Ishkhani

The church of the monastery İşhan

İşhan, Ischkani or Ischchan (Georgian იშხანი, Armenian Իշխան, from the Armenian word for " prince "; Turkish İşhan ) is an abandoned Christian monastery on the territory of modern Turkish province of Artvin.

The monastery was one of the most important religious centers in medieval Tajk, later Tao - Klardschetien. The first church was the Armenian Catholicos Nerses III. the builder built in the 7th century, who himself came from the village Ischchan in Tajk and when Nerses III. Ischchanezi is known.

The church was in the plan from four conches, a central dome and four star-shaped apses. She was devastated during the Arab invasions of the 7th century.

In the first half of the 8th century, the church was abandoned after the Arab conquest, and Saba Ischchneli, one of the followers of Gregory of Chandsta, they renewed in the first half of the 10th century. In the medieval Georgian hagiography of Gregory of Chandsta the church is mentioned as follows:

"By the will of God was Saba Bishop of Ischchan, with the domination of the bishopric and the cathedral, which was built by St. Nerses, Catholicos of Armenia. This was devastated and deserted for many years. Now she was from St.. Saba rebuilt, with the help of those pious princes, and Ischchan came to an everlasting flower for all time. "

The shape of Sabas restored church is unclear. Your four conches corresponded to the Cathedral of Zvart'not and the later church of Bana, maybe it was a three-aisled basilica, which filled the eastern part of the present church.