Tetraconch

As Tetrakonchos (also: Vierkonchenanlage, Vierkonchenchor or Vierapsidenkirche ) is an architectural design with four apses, so called semi-circular apses. The apses are located at Tetrakonchos on the four sides of the church building, while they often juxtaposed with Dreiapsidenkirchen on a building wall.

Design and Examples

A Tetrakonchos is a variant of the central building, the adjoining the transept of a church building arms are of equal length and terminate in apses or in a choir. In addition, other niches and round corner spaces can be grown.

This type of church is an original creation of the Southern Caucasus and was built there during a relatively short time. These include for example:

• Vierapsidenkirche of Kherson, Ukraine, 7th century
• Monastery Djvari at Mtskheta in Georgia to 600
• Sioni church of Ateni, Georgia, 7th century
• Cathedral of Etchmiadzin, Armenia to 485
• Armenian central buildings of the " Mastara type ": Mastara, monastery church Haritschawank, Sergiuskirche in Artik, all in Armenia, 7th century; Cathedral of Kars, eastern Turkey, 10th century
• Armenian central buildings of the " Awan - Hripsime type " Cathedral Awan ( Yerevan ), St. Hripsime church in Echmiadzin, 7th century
• Orthodox Vierapsidenkirche of Gurasada, Romania, 1300
• Sainte-Croix chapel near the southern French town of Arles, 12th century.

Monokonchos to Oktokonchos

Monokonchen are cross-domed churches with three trained as a rectangle arms and a semicircular apse in the east ( Lmbatavank, Armenia, 7th Century ). In Trikonchenanlagen the western part has a rectangular base increases (Example: Mother of God church in Talin, Armenia, 7th Century ). Six - and Achtkonchenkirchen occurred in the early Byzantine architecture and rare in Armenia. As Hexakonchos ( six conches ) was built in the 10th century, the church of Saint Gregory in Ani as well as Oktokonchos ( eight conches ) the Sorawor Church at Jeghward from the 7th century and the Church of the Redeemer in Ani from 1036. The unusual number of seven apses ( Heptakonchos ) has the Armenian Church of Irind from the 7th century.