Sevanavank

40.56391745.010808Koordinaten: 40 ° 33 ' 50.1 "N, 45 ° 0' 38.9 " E

Sevanavank (Armenian: " Սեւանավանք ", ie Sewankloster ) is a monastery on the northwestern shore of Lake Sevan in the Gegharkunik province of Armenia, near the town of Sevan. The monastery stood on an uninhabited until the end of the 8th century small island in the lake; only the massive discharge of lake water for agricultural irrigation projects during the Soviet era and thereby greatly reduced water levels made ​​from the former island today peninsula.

History

The monastery was, according to an inscription in the smaller of the two Churches, founded in 874 by the princess Mariam, daughter of the future King Ashot I. and wife of regional prince Vasak - Gabor of Syunik. At the point some monks had been a chapel and some cells built around the year 800. Core of the monastery were three small built in 874 churches, one of which still exist two ( Surb Arakelots and Surb Astvatsatsin ). To this the other monastic buildings (library, school, residential buildings, etc.) were grouped, of which nothing remains today. Was Sevanavank, in contrast to almost all other surrounding Armenian monasteries, by any defensive wall, since the insularity this is not necessitated. Life in the monastery was strict, because the monastery was intended for monks from Echmiadzin who had sinned there, as well as for Armenian noblemen who had fallen out of favor. The French Caucasus researcher Jean -Marie Chopin visited Sevanavank in 1830 and reported that there was neither meat nor wine, young people and women there. Another explorer reported in 1850 that you still copied manuscripts by hand. Sevanavank Ashot I also served as a refuge and base during his fights against Arab invaders, and priests and monks battled on the Armenian side, both with repeated attacks of the Arabs and the Ottomans. The monks of Sevanavank were known for their healing, which was based on the growing plants around the lake, and some of their Nuturrezepte are still in use today.

The monastery was a place of pilgrimage and existed as such until 1930, when the last monks had to leave the site during the Stalin era. Today, the complex of the Armenian Apostolic Church will entertain, which operates a seminary at the northern end of the peninsula.

Today's state

The two churches, Surb Arakelots ( " Holy Apostles" ) and Surb Astvatsatsin ( "Mother of God " ), have cruciform plan with an octagonal drum above the center, in traditional Armenian church architecture. On the reel sits a conical dome, with conical squinches, outside through designed in the form of a prism with an octagonal tower pyramid. The interior of both churches is rectangular on the west side, while the other three arms of the cross form semi-circular apses. The south-east of Surb Surb Astvatsatsin Arakelots standing is about 12 × 15 meters floor plan slightly larger than Surb Arakelots with their 8 × 10 meters and was probably built after Surb Arakelots. Also, it contains a small, later grown side chapel and several ancillary rooms at either end of the north side. Directly west of Surb Astvatsatsin are the remains of an adjacent to the church in the 9th or 10th century square Gawits ( porch ), through which one entered the church and its roof was once worn by six wooden pillars. Remains of the Gawits and two wooden capitals are now in the Historical Museum in Yerevan, as well as several carved doors from the monastery dating from the 12th to the 16th century. Within the Gawit - foundations are a number of impressive Chatschkare, artistically hewn stone, with a cross in the middle.

Peninsula Sevanavank

On the south shore of the peninsula today is a guesthouse of the Armenian Writers' Association, and on the east bank is the summer residence of the President of Armenia. Due to good road and rail links with the capital Yerevan, the well-developed tourist industry in Sevan and the scenic countryside location, Sevanavank is a much visited place.

Pictures

Church Surb Astvatsatsin

Door of the church Surb Arakelots

Surb Arakelots with Lake Sevan and Geghama Mountains (left) in the background

Peninsula Sevanavank

Sevanavank from afar

Island and monastery Sevanavank in the 19th century (Paris, 1869, T. Deyrolle )

Monastery Sevanavank seen from the lake