Byurakan

Byurakan (Armenian Բյուրական ), other transcriptions Byurakan, Biurakan, Burakan, is a small town in the Central Armenian province on the southern slopes of Aragats Aragazotn. The economic development of the town is connected with the establishment of the Byurakan Observatory in 1946. In the center of the well preserved St. John's Church ( Surb Hovhannes ), a basilica from the 10th century stands, and outside in the east are the ruins of Artavazik church, a small cross-domed church from the 7th century.

Location

Byurakan is located approximately 25 kilometers north-west of Yerevan at 1438 meters above sea level on the intermediate pastures planted with forest islands south slope of Aragats, rising from the valley of the Aras up to 4090 meters with the highest peaks in the country. Several deeply incised river valleys dissect all sides star shape of the mountain slope and the shallow levels of the environment. The Springing near the summit Amberd flows in the same gorge into the valley, which is also walking very difficult to cross over long distances.

Byurakan is the first settlement on the east side of Amberd Gorge on the road H20, which in Agarak ( seven kilometers west of Ashtarak ) branches from the M1 motorway in the plane, after four kilometers leads through the village and on the 3200 meters high mountain lake Kari Lich ends. Halfway between Byurakan and Lake branches off from the H20 a paved road to the west, which leads through the gorge to the fort ruins Amberd Amberd. The second option, on the hill to cross the gorge is a steep winding gravel road on the right of the village of Byurakan Orgov and then Tegher can be reached with the same monastery on the west side opposite.

History

At the site, which was founded in the 7th century and developed in subsequent centuries fortress Amberd traces of settlement from the Early Bronze Age ( from the mid-4th millennium BC) and the Urartian period (first half of the 1st millennium BC) found. Byurakan was from the Early Bronze Age in the vicinity of the settlement of Agarak a fortified outpost for Amberd and in the Middle Ages as a bulwark to protect the summer residence of the Bagratides in the 10th century and the Pahlavunis, an Armenian princely family from the 11th century. Beginning of the 10th century took place in Byurakan a battle between the Arabs and the Armenian prince who rebelled against their rule. Otherwise, about the history of the place, little is known.

In 1946, the astrophysicist Viktor Hambarzumjan ( 1908-1996 ) in Byurakan an observatory, which was under his direction, one of the leading astrophysical research institutions. 1951-1955 the first telescopes were built, including a Cassegrain reflecting telescope. In the 1960s, the researchers started with a program for observation of galaxies, resulting in a data set of 20 million celestial bodies arose that were ranked according to certain criteria groups. In 1997 a museum was opened to the private collection of the Library of Hambarzumjan.

Townscape

In the census of 2001, the official population was 4312th According to official statistics lived in January 2012 in Byurakan 4722 inhabitants. A network of winding alleys connecting the large orchards surrounded, isolated standing houses. The center is a park with a high brick fountain sculpture on a stone platform on the thoroughfare. The Basilica is located a few meters above the park in an east side street. In this direction, a road leads to the ruins of Artavazik Church in a rocky area at the edge of the gorge of a mountain stream on the eastern outskirts of the village. At the northern end of the town Byurakan grew together along the H20 with Antarut (294 inhabitants in January 2012). The street village Antarut on the average height of 1524 meters was established in the second half of the 19th century and was called until 1949 Inaklu.

The observatory is located on the southern outskirts. Another telescope is a few kilometers away on the west side of Amberd Gorge in the village near Orgov Tegher. Both are not to be confused with the research station for cosmic rays is much higher on the mountain by the lake Kara Lich. The Museum in Hambarzumjans private home nestled in a large park in the south near the observatory.

St. John's Church

The St. John's Church ( Surb Hovhannes ) is a rare single-nave basilica, whose windowless clerestory as an Armenian domed hall ( Cathedral of Arutsch, 7th century or the main church of the monastery Marmashen, 11th century ) is based on two pilasters pairs that about of the longitudinal walls in the 6.5 m wide space project. The pillars are connected to each other along the walls by semicircular arches, which instead of the aisles on each side three niches are formed. The round arches support the barrel vault over the prayer hall; built between the half-columns in front of the pilasters transverse arches reinforce the longitudinal structure of the space in three parts. In the east, the high podium ( Bema ) of unusually rectangular chancel joins. Its width corresponds approximately to the inside width of the nave between the pilasters. Stairs on either side lead up to the Bema. The likewise rectangular side rooms in the east are located on the ground level of the oratory and are reachable by inputs from the lateral niches. Three narrow arched windows in the longitudinal walls, two equally large windows one above the other in the east wall and two smaller windows in the west wall there and brighten up the room. In addition, two circular windows come to the three sides of the wall above the altar and another in the west gable.

For special hybrid between church and basilica hall is an equally remarkable design of the outer longitudinal sides. The eastern side rooms are lower than the roofs over the niches of the nave and project laterally beyond the main building, so there is a T-shaped ground plan. The facade design is also different. In the West the long facades correspond to the classic early Armenian pattern with horseshoe-shaped ornament friezes above the windows, only the round-arched porch to the main entrance on the south facade presents an idiosyncratic creation dar. The higher wall region of eastern clerestory is structured by profiled arches over double half- columns on models refer to Roman temples. From pre-Christian architectural tradition derives its broad three-stage base. The brick with ashlar of pink tufa walls obviously belong to different phases, which could date back to the 5th century. The church is carefully restaurieriert and is used for religious services. The park around the church there are some old Chatschkare.

Artavazik Church

The ruins of the Church Artavazik said to have received its name from a former Armenian ruler who probably acted as founders. A donor's inscription is not known. The once elegant building, which is one for the 7th century typical, unclad cross-domed church with Monokonchos, so a Zentralbautyp in which three cross arms inside rectangular and the eastern altar apse is semicircular in shape and the outer walls form a cross-shaped floor plan. In this case, a U-shaped chancel standing over an extended western arm.

The best preserved representative of this type, in which the load of a dome -covered central main cylinder is worn on the inside corners of the walls, make Lmbatavank and Kamrawor Church of Ashtarak Represent related to Trikonchenanlagen as the small Mother of God Church ( Surb Astvatsatsin ) in Talin. The small cross-domed churches of the 7th century were commonly referred to as grave chapels and belonged to a cemetery, most have disappeared or only preserved as ruins.

The transverse arches between the inner corners of the walls formed a square basic shape of the fan-shaped squinches instead of the pendentives to the inside circular cross -section of the dome initiated later used. In the northeast, a chapel with a rectangular chamber and a small circular apse was added later, extend their outer walls slightly above the main building. Access was from the northern side arm. Such an extension is in the direction of some jacketed cross-domed churches, where adjoining rooms are fitted as in the Stephen Church in Kosh from the 7th century on both sides of the apse.

In the tympanum above the lintel of the chapel wall painting of a Madonna and Child in a blue color persisted. In the 13th century a round bell tower was built on the ridge above the west gable, whose conical roof was supported by four slender columns. By 2005, the bell tower collapsed during a lightning strike. Get remained the west gable, about two feet of the adjacent south wall, most of the north wall and a group of Ostkonche. Exactly in line with the church stands opposite on the east side of the small canyon a huge khachkar, which was set up as the bell tower at the same time.