and conservation of the Church of the Redeemer (Surb Prkich) in the medieval Armenian capital of Ani in the present-day Turkish province of Kars. Dated... more
This is the first article of a projected series of reports concerning the architecture and conservation of the Church of the Redeemer (Surb Prkich) in the medieval Armenian capital of Ani in the present-day Turkish province of Kars. Dated to 1035, this polyconch church stands as a beautiful example of the metropolitan school, which was especially dedicated to interpreting the architectural forms and principles of Classical antiquity. The church has survived both medieval reconstructions and a subsequent restoration in 1912, as well as remained extant within the ruins of Ani despite its western half preserved in poor condition. The authors, two Turkish architects and a Russian architectural historian have analyzed the historical data, historiography and architectural plan of Surb Prkich and present here the results of cleaning and archeological excavations at the site, as well as of the initiation of the monument's stabilization and conservation program, begun in 2012.
This is the first article of a projected series of reports concerning the architecture and conservation of the Church of the Redeemer (Surb Prkich) in the medieval Armenian capital of Ani in the present-day Turkish province of Kars. Dated... more
This is the first article of a projected series of reports concerning the architecture and conservation of the Church of the Redeemer (Surb Prkich) in the medieval Armenian capital of Ani in the present-day Turkish province of Kars. Dated to 1035, this polyconch church stands as a beautiful example of the metropolitan school, which was especially dedicated to interpreting the architectural forms and principles of Classical antiquity. The church has survived both medieval reconstructions and a subsequent restoration in 1912, as well as remained extant within the ruins of Ani despite its western half preserved in poor condition. The authors, two Turkish architects and a Russian architectural historian have analyzed the historical data, historiography and architectural plan of Surb Prkich and present here the results of cleaning and archeological excavations at the site, as well as of the initiation of the monument's stabilization and conservation program, begun in 2012.
This article examines the stylistic development of church architecture in the town of Nakhichevan-on-Don, founded in 1779 by Armenians resettled from the Crimea by Catherine II. The study uncovers three main trends in the work of the... more
This article examines the stylistic development of church architecture in the town of Nakhichevan-on-Don, founded in 1779 by Armenians resettled from the Crimea by Catherine II. The study uncovers three main trends in the work of the Armenian church architects: At first, they operated within the context of late eighteenth-/ early nineteenth-century Russian Neoclassicism (Classicism in the terminology of Russian historiography). Then there was a period of conservatism in Armenian architecture in the heyday of Historicism in Russia in the third quarter of the nineteenth century. Thereafter, we witness attempts to revive the national style with methods borrowed from late nineteenth-century Russian architecture. The survey demonstrates how monumental architecture was related to state policy and the poly-ethnic context of the early modern empire. Thus it contributes to a better understanding of the cultural development of national communities in Russia.
This article examines the stylistic development of church architecture in the town of Nakhichevan-on-Don, founded in 1779 by Armenians resettled from the Crimea by Catherine II. The study uncovers three main trends in the work of the... more
This article examines the stylistic development of church architecture in the town of Nakhichevan-on-Don, founded in 1779 by Armenians resettled from the Crimea by Catherine II. The study uncovers three main trends in the work of the Armenian church architects: At first, they operated within the context of late eighteenth-/ early nineteenth-century Russian Neoclassicism (Classicism in the terminology of Russian historiography). Then there was a period of conservatism in Armenian architecture in the heyday of Historicism in Russia in the third quarter of the nineteenth century. Thereafter, we witness attempts to revive the national style with methods borrowed from late nineteenth-century Russian architecture. The survey demonstrates how monumental architecture was related to state policy and the poly-ethnic context of the early modern empire. Thus it contributes to a better understanding of the cultural development of national communities in Russia.
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Shaping of an architectural image and transformation of the structural system of building are usually studied separately. However, these two phenomena are connected in one way or another. On the sample of monuments of the site of Ani –... more
Shaping of an architectural image and transformation of the structural system of building are usually studied separately. However, these two phenomena are connected in one way or another. On the sample of monuments of the site of Ani – the medieval capital of Armenia – the author traces an obvious interconnection of these two components of the creativity of architects of the tenth and eleventh centuries, including their new interpretation of Classic rotunda. Two churches are of special interest: St. Gregory the Illuminator called Gagkashen (about 1001) and the Church of Redeemer (1035); their structural systems are still not enough analyzed. Architectural compositions of these churches could be traced back to some structures of the Late Antiquity, but they were interpreted by architects of the epoch of the Bagratids in an original way. The author argues that transformations of the structural system were nor evolutionary ones, they were of different orientations which depended on spe...
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This paper reflects a new view of the development of the medieval architecture as a result of previous author's studies and the current examination of the typological group of Armenian churches, so called 'Domed halls' of the 10th-11th... more
This paper reflects a new view of the development of the medieval architecture as a result of previous author's studies and the current examination of the typological group of Armenian churches, so called 'Domed halls' of the 10th-11th centuries at the Bagratids' capital Ani and its vicinity. Among the stereotypes in the evaluation of medieval Armenian architecture there is a persistent tradition of understanding a development process as evolutionary. The consideration of the monuments leads to the negation of the sequential evolution of the studied architectural type. It is rather possible to talk about the existence of some general development trend among the diverse solutions, a significant part of which indicates the implementation of the most daring architectural ideas within the already known spatial structures. The Creative approach to the implementation of the commission, the desire of the architects to transform the proportions of the dome halls and the image of the church by introducing new and the interpretation of the already known forms have been decisive in the projects embodied by the masters of the capital or Ani architectural school. This approach has been developed not only in the creation of city cathedrals, but also extended to the monastic construction, the most important works of which have been the royal commissions.
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The church in the Inner Castle of the Armenian capital Ani, which until now has not been studied properly, is one of the key monuments of the Armenian architectural tradition revival that began at the turn of the 12th-13th centuries. The... more
The church in the Inner Castle of the Armenian capital Ani, which until now has not been studied properly, is one of the key monuments of the Armenian architectural tradition revival that began at the turn of the 12th-13th centuries. The purpose of this article is to reveal the features of its plan and plastic decor, as well as the preliminary determination of the place of this building in the development of architecture and ornamental art of medieval Armenia. The article determines the origins of the architectural type of cruciform churches with rooms in the four corners, which formed the basis of the composition of the church and the circle of buildings of the 12th-13th centuries, in which the variability of embodiments of this type is apparent. In the analysis of the facades plastic, particular attention is paid to the blind-arcade on paired columns on the Western and Southern facades of the church as well as the design of the windows. It is noticed that the master builder of Aghjkaberd Church models the shapes of patterns with a certain degree of liveliness. He creates some plant motifs free from flat surfaces and models carvings in some places in a manner of the sculpture. In subsequent studies of this monument, the authors will clarify some forms of the composition, perform a more detailed reconstruction of the facade decor and identify the genesis of the unusual style of ornamental carving.
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Armenian medieval architecture of the Crimean peninsula is a phenomenon that has been largely studied in terms of building a factual database, identifying the church typology, and discovering national roots of the local tradition.... more
Armenian medieval architecture of the Crimean peninsula is a phenomenon that has been largely studied in terms of building a factual database, identifying the church typology, and discovering national roots of the local tradition. However, those studies have not actually considered Armenian medieval heritage to be a part of a regional phenomenon that united building traditions of several peoples in the 13th–15th cen turies. The very existence of such a cumulative concept as the Crimean medieval architecture forces us to raise the question of the development of some individual national/confessional traditions within it, as well as the question of boundaries between national styles of architecture on the peninsula. The present historical and theoretical research aims to give a new impetus for the discussion of these interconnected issues basing on comparative analysis of the monuments of Armenian architecture. It becomes obvious that the forms of arches and vaults, capitals and cornices, domes and portals of the Armenian churches not only resemble some patterns of the architecture of Armenia itself, but also show similarities with the churches of other confessions, particularly Genoese, as well as with mosques and mausoleums built on the orders of the Golden Horde rulers. Most likely these interconnections existed due to the following factors: 1) common cultural environment on the Crimean peninsula; 2) developing fashion for architectural forms and decor; 3) work of the same masters on buildings of different confessions (the last thesis is not developed in the article). The study deduces that the boundaries between national styles do not lie in the field of architectural forms and ornaments. However, they do exist and they should be identified when exploring the composition of buildings, as it is the composition that determined the originality of architectural images.
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The article analyzes the changes of an image of the monuments of ancient and medieval architecture during conservation or restoration works. Special attention has been paid to the recent condition of the town of Ani (Turkey), the medieval... more
The article analyzes the changes of an image of the monuments of ancient and medieval architecture during conservation or restoration works. Special attention has been paid to the recent condition of the town of Ani (Turkey), the medieval Armenian capital abandoned ages ago. It has been concluded that not only the restoration but sometimes even the conservation of a monument could change its image. Obviously, each case of restoration works needs a philosophical conception in terms of whole town or ensemble. We need a strategy for the protection of Ani, where dozens of ruins and fragments of constructions still remain. This strategy cannot proceed from international legal documents only.
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The article is devoted to the scientific interpretation and reconstruction of the forms of the dome of one of the key architectural monuments in Armenia at the turn of the 12th–13th centuries — a church built in the Ani Inner Fortress by... more
The article is devoted to the scientific interpretation and reconstruction of the forms of the dome of one of the key architectural monuments in Armenia at the turn of the 12th–13th centuries — a church built in the Ani Inner Fortress by Amirspasalar and Shahinshah Zakara Mkhargrdzeli from the Zakarian family. The Inner fortress is traditionally referred to as Aghjkberd (Maiden Fortress). The present study is the second in a series of articles on the Ani cupolas and, at the same time, it continues the sequence of publications on the church undertaken in 2019 in collaboration with E. A. Loshkareva.
An important aspect of Armenian architecture research is the possibility to create fairly accurate reconstructions based on actual material. Thanks to the masonry technique, strengthened by a rubble-concrete core, joints of different architectural forms are preserved in fragments of ruined buildings. Such joint details in fallen fragments serve as clues to the reconstruction of architectural forms and in determining their order in the vertical composition of the building.
A new survey undertaken in May 2019 on the ruined Ani church and the measurements of its fragments made it possible to reconstruct a tall domed tholobate, decorated with a 12-part blind arcade covered in relief. Passing above it is a frieze crowned with a zigzaged wide cornice that served as the basis of an umbrella-like steeple. Attention is drawn to the interpretation of some individual details, to the specific understanding of the covering ornaments, especially to the motif of geometric weaving on the frieze, and to the variations of the floral ornament in the shape of a festoon on the capitals and spandrels.
The results of the investigation of details and ornamentation help us to understand the genesis of the composition of the dome and the entire church too. In the article it is presumed that this particular shape of the dome had become an outcome of the creative combination of two architectural ideas of the Bagratid era: the decoration of the drum of the Ani Cathedral from the end of the 10th century and a type of cupola of a group of monastery churches from the first half of the 11th century. The exploration of the drum’s forms and the principles of architectural design in comparison with the data on the monuments of the new era, marked by the rise to power of Zakare, clarifies the place and role of the church of the Inner fortress in the history of monastery churches in the first quarter of the 13th century. Both the proposed reconstruction of Zakare’s building and the expanded scope of knowledge of the cupolas of the era allow us to understand better the conceptual foundations of medieval Armenian architecture and to reveal the role of creativity in its development.
An important aspect of Armenian architecture research is the possibility to create fairly accurate reconstructions based on actual material. Thanks to the masonry technique, strengthened by a rubble-concrete core, joints of different architectural forms are preserved in fragments of ruined buildings. Such joint details in fallen fragments serve as clues to the reconstruction of architectural forms and in determining their order in the vertical composition of the building.
A new survey undertaken in May 2019 on the ruined Ani church and the measurements of its fragments made it possible to reconstruct a tall domed tholobate, decorated with a 12-part blind arcade covered in relief. Passing above it is a frieze crowned with a zigzaged wide cornice that served as the basis of an umbrella-like steeple. Attention is drawn to the interpretation of some individual details, to the specific understanding of the covering ornaments, especially to the motif of geometric weaving on the frieze, and to the variations of the floral ornament in the shape of a festoon on the capitals and spandrels.
The results of the investigation of details and ornamentation help us to understand the genesis of the composition of the dome and the entire church too. In the article it is presumed that this particular shape of the dome had become an outcome of the creative combination of two architectural ideas of the Bagratid era: the decoration of the drum of the Ani Cathedral from the end of the 10th century and a type of cupola of a group of monastery churches from the first half of the 11th century. The exploration of the drum’s forms and the principles of architectural design in comparison with the data on the monuments of the new era, marked by the rise to power of Zakare, clarifies the place and role of the church of the Inner fortress in the history of monastery churches in the first quarter of the 13th century. Both the proposed reconstruction of Zakare’s building and the expanded scope of knowledge of the cupolas of the era allow us to understand better the conceptual foundations of medieval Armenian architecture and to reveal the role of creativity in its development.
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This is the authors' second article highlighted the results of the study on the architectural monument that has not been properly studied so far — the church in the Inner Fortress of the capital of the Medieval Armenia, Ani. The article... more
This is the authors' second article highlighted the results of the study on the architectural monument that has not been properly studied so far — the church in the Inner Fortress of the capital of the Medieval Armenia, Ani. The article discusses the features of the plan and plastic decor of the church's facades in more detail; for the first time attention is paid to the richness of the drum's plasticity. The essay also seeks to specify the place of this building in the development of architecture and ornamental art of the Medieval Armenia while tracing back the origins of the architectural type of cruciform churches with rooms in the four corners, which formed the basis of the composition of the Ani church; the spectrum of buildings of the 12th–13th centuries, in which the variations of this type are evident, are spoken about in the text as well. In the analysis of the church's exterior special attention is paid to the blind arcade on the paired columns on the western and southern façades and window decoration of the building. It has been noticed that the master of the Aghjkaberd church designed the ornament from vegetative motives artistically, and the carving in some places resembles sculpture. For the first time the relief crosses and decorative forms in the interior of the church are thoroughly analyzed, as are some carved elements in the rubble; they allow us to evaluate the variety of forms on this small monument of the medieval architecture.
The authors have come to the conclusion that the architect who worked on the newly minted city ruler's orders was an outstanding master who denied a mechanistic approach to work. This is primarily manifested in his decision to "spare" the blind arcade on the northern and eastern facades, because they can be properly seen only from afar.
The authors have come to the conclusion that the architect who worked on the newly minted city ruler's orders was an outstanding master who denied a mechanistic approach to work. This is primarily manifested in his decision to "spare" the blind arcade on the northern and eastern facades, because they can be properly seen only from afar.
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The article opens the series of publications on issues related to the cupolas of the temples of Ani, the medieval capital of Armenia. The lack of sufficient factual material on these buildings, the poor condition of the domes,... more
The article opens the series of publications on issues related to the cupolas of the temples of Ani, the medieval capital of Armenia. The lack of sufficient factual material on these buildings, the poor condition of the domes, controversial reconstruction they have undergone and, finally, the author’s working experience in Ani and Eastern Turkey, provide relevance of such studies in the context of the revision of existing stereotypes on the development of the world history of architecture. The article is devoted to the earliest, most monumental and famous building — the Cathedral of Ani, built by the architect Trdat in the last two decades of the 10th century. The critical analysis of the existing reconstruction of the church’s drum on the basis of knowledge about the development of Ani school and the site study of the building is made. The number of links of the blind arcade on the destroyed drum is specified and the probability of the carved ornamented frieze between the blind arcade and the cornice presence is confirmed. The frieze contained the string of large flowers, and the cornice consisted of two rows of blocks with different profiles: fragments of these elements, which were probably known to Charles Texier, who published the reconstruction of the Cathedral in 1842, have been now found by the author on the Eastern arm of the building. The creation of the tholobate by architect Trdat was a creative act and reflected the orientation of the Ani’s architectural school on the interpretation of the forms of classical antiquity and their application in the details of churches. This conclusion is connected with the analogy of the mentioned frieze to the diadem of an ancient type, as if laid to the head of the Cathedral, as well as to the celestial constellation from ancient Greek mythology, into which the crown of Ariadne has been transformed. The tholobate of the Ani Cathedral served as a model for the construction of several large monastic churches of the 13th–14th centuries.
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A new attention is focused in this article to the activity of the Ani Archaeological Expedition (Ani Institute) of the Emperial Archaeological Commission in 1892–1893 and 1904–1917. The goal of the analysis is the demonstration of a... more
A new attention is focused in this article to the activity of the Ani Archaeological Expedition (Ani Institute) of the Emperial Archaeological Commission in 1892–1893 and 1904–1917. The goal of the analysis is the demonstration of a variety of works conducted by Professor Nikolay Marr and his colleagues in the city of Ani and other monuments of medieval architecture of Armenia, as well as the understanding of the scientific basis and that which economic success is based on, which seems relevant after a centenary. The complex character of the activity of the Institute has included archeological discoveries and the measurement of monuments, their multi-topic examination, stabilization of the conditions of the ruined buildings and museumification of more important fragments. The creation of the museum and publishing activities were the proviso of the work of the expedition. The systematization of the facts has testified to the fact that the parallel governmental and social funding afforded us a possibility to construct the organizational model of the development of the Ani Institute. This model became viable during the years of the Institute’s work; the same model can be a worthy example applied to the present day.
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By “the propaedeutic of the Temple”, we mean the process of the birth of the temple consciousness and the actual idea of the Temple. We turn to the formation of the temple consciousness and the idea of the Temple in the period of the... more
By “the propaedeutic of the Temple”, we mean the process of the birth of the temple consciousness and the actual idea of the Temple. We turn to the formation of the temple consciousness and the idea of the Temple in the period of the formation of ethno-religious features of the early biblical narrative. Temple propaedeutic is an important part of the temple consciousness, it establishes such an important set of rules and things necessary for the erection of the Temple. For this reason, it would be logical to create a set of themes and motives that would make up the necessary rules, semantic knots and concepts of the propaedeutic of the Temple. In the process of becoming the idea of the Temple, great importance is acquired by the patriarch Abraham — on his way to Canaan he builds altars. The construction of the altars is accompanied by a dynamic beginning, which together provides an example of the origin of the idea of the Temple and, accordingly, the formation of the temple consciousness. This process over time will encompass an increasing number of realities of the biblical narrative and apocrypha. The altars and sacrificial trees are a mnemonic mechanism for remembering the name and image of God for ourselves and our descendants.
The motive for “finding the city”, which Ehud Benzvi draws attention to, is associated not only with the city, but also with the Temple. From Salim of Melchizedek to Jerusalem during the reign of the kings David and Solomon and up to our days, the city has always remained a City-Temple. First, in the Christian, and then in the Muslim era, Jerusalem
greatly deepened its temple horizon of the city. The propaedeutic of the Temple provides for the precondition of pre-temple and architectural motifs, such as the altars that the patriarchs built, for example, the one built by King David, Jacob’s ladder, the Moses tabernacle.
The motive for “finding the city”, which Ehud Benzvi draws attention to, is associated not only with the city, but also with the Temple. From Salim of Melchizedek to Jerusalem during the reign of the kings David and Solomon and up to our days, the city has always remained a City-Temple. First, in the Christian, and then in the Muslim era, Jerusalem
greatly deepened its temple horizon of the city. The propaedeutic of the Temple provides for the precondition of pre-temple and architectural motifs, such as the altars that the patriarchs built, for example, the one built by King David, Jacob’s ladder, the Moses tabernacle.
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The study of medieval architecture of the Crimea and, in particular, of the architecture of the Armenian churches on the peninsula, requires the solution of issues related to the origin and the development of the separate shapes of these... more
The study of medieval architecture of the Crimea and, in particular, of the architecture of the Armenian churches on the peninsula, requires the solution of issues related to the origin and the development of the separate shapes of these buildings. The article for the first time sets the task of systematizing the portals of the Crimean Armenian churches from the 13th to the 15th centuries. The portals served as conceptual and artistically significant architectural elements of the Christian temple. For the Crimean Armenian tradition, the role of portals was particularly significant, because the churches of the peninsula were deprived of a rich exterior design. The development of two main types of portals is traced for the first time: 1) in the form of a rectangular frame, 2) with an arch on the consoles, placed above the lintel. The most luxurious portal of the church of Surb Khach Monastery doesn’t belong to this typology; it remains outside of the scope of this study. The author is aware of the difficulties of tracking the changes in the shapes of portals due to the lack of strong dating of most of the buildings under consideration, the lack of their archaeological evaluation. Nevertheless, the picture of the diversity of solutions and variations of the development of the original architectural ideas has been presented. The ideas on the medieval reconstruction of some portals, as well as the thoughts about the dating of rare monuments are suggested. According to the analytical review of the portals, not only the forms, but the priorities of customers and architects, their attitudes to their own traditional values and their degree of openness to adopting the achievements of their neighbors (in particular, the Genoese), were developed during these three centuries of history.
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The Blind Arcade in Medieval Architecture of Armenia and Georgia. Springs of Idea and Principal Stages of Development, in: Anadolu Kültürlerinde Süreklilik ve Değişim, Dr. A. Mine Kadiroğlu’ na Armeğan. Eds. A. Ceren Erel, B. İşler, N. Peker, G. Sağır. Ankara: Hacettepe university, 2011. pp. 341–374more
This is the first article of a projected series of reports concerning the architecture and conservation of the Church of the Redeemer (Surb Prkich) in the medieval Armenian capital of Ani in the present-day Turkish province of Kars. Dated... more
This is the first article of a projected series of reports concerning the architecture and conservation of the Church of the Redeemer (Surb Prkich) in the medieval Armenian capital of Ani in the present-day Turkish province of Kars. Dated to 1035, this polyconch church stands as a beautiful example of the metropolitan school, which was especially dedicated to interpreting the architectural forms and principles of Classical antiquity. The church has survived both medieval reconstructions and a subsequent restoration in 1912, as well as remained extant within the ruins of Ani despite its western half preserved in poor condition. The authors, two Turkish architects and a Russian architectural historian have analyzed the historical data, historiography and architectural plan of Surb Prkich and present here the results of cleaning and archeological excavations at the site, as well as of the initiation of the monument’s stabilization and conservation program, begun in 2012.
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It was an attempt to disclose the basis of architectural idea of the People's House (Opera Theatre) at Yerevan in this article. The project of the building was carried out from 1926 to the early-30-s by Russian architect, academician... more
It was an attempt to disclose the basis of architectural idea of the People's House (Opera Theatre) at Yerevan in this article. The project of the building was carried out from 1926 to the early-30-s by Russian architect, academician Alexander Tamanyan, an acknowledged founder of a new Armenian architecture. It is proposed to consider the architecture of the building and the Armenian period of Tamanyan’s activity in the context of Art Deco, as well as to study the origin of plan of the People's House not only by reference to the rich world heritage, but also considering the search of a new forms of theatral building in third of the 20th century. For the first time I suggest that Tamanyan could been inspired by the structure and philosophical background of the first Getheanum, the theater in Dornach, created by Rudolf Steiner in 1913–1918.
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The monastery of Hoṙomos is situated on the right bank of the Axurean river, about 5 km as the crow flies to the north-east of Ani, the Armenian “city of 1000 churches.” When the monastery was founded (c. 930), Ani was still little more... more
The monastery of Hoṙomos is situated on the right bank of the Axurean river, about 5 km as the crow flies to the north-east of Ani, the Armenian “city of 1000 churches.” When the monastery was founded (c. 930), Ani was still little more than a fortress. Soon, however, Ani grew into a royal city (960) and the see of the Catholicos (992), while the humble monastic congregation became the “rest place of the Kings,” the chaplaincy of the capital, an important cultural centre and a showcase of Bagratid architecture. It continued to develop and prosper up to the end of the 13th century.
From the 19th century onwards, the site was visited by learned travellers, who described the monuments and transcribed their inscriptions. About 1910, the famous historian of Armenian arts, T‘oros T‘oramanean, drew complete plans and elevations of the extant buildings, with a detailed account of their decoration. In 1920, however, Turkey annexed the province of Kars and Hoṙomos was included in a military zone, inaccessible to archaeological research. Only in 2013 and 2014, were Armenian visitors able to penetrate the site again and to take new photographs of monuments and inscriptions.
The present volume, with contributions by six authors, takes a fresh look at the site, providing exhaustive updated information. A comprehensive study of the history of the monastic congregation from the 10th to the 20th century is followed by a general survey of the architecture, a detailed examination of a new kind of monastic structure, the žamatun, endowed with rich symbolic decoration, a decipherment of the crosses and xač‘k‘ars, a review of the manuscript output of the scriptorium, and finally, an epigraphic corpus providing both a photograph and a drawing for each extant inscription, thus ensuring a much more complete and reliable text than in all previous editions and translations.
This publication was made possible by a generous grant from the Dolores Zohrab Liebmann Fund. ISBN : 978-2-916716-57-2
From the 19th century onwards, the site was visited by learned travellers, who described the monuments and transcribed their inscriptions. About 1910, the famous historian of Armenian arts, T‘oros T‘oramanean, drew complete plans and elevations of the extant buildings, with a detailed account of their decoration. In 1920, however, Turkey annexed the province of Kars and Hoṙomos was included in a military zone, inaccessible to archaeological research. Only in 2013 and 2014, were Armenian visitors able to penetrate the site again and to take new photographs of monuments and inscriptions.
The present volume, with contributions by six authors, takes a fresh look at the site, providing exhaustive updated information. A comprehensive study of the history of the monastic congregation from the 10th to the 20th century is followed by a general survey of the architecture, a detailed examination of a new kind of monastic structure, the žamatun, endowed with rich symbolic decoration, a decipherment of the crosses and xač‘k‘ars, a review of the manuscript output of the scriptorium, and finally, an epigraphic corpus providing both a photograph and a drawing for each extant inscription, thus ensuring a much more complete and reliable text than in all previous editions and translations.
This publication was made possible by a generous grant from the Dolores Zohrab Liebmann Fund. ISBN : 978-2-916716-57-2
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Maria Lidova Abstract: Certain early medieval religious artifacts demonstrate the possibility of the simultaneous use of disparate religious imagery. The sixth-century Egyptian amulet from the British Museum analyzed in this paper is a... more
Maria Lidova
Abstract:
Certain early medieval religious artifacts demonstrate the possibility of the simultaneous use of disparate religious imagery. The sixth-century Egyptian amulet from the British Museum analyzed in this paper is a good example of such practices. On one side, the oval surface of the metal plaque is covered with a detailed figurative cycle dedicated to Christ, fully in line with Constantinopolitan imagery. Yet, the other side bears representations that can hardly be read in Christian terms – a winged creature, flanked by magical signs, standing on two crocodiles and holding the tails of some scorpions. This figure derives from the image of Horus, an ancient Egyptian god. Such unprecedented combinations of religious imagery from distinct cultural contexts testify to the survival and integration of earlier beliefs in early Byzantium. They are demonstrative of various religious strategies that at times allowed the worshippers to reach out to several divine forces at once in search of protection and supernatural help.
Armen Kazaryan
Abstract:
Creating Transitions under the Dome: Byzantine and Iranian Shapes in the Works of 7th-Century Armenian Architects.
In the early 20th century, Josef Strzygowski suggested that the Armenian architecture played a transitional role between the Iranian domed structures and Byzantine Justinianic constructions (6th c.). Today, some points of that largely forgotten theory require revision and further consideration, especially since the majority of the Armenian central-domed churches are now attributed to the 7th century. In contrast to general abstract propositions on the meaning and nature of certain architectural forms, this study will focus on the origin of a specific shape of the under-dome squinch-pendentive transitions and their role in the space of Armenian churches. The scope of this paper will be to understand the impact of the Byzantine and Iranian artistic interactions on the creation of new architectural forms. In fact, the transitional element in question represents the most indicative evidence of the transformation and adaptation of the foreign motifs in Early Medieval architecture. The establishment of these connections is particularly important since the same kind of transition and architectural shape will continue to be used by Byzantine architects in the so-called cross-octagonal churches of the 10th-11th centuries.
Abstract:
Certain early medieval religious artifacts demonstrate the possibility of the simultaneous use of disparate religious imagery. The sixth-century Egyptian amulet from the British Museum analyzed in this paper is a good example of such practices. On one side, the oval surface of the metal plaque is covered with a detailed figurative cycle dedicated to Christ, fully in line with Constantinopolitan imagery. Yet, the other side bears representations that can hardly be read in Christian terms – a winged creature, flanked by magical signs, standing on two crocodiles and holding the tails of some scorpions. This figure derives from the image of Horus, an ancient Egyptian god. Such unprecedented combinations of religious imagery from distinct cultural contexts testify to the survival and integration of earlier beliefs in early Byzantium. They are demonstrative of various religious strategies that at times allowed the worshippers to reach out to several divine forces at once in search of protection and supernatural help.
Armen Kazaryan
Abstract:
Creating Transitions under the Dome: Byzantine and Iranian Shapes in the Works of 7th-Century Armenian Architects.
In the early 20th century, Josef Strzygowski suggested that the Armenian architecture played a transitional role between the Iranian domed structures and Byzantine Justinianic constructions (6th c.). Today, some points of that largely forgotten theory require revision and further consideration, especially since the majority of the Armenian central-domed churches are now attributed to the 7th century. In contrast to general abstract propositions on the meaning and nature of certain architectural forms, this study will focus on the origin of a specific shape of the under-dome squinch-pendentive transitions and their role in the space of Armenian churches. The scope of this paper will be to understand the impact of the Byzantine and Iranian artistic interactions on the creation of new architectural forms. In fact, the transitional element in question represents the most indicative evidence of the transformation and adaptation of the foreign motifs in Early Medieval architecture. The establishment of these connections is particularly important since the same kind of transition and architectural shape will continue to be used by Byzantine architects in the so-called cross-octagonal churches of the 10th-11th centuries.
Research Interests:
The proposed panel session focuses on the material evidence that is reflective of cultural and artistic interaction between different religions and imperial powers in the Early Middle Ages (6th-8th century). The aim of the session is to... more
The proposed panel session focuses on the material evidence that is reflective of cultural and artistic interaction between different religions and imperial powers in the Early Middle Ages (6th-8th century). The aim of the session is to demonstrate that art forms and imagery were constantly migrating. The visual and architectural language of the 'other' was often purposefully adopted in Byzantium or taken by 'others' from Byzantium, presupposing that non-Christian visual and architectural language could be used within a Christian environment and vice versa. The existing testimonies to this kind of transition and appropriation make a strong case for a certain transparency of the boundaries between different faiths and states at the time. The papers in this panel will focus on three artistic media (architecture, painting, and metalwork), introducing detailed and specific approaches to the overall problem in order to demonstrate the full diversity of interactive pathways. The ultimate goal of the session is to pose new questions and call for the re-evaluation of our assumptions regarding the political austerity and religious isolationism of Early Byzantium in light of existing material evidence.
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Having had hosted economic, social, religious, and artistic activities of different ethnic communities, in other words, civilizations, this geography possesses unrivalled cultural wealth. The creative processes that have existed over... more
Having had hosted economic, social, religious, and artistic activities of different ethnic communities, in other words, civilizations, this geography possesses unrivalled cultural wealth. The creative processes that have existed over centuries provide us with the means to better understand the
cultural accumulation of our modern day society, shed light upon ethnological, geographic and economic structures. They also constitute reference points for the future. These patterns also play a key role in analyzing concepts related to the identity formation such as traditionality, change, diversity and westernization.
The monuments and artifacts created by the different peoples living in present day Turkey have greatly contributed to the creation of common esthetic values. They all generated added value to our cultural heritage. In this context, the architectural products of different ethnic groups throughout history on Anatolian and Thracian soil prove to be quite significant. It is important that these items of architectural heritage currently facing oblivion, unprotected and endangered by nature and by
human intervention be documented and protected, and that the future survival of these cultural products be ensured for shedding light upon historical development and architectural history. Thus, with the aim of protecting these artifacts and ensuring that they reach future generations, it is first and foremost necessary to raise the awareness of the people, draw the attention of local and national authorities to the matter, and create public awareness regarding the protection of cultural heritage.
This book presents the results of architectural heritage assessment visits carried out by Anadolu Kultur and the Association for the Protection of Cultural Heritage in a number of cities during 2015-2016. In light of the expertise and professional experience of the participants, the architectural
styles, plans, current state and location of these structures were assessed and comparative risk analyses were made during the field visits.
The main goals of this work are to emphasize the necessity of emergency interventions to historical structures at risk, facilitate decision-making processes for the authorities, and relay accurate information to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Just as different stakeholders may benefit from
these assessment reports, we hope the information and findings within them will provide guidance for current and future restoration projects along with preservation strategies.
We believe that current and future projects of documentation and assessment are significant contributions to the protection of cultural heritage. The cultural heritage of Anatolia, which reflects a synthesis -and at times a paradoxical combination- of different styles of expression belong
to humanity at large. As people currently living on this land, we believe that it is our common responsibility to safeguard for the future generations the monuments and artifacts left by those communities who are no longer living here.
cultural accumulation of our modern day society, shed light upon ethnological, geographic and economic structures. They also constitute reference points for the future. These patterns also play a key role in analyzing concepts related to the identity formation such as traditionality, change, diversity and westernization.
The monuments and artifacts created by the different peoples living in present day Turkey have greatly contributed to the creation of common esthetic values. They all generated added value to our cultural heritage. In this context, the architectural products of different ethnic groups throughout history on Anatolian and Thracian soil prove to be quite significant. It is important that these items of architectural heritage currently facing oblivion, unprotected and endangered by nature and by
human intervention be documented and protected, and that the future survival of these cultural products be ensured for shedding light upon historical development and architectural history. Thus, with the aim of protecting these artifacts and ensuring that they reach future generations, it is first and foremost necessary to raise the awareness of the people, draw the attention of local and national authorities to the matter, and create public awareness regarding the protection of cultural heritage.
This book presents the results of architectural heritage assessment visits carried out by Anadolu Kultur and the Association for the Protection of Cultural Heritage in a number of cities during 2015-2016. In light of the expertise and professional experience of the participants, the architectural
styles, plans, current state and location of these structures were assessed and comparative risk analyses were made during the field visits.
The main goals of this work are to emphasize the necessity of emergency interventions to historical structures at risk, facilitate decision-making processes for the authorities, and relay accurate information to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Just as different stakeholders may benefit from
these assessment reports, we hope the information and findings within them will provide guidance for current and future restoration projects along with preservation strategies.
We believe that current and future projects of documentation and assessment are significant contributions to the protection of cultural heritage. The cultural heritage of Anatolia, which reflects a synthesis -and at times a paradoxical combination- of different styles of expression belong
to humanity at large. As people currently living on this land, we believe that it is our common responsibility to safeguard for the future generations the monuments and artifacts left by those communities who are no longer living here.
Research Interests:
REMIO (Religious Encounters between the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean) is a series of five lectures dedicated to various aspects of contact between diverse religions in the specified geographical space. The papers will discuss such... more
REMIO (Religious Encounters between the Mediterranean and the Indian
Ocean) is a series of five lectures dedicated to various aspects of contact
between diverse religions in the specified geographical space.
The papers will discuss such various subjects as the encounter of Jews and Christians in Southern Caucasus, including myths about Jews in Armenian and Georgian sources, Syriac hagiography and its representation of Jews, the religious diversity and its expression in medieval Afghanistan, artistic exchanges under Seljuq rule in medieval Anatolia and the problems of valorising and protecting the multi-religious cultural heritage (Armenian,
Greek and Islamic) in today's Republic of Turkey.
Ocean) is a series of five lectures dedicated to various aspects of contact
between diverse religions in the specified geographical space.
The papers will discuss such various subjects as the encounter of Jews and Christians in Southern Caucasus, including myths about Jews in Armenian and Georgian sources, Syriac hagiography and its representation of Jews, the religious diversity and its expression in medieval Afghanistan, artistic exchanges under Seljuq rule in medieval Anatolia and the problems of valorising and protecting the multi-religious cultural heritage (Armenian,
Greek and Islamic) in today's Republic of Turkey.
Research Interests:
A century ago, Josef Strzygowski considered that Armenian architecture played a transitional role between Iranian domed structures and Byzantine constructions of the Justinian epoch (6th century). Nowadays, some points of that almost... more
A century ago, Josef Strzygowski considered that Armenian architecture played a transitional role between Iranian domed structures and Byzantine constructions of the Justinian epoch (6th century). Nowadays, some points of that almost forgotten theory require revision and further consideration. But several ideas of the famous scholar deserve our attention. In particular, it is important to deepen the study of the probable Sasanian origins of some decorative motives and relief images of medieval Armenian architecture taking into consideration their new meaning in the context of Christian culture. The purpose of this study is to understand the impact of the Sasanian elements in the decoration system of Armenian churches of the 7th and the 10th-11th centuries, the periods of the highest development of national architecture, when it revealed the closest relationships with the Byzantine tradition. At the same time Armenian architecture interpreted both the Graeco-Roman and several local architectural peculiarities. The decoration of the domes in the interior of the 7th-century Armenian churches and the order-like blind arcades of the facades of the monuments of the Late Antique and Bagratid periods reveal Sasanian iconographic origins. Also, some ornaments and a range of mythical creatures on the reliefs and other features, such as the carpet-like curved ceilings of the zhamatun (narthex) of the Hoṙomos monastery, refect the artistic characteristics of the Sasanian and early Islamic Iranian architecture.
Research Interests:
Ałt‘amar est devenu, pour la postérité, le monument le plus célèbre d’un royaume du Vaspurakan, qui a existé, au sud de l’Arménie, entre 908 et 1021. Le Vaspurakan est consacré comme une entité territoriale distincte par le traité de 591,... more
Ałt‘amar est devenu, pour la postérité, le monument le plus célèbre d’un royaume du Vaspurakan, qui a existé, au sud de l’Arménie, entre 908 et 1021. Le Vaspurakan est consacré comme une entité territoriale distincte par le traité de 591, quand les conquêtes de Maurice entraînent la division de la province du Turuberan, en Tarawn, à l’Ouest, sous contrôle byzantin, et en Vaspurakan, à l’Est, sous domination sassanide.
L’étymologie de Vaspurakan est heureusement assez transparente pour laisser entrevoir par quelle évolution un banal adjectif en -akan, a pu acquérir un sens toponymique localisé dans cette région. Il est clair en effet que le radical est composé de l’épithète vas- signifiant « précieux, de haute noblesse », et de – pur-, reposant sur un thème indo-iranien, qui désigne le « fils », comme c’est le cas par exemple dans le nom du fleuve Brahmapoutre. Le Vaspurakan est donc la terre qui appartient en propre aux « fils de haute noblesse ».
Qui sont ces mystérieux personnages ? Tout simplement, les frères cadets ou les cousins du roi. Bref, tous les princes du sang, qu’il vaut mieux tenir à l’écart de la cour pour éviter les intrigues de palais, et autres rivalités fratricides. Movsēs Xorenac‘i nous apprend qu’à l’époque arsacide ces princes étaient consignés au Nord du lac de Van, près des pêcheries royales d’Aṙberani, et qu’ils ne pouvaient quitter ce secteur sans se rendre coupables de haute trahison. C’est ainsi que leur domaine princier fut qualifié de vaspurakan et que, par une sorte de métonymie, cet adjectif fut transformé en nom propre pour désigner des territoires de plus en plus étendus : au VIe siècle, l’Est du Turuberan puis, dès le VIIe siècle, presque tout le Sud-Est arménien, si l’on en croit la Géographie d’Anania Širakac‘i.
ISBN: 9789004400382
Publisher: Brill
L’étymologie de Vaspurakan est heureusement assez transparente pour laisser entrevoir par quelle évolution un banal adjectif en -akan, a pu acquérir un sens toponymique localisé dans cette région. Il est clair en effet que le radical est composé de l’épithète vas- signifiant « précieux, de haute noblesse », et de – pur-, reposant sur un thème indo-iranien, qui désigne le « fils », comme c’est le cas par exemple dans le nom du fleuve Brahmapoutre. Le Vaspurakan est donc la terre qui appartient en propre aux « fils de haute noblesse ».
Qui sont ces mystérieux personnages ? Tout simplement, les frères cadets ou les cousins du roi. Bref, tous les princes du sang, qu’il vaut mieux tenir à l’écart de la cour pour éviter les intrigues de palais, et autres rivalités fratricides. Movsēs Xorenac‘i nous apprend qu’à l’époque arsacide ces princes étaient consignés au Nord du lac de Van, près des pêcheries royales d’Aṙberani, et qu’ils ne pouvaient quitter ce secteur sans se rendre coupables de haute trahison. C’est ainsi que leur domaine princier fut qualifié de vaspurakan et que, par une sorte de métonymie, cet adjectif fut transformé en nom propre pour désigner des territoires de plus en plus étendus : au VIe siècle, l’Est du Turuberan puis, dès le VIIe siècle, presque tout le Sud-Est arménien, si l’on en croit la Géographie d’Anania Širakac‘i.
ISBN: 9789004400382
Publisher: Brill