Oshki
ÖSK Vank, Turkish, also Öşkvank, " ÖSK Monastery " Georgian ოშკი, Oschki, is derived from the 10th century former monastery of the medieval Georgian Kingdom Tao Klardschetien. In the village in the province of Erzurum Çamlıyamaç in northeastern Turkey, the ruins of the largest cross-domed church of the region has been preserved with an elaborate architectural sculpture.
Location
41.02722222222241.906666666667Koordinaten: 41 ° 1 ' 38 "N, 41 ° 54' 24" E
From the highway in the valley of Tortum River, which connects Artvin about Tortum with Erzurum, branches two to three kilometers south of the dammed Tortum Lake and nine kilometers north of the small town Uzundere a road along a stream to the west in an initially broad flat valley from. The after a few kilometers between rugged mountains steeper mountain valley leads up the southern slope of mescit Dağları, a mountain range with several 3200 meter high peaks. After eight kilometers, from south to see in the center towering church. The village lies Çamlıyamaç height of 1270 m and has the central square next to the church a new mosque and a small grocery store.
Besides ÖSK Vank are the best preserved Georgian churches in the region in a parallel valley Haho few kilometers south, and Dörtkilise, İşhan and Barhal which are accessible from the small town of Yusufeli.
History
In the 9th and 10th centuries, many churches and monasteries in Tao - Klardschetien were built, which was the only Georgian- Christian territories outside the Arab sphere of influence before it was united end of the 10th century with three other principalities of the Kingdom of Georgia. The first monastery of the region from the middle of the 8th century was Opiza, this and many other monasteries evolved into major cultural and educational centers.
General characteristics of Georgian churches are its clear and impressive high construction and arcades around the windows on the outside walls. The floor plan of the nave is combined with a cross-domed church emphasizes the dome of the square in front of the sanctuary and which is increased by a durchfensterten drum. Precursor of this design are the yet entered in the 6th century acting basilicas, as preserved in today's Georgia. Their broad structure was increased mightily in the churches of the 10th century.
With the construction of the monastery was begun 963, made possible by a foundation belonging to the dynasty of David Bagratides ruler III. (David the Great, reg. 961-1000 ) and his brother Bagrat († 966 ), sons of Adarnasse III. Kuropalat. The church was completed in 973 or a little later.
On the tympanum of the portal at the southern Kreuzbau the long, on behalf of the project manager Grigol ( Gregor Oschkeli ) wrote inauguration inscription in red letters of Mrglowani, the earliest Georgian font remained. Grigol was probably the leading Georgian architect in the 10th century. From the inscription can be inferred that the Church believed Mary and John the Baptist was consecrated. It contains following the Ehrerweise for the biblical saints and Georgian ruler a detailed breakdown of labor costs in kind for workers and other expenses.
As the region belonged to the Byzantine Empire in the 11th century, let Emperor Basil II (r. 976-1025 ) and Constantine VIII (reigned 1025-1028 ) renovate the buildings 1022-1025 and renew the roofs. Middle of the 16th century came Tao Klardschetien to the Ottoman Empire. From the 17th century the Georgian Tao - Klardschetiens is known mostly to Islam. Like other Georgian churches belonging to villages, the Church of Vank ÖSK was rededicated as a mosque: From the late 19th century until 1980, it served as a mosque. In 1985 the Ministry of Culture presented the complex historical monument.
Design
The original church building of yellowish sandstone exterior measures 43.8 × 29.7 meters and is by far the largest cross-domed church of the region dar. The dome apex reached the enormous height of 34 meters. The floor plan is an epiphany, which is extended by a wide nave to the west. The pointed barrel vault of the nave is almost completely collapsed, so that from within the view of the resulting drum and the dome is released. The mean semi-circular apse within the east wall is 7.5 meters wide and 7.3 meters deep. It is flanked by two lateral rectangular side rooms ( Pastophorien ), which are two stories each and each culminating with semicircular apses. According to the rules of a central building to meet the apses of the three sides, the north and south are a little wider, but only 5.7 meters deep at 8.3 meters and are also surrounded by ( slightly shorter ) side rooms. Four detached massive pillars support the central dome, whose inside diameter is nine meters. Outside it is surmounted by a conical roof. The transition from the square to the circular shape of the main cylinder is carried out in the corners on fan-like monolithic pendentives. In the nave was located along the north wall of a gallery that was directly accessible from the outside via a one meter wide door on the west facade. As Sunrise probably served a wooden staircase.
The nave west building a semi-open South Gallery and a closed side room in the north were added with a barrel vault. The room to the south is covered by four prism- shaped ornamented vaults in a row between the crosswise transverse arches. On the outside they are resting on pillars that act in relation to the stone gables above dainty. Both additions to the east end in apses.
On the exterior facades of the three apses cut triangular niches into the wall and mark the outside so the space shared between the central and lateral apses. The gable walls are vertically divided by five blind arches that fit in height of the roof slope. Only on the west facade of the nave lack this structure. Eye-catcher on otherwise unadorned west gable is a semi-circular window pair that is laterally surrounded by twisted double columns and in the middle of an octagonal pillar. In the ornamental forms of blind arches above the two windows animals can be seen. Links imposes a lion a bull ( King symbolism ), the mythical creatures right could have Sassanid models. In the middle of the window between the two groups of animals viewed from the platform on a pillar of the bust of a man who spreads his arms to pray towards the viewer. It is either the Syrian Stylites Simeon Stylites the Elder ( 389-459 ), or born in Antioch Symeon Stylites the Younger ( 521-592 ), which was greatly venerated in the Eastern Churches.
In high mean blind arch of Südgiebels the reliefs of two angels protrude from the facade. The left figure is made smaller, but careful and represents the Archangel Michael is right there is the straighter Archangel Gabriel to see. Their heads are chopped off. Even the head of the eagle among them is missing. He holds a bull in its claws, a symbol of sovereign power.
The most significant relief on the outer walls can be found on the south side of the Ostkonchenbaus. In high relief three meters are displayed side by side on the floor five 1.46 meter high and 0.7 meter wide figures in high relief. It is one of the earliest monumental Deesis groups of the Orthodox Church. Christ at the center in a blessing posture is barely recognizable, as is the to him zuwendende John on the right side. On the left side of the middle group is Mary, the mother goddess. The three are surrounded by the founders Bagrat on the left and David III. on the right. Both passed the model of a church .. They are shown with rectangular halos, a sign that they have been alive when the painting was made. The nimbus of David is still partly preserved. A kneeling figure could represent architects, Grigol. The row of holes of the outer border line contained precious stones.
The reel is circulating structured by 24 blind arches on coupled turned half columns, the capitals are decorated with floral patterns, in some animals can be seen. Every second wall panel includes a window.
Inside, there were only a few frescoes depicting the large-sized saints obtained. According to an inscription, the paintings were commissioned by a patriarch Gagik 1036 in order. The northern apse round could have been painted with angels or apostles. In the southern conch represents the left fresco fragment is a crucifixion scene, the right shows a group of people in front of the round church of Bana. In between are three major figures, the average is interpreted as Jesus holding a scroll in his hand. On the south dome pillars are reliefs of the founders recognized. They wear crowns, long robes, and in one hand a cross. According to the inscription shows the left and right relief David Bagrat.
In the half-open south gallery of the western part of the outer wall is bricked, the western, supporting the dome piers in this part of space is therefore difficult to see in the dark. The massive octagonal pier supports just such a capital. The shaft is fully decorated with fine palmette relief, at its upper end he goes with a bead in the capital over. On the north side stands here between the palmettes man with a beard and long robe. Total dive the pier shaft to 15 small heads, some wear crowns. They may represent members of Bagratides family, then the bearded man would be the Biblical King David, to which the Bagratides traced their ancestry legend. On each side of the capital, two angels are depicted in different poses. We identified an angel standing on the southwest side as Archangel Raphael and the two angels standing on the northwest side as Michael and Gabriel right next to it. At this height, protrude four stone blocks from the pier shaft, two of which are decorated with Reliefporträits of the two early Christian healers Cosmas and Damian. They are recognizable by their attributes probe and vessel in their hands, their heads were chopped off. According to a now-vanished inscription to the small bust of a woman with her hands raised above the holy Cosmas represent Nino, who is venerated as the first Christian missionary Georgia.
On the west side of the pier can be seen in orante-pose to the capital, the bust of a praying person, it is interpreted as Symeon Stylites. At the upper pier shaft on the west side of Deesis group with Mary left and John was cut off to the right of Jesus with halo in recent times. Jesus and Mary held the floor- scrolls in their hands. The triad was shown frontally, only the position of the feet showed that the two outer figures turned towards Jesus in the middle. Right between the palmettes under the Deesis group stretched a bearded bald man with his hands like a supplication to the top. On the now virtually disappeared accompanying inscription beside the figure could be read: " Christ may be his servant Grigol have mercy. " This long robe with wide belt has this Grigol than a civilian person, therefore, only the architect of the temple be mapped.
30 meters north of the church was a 34 × 19 -meter three-nave building of coarse assembled stones, which served as possibly the refectory ( dining hall). It bordered a smaller square domed building with a light opening in the middle of the ceiling, which ( were made orderly room, in the copies of the manuscripts ) as a scriptorium and may have served the library. In addition there are the remains of three rectangular chapels between 50 and 200 meters southwest of the church. The smaller one with a 4.3 × 2.5 meters in length is relatively well preserved. From the larger chapel east of it remained only small residues. It had a main room with a round apse and an attached low in the north side room with a shed roof.