Lernakert, Shirak

Lernakert (Armenian Լեռնակերտ ), previous names Shirvan ( English transliteration Shirvan ), Schirwandschuk ( Shirvandzhug ), is one of cattle embossed, high -altitude village in the northwestern Armenian province of Shirak. Its history dates back to early Christian times. Noteworthy are several old residential buildings with elaborately framed ashlar masonry. In the center of the best preserved church hall in the country from the 5th or 6th century stands.

Location

40.56694444444443.936111111111Koordinaten: 40 ° 34 '1 " N, 43 ° 56' 10" E

Lernakert situated on a treeless, grassy highlands at 2012 meters ( 1990 feet Vertical separation ) on the northwestern slopes of Mount Aragats. A three-kilometer long, steady climb leading, paved driveway, which ends in place, branches off in Pemzaschen from the main road that connects Maralik (on the M1 between Yerevan and Gyumri ) with Artik. A field crops on the barren, sometimes interspersed with boulders hills does not occur. The hilly meadows are solely for the cattle, which is the main occupation of the agricultural population. Some green summer trees around the houses show that the place is located in a favored by abundant water sink on an otherwise dry slope.

Townscape

At the 2001 census the official population in 1449 were registered. For January 2012 is the official statistics to 1541 inhabitants. In protected by fences or stone walls, gardens growing some vegetables (cabbage, potatoes ) is operated for self catering. A lot of the buildings are cattle sheds, store between which high- piled bales of hay as winter feed. At the bottom, obviously younger part of the village farmsteads spread over a wide distance from each other in an open field. Of this, the higher-lying compact town center, surrounded by gardens whose houses are partially unusually carefully bricked between the farm buildings is different. Lernakert is connected to the gas supply network.

The square of pink tuff with some old houses from the 18th or 19th century are carefully smoothed. Occasionally the wall corners are accented by pilasters which terminate in ornamented Kapitellsteinen. Door and window lintels, sills and cornices of view facades can also be rich in variety in relief. However, the most wonderful design elements bear the abandoned house ruins.

Church

The church is close between houses a few meters to the left from the main square in the town center. It is an elongated nave hall with a barrel vault, which is divided by three transverse arches, which are supported by pilasters into four bays of 3.6 meters long and 5.4 meters wide. In the East, a somewhat reduced in width horseshoe-shaped apse connects. Its depth is 3.2 meters. The outer base shape is a simple rectangle of 22.4 × 8.2 meters. The outer walls are very massive 1.4 meters. They rise outside 5.2 meters from a tight two-stage base ( Krepis ) to the eaves. The wall height is 4.8 meters from the inside arc approach. Josef Strzygowski took in addition to these measurements, a 1.55 meter high barrel vault on that completely lacked during his visit in 1913 and was reconstructed after the turn of the millennium. The two approaches are in the middle of the west and the south wall. The hall church unique to Armenia preserved is dated to the 5th or 6th century.

The simple Armenian hall churches apparently inspiration in the work house churches in Syria, of which Qirqbize in the field of the dead cities has remained the oldest known example from the 4th century as a ruin. Even if they have the same basic rectangular shape, Armenian hall churches in size and design details are very different. How Lernakert over 20 meters long were, for example, the single-nave churches of Werischen ( Verishen in Goris ) and Jeghward ( province Aragazotn, 5th - 6th century, small groups), less than 8 meters or less a church in Awan (district of Yerevan ) in Pemzaschen and Karenis ( Kotayk province ). In most of the apse is built into an outside straight east wall.

The architectural decoration outside consists of a restored Zahnschnittgesims at the eaves and at gable. The lintel above the arches of the twin window in the west wall shows a parallel line pattern and about three medallions in bas-relief. The above the south portal cantilevered arch is badly damaged. On the southern long side is ensured by two arched windows in the apse and a narrower window for moderately light. The North Face possessing only one window in the eastern half.

A recorded prior to 1973 photo shows the exterior walls without vault roof. This building was used during the socialist period and until after 2000 as haystacks. 2011, the church was completely restored and re-covered with a tiled roof. It is now used as a church.