Areni Church

39.72278645.191303Koordinaten: 39 ° 43 ' 22 " N, 45 ° 11' 28.7 " E

The Areni Church (Armenian Արենիի եկեղեցի ), also Surb Astvatsatsin of Areni ( Սուրբ Աստուածածին եկեղեցի ) is dedicated to one of the Mother of God ( Surb Astvatsatsin ) cross-domed church of the Armenian Apostolic Church in the village of Areni (formerly Arpa ) in the südarmenischen province Wajoz Dzor. The show an unusually harmonious form and ornamental design art historically significant Mother of God Church was designed by architect and sculptor Momik and designed with figural reliefs. The founding inscription is dated 1321.

Location

Situated at an altitude of 1054 meters in the valley of the river Arpa 1800 inhabitants village Areni is the center of one of the famous Armenian wine-growing regions. The Mother of God Church stands alone outside the village on a hill above the south bank of the Arpa. She is watching from a distance, even if the pink tuff masonry color hardly stands out against the backdrop of the immediately behind the church steep ridge. From the one kilometer south of the highway M2 located town center leads to the bridge over the Arpa a road to the church. One kilometer east of the M2 branches of a side road to the monastery from Noravank, located on the mountainside just before the end of a picturesque valley.

The flat area around the church is covered with grass, on the slope to the river and on the side of the mountain in the south outweigh boulders and vegetation-free rock walls. Like most small cross-domed churches in Armenia is surrounded by an old cemetery, the Areni Church. A few meters away, modern tombs spread in the plane up to the mountain.

History

Simple, roughly shaped grave stones that are set up around the church, may have been made from the early days of Christianity. The fine crafted Chatschkare, however, are contemporary with the church. Your motivic origins date back to pre-Christian times. Some reliefs of these memory stones show - for the region characteristic - Wine men drinking and wine glasses.

The foundation inscription of 1321 on the west portal mentioned the architect Momik and his principal bishop Yovhannes Orbelian Noravank. Momik had become famous for his in 1300 at the University Gladzor ( presumably in Tanahat monastery was located ) custom built illuminated manuscripts, before he came to Noravank, where he worked as a sculptor and created reliefs for churches and Chatschkare. The draft Areni Church shows Momik at the height of his creative power. The same time or a little earlier resulting figure relief above the west portal of the Gawits in Noravank is also attributed Momik.

The region along the river Arpa belonged since the end of the 13th century to the center of the Principality of Orbelian Dynasty. While the north of present-day Armenia suffered in the 14th century under the Mongol rule, the regions Arpa and more experienced southern Syunik with the independent princes Orbelian - cultural heyday. Through their patronage numerous churches were built and expanded monasteries. Near the Areni church ruins were found, which might have heard in the 13th century palace of the Prince Tarsayich Orbelian. He also 1265-1287 a bridge near the church on the Arpa build.

During an earthquake in 1840, the church was severely damaged. In photos from the first half of the 20th century are still missing the collapsed during the earthquake drum and dome. 1967 to 1972 the building was restored. In 1998, the dome was rebuilt during the tenure of the Catholicos Karekin Sarkissian.

Design

At the beginning of the 7th century brought little cross-domed churches. After the number of apses them as Monokonchos were trained ( a semi-circular Altarapside in the East and Lmbatavank ) Trikonchos ( three apses, Mother of God church in Talin ) or as a perfectly symmetrical shape with four apses ( Tetrakonchos ). Most of them belonged to a cemetery and can be functionally attributed to the Memorialbauten. In addition to the central buildings, whose cross-shaped floor plan is emerging in outline, jacketed cross-domed churches have been developed. Its plan is enrolled in an outer rectangle. The Monokonchos the Areni Church corresponds to this type, the transverse arches of the main cylinder to rest only on the two eastern inner corners and - be worn in the east of two free-standing pillars - as a special feature in Armenia. The two-pillar structure comes in the medieval Byzantine and Georgian church architecture frequently, while for small Armenian cross-domed churches of the drum rises above the four inside corners of the cross-shaped floor plan and rest in larger churches tambour and dome on four free-standing pillars. Models for the latter Kuppelbasiliken were the Cathedral of Odsun (possibly mid- 6th century ) and the second cathedral of Surb Grigor of Dwin from the beginning of the 7th century.

The two eastern sheet supports are formed by the partitions of the horseshoe-shaped apse. Rectangular side rooms with small Rundapsiden fill the outer corners of the side of the apse. The increased by a Bema ( platform) altar apse receives light from a double window that consists of two cross-shaped apertures. The side rooms are illuminated by narrow window slits. Another window opening of the same size is located in the gable of the north side. The two inputs are in the middle of the west and south walls.

In the corners of the central square formed by the transverse arches lead pendentives on the inside circular base form of the main cylinder. Each Pendant is designed with a plastic protruding figural relief one of the four evangelist symbols ( Tetramorphe ), which are limited to the drum by a revolving geometric frieze. The living style of the characters is unusual for Armenia and was characterized with reference to Momiks origin of Cilicia as gothic, because he might have met there by contact with Crusaders design elements of European church architecture. The Tetramorphe were certainly widely used in the Byzantine painting, and came from there in a simplified form to the plastic design of some Armenian churches from the 10th to the 13th century.

Tetramorph in the Northeast: Matthew as a human or angel

Tetramorph in the Northwest: John as an eagle

Tetramorph in the Southwest: Luke as a bull

A triple- tiered waagrechtes frieze runs in the top of walls on all sides. It forms the transition between wall and apse dome half shell, the capitals replaced between half-columns on the wall corners and transverse arches and overcomes with a rectangular offset the top of the arched windows. Apart from the figurative representations, the ornamental design is economical and consistent composed in every detail.

The reconstructed, outside 24-page drum is divided by eight window slits with two V-shaped sunken niches in between. The financial statements of the upper wall surfaces rectangular alternating with round Wulstprofilen, so there is an unusually lively design from the use of these economical means. The dome is crowned by a canopy that reaches with a triple- stepped and serrated eaves the transition to the wall. The frames of the windows and doors on the west and south sides are connected by circular section bars.

The two Tympanonfelder above the entrances are framed by a pointed arch profiles. Above the south porch, the field is rather casually decorated with the motif of a vegetable- designed cross. Of particular importance, however, is the tympanum above the main entrance to the west. The bas-relief shows a designed by Momik seated Mary with child on a background of dense plant vines in the special design as Hodegetria. The shape may be influenced by the slightly older tympanum on Gawit in Noravank. According to another view the tympanum in Noravank is stylistically different from Areni and dates back to the late 13th century. A medallion at the bottom right of the west gable contains a header with Mongolian features. Maybe the Mongols is head for the rule this people over the Armenians.