Holy Mother of God Church ( Armenian: Սուրբ Աստվածածին եկեղեցի), sometimes known as Yeghvard Church, is a medieval Armenian church located at the center of

Yeghvard Yeghvard ( hy, Եղվարդ) is a town and urban municipal community in the Kotayk Province of Armenia. It is located 39 kilometres southwest of the provincial centre Hrazdan. As of the 2011 census, the population of the town is 11,672, almost ...

in the Kotayk Province of Armenia. It was completed in 1301 during the rule of the Zakarid dynasty. It was built and completed as an alternative church of the nearby ruined Katoghike Church, a large three-nave basilica dating back to the 5th and 6th centuries.

Architecture

The Holy Mother of God Church is a small cruciform central-plan interior with a rectangular but almost square plan exterior and a second floor. Centered above is a single

cylindrical A cylinder (from ) has traditionally been a three-dimensional solid, one of the most basic of curvilinear geometric shapes. In elementary geometry, it is considered a prism with a circle as its base. A cylinder may also be defined as an infini ...

drum The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel-Sachs classification system, it is a membranophone. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a she ...

and a

conical A cone is a three-dimensional geometric shape that tapers smoothly from a flat base (frequently, though not necessarily, circular) to a point called the apex or vertex. A cone is formed by a set of line segments, half-lines, or lines conn ...

umbrella type

dome A dome () is an architectural element similar to the hollow upper half of a sphere. There is significant overlap with the term cupola, which may also refer to a dome or a structure on top of a dome. The precise definition of a dome has been a m ...

. The drum is made up of twelve

column A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. In other words, a column is a compression member. ...

s with

arch An arch is a vertical curved structure that spans an elevated space and may or may not support the weight above it, or in case of a horizontal arch like an arch dam, the hydrostatic pressure against it. Arches may be synonymous with vaul ...

es that support the weight of the dome. The second floor has a semi-cruciform layout with single small windows to the left and rear façades, while on the right is a larger window with a single column that stands in the middle. A small inset portal sits in the middle of the front façade, with the remnants of exterior stone steps that once led to the second floor. The first floor has a single large portal at the front façade with a semi-circular

lintel A lintel or lintol is a type of beam (a horizontal structural element) that spans openings such as portals, doors, windows and fireplaces. It can be a decorative architectural element, or a combined ornamented structural item. In the case of w ...

and decorative columns, while the left, right, and rear façades each have a small window. The left and right are surrounded by a large intricately carved cross in high-relief. Exceptionally rich decorations cover a large portion of the church. There are beautiful motifs on each side at the second floor level and geometric patterns around the

cornice In architecture, a cornice (from the Italian ''cornice'' meaning "ledge") is generally any horizontal decorative moulding that crowns a building or furniture element—for example, the cornice over a door or window, around the top edge of a ...

eaves The eaves are the edges of the roof which overhang the face of a wall and, normally, project beyond the side of a building. The eaves form an overhang to throw water clear of the walls and may be highly decorated as part of an architectural styl ...

, and other parts of the walls. Notable is the large cross carved in high relief on the front flanked by the Virgin Mary holding the baby Jesus and another saint. Below and just above the portal to the second floor are the motifs of a bull and lion. Above the larger window on the right façade is a motif of a large bird with a geometric rosette on its chest holding a hooved animal in its talons. On the left façade is a mountain goat, and on the rear is a large cat pouncing upon a goat. Adjacent to the church are the remains of a chapel foundation.

Khachkar A ''khachkar'', also known as a ''khatchkar'' or Armenian cross-stone ( hy, խաչքար, , խաչ xačʿ "cross" + քար kʿar "stone") is a carved, memorial stele bearing a cross, and often with additional motifs such as rosettes, in ...

s and graves are nearby.

Gallery

File:Yeghvard-Church-View.jpg, Yeghvard Church View, Yeghvard, Armenia Image:Yeghvard Church Front.JPG, Front façade. File:Yeghvard-Church-Front-Detail.jpg, Yeghvard Church, front detail, Armenia File:Yeghvard-Church-Front.jpg, Yeghvard Church, front detail, Armenia File:Yeghvard-Church-Doors.jpg, Yeghvard Church, front doors, Armenia File:Yeghvard-Church-Roof-Detail.jpg, Yeghvard Church roof detail, Armenia File:Yeghvard-Church-roof-cupola-detail.jpg, Yeghvard Church, roof and cupola detail, Armenia Image:Yeghvard Church Right 1.JPG, Right façade. File:Yeghvard-Church,-Right-Detail.jpg, Yeghvard Church, right side detail, Armenia Image:Yeghvard Church Left Detail.JPG, Left façade detail. Image:Yeghvard Church Rear Detail.JPG, Rear façade detail. Image:Yeghvard Church Cross Window.JPG, Cross relief detail around window upon the left side of the church. Image:Yeghvard Adjacent Foundation.JPG, Foundation of a chapel adjacent to the church.

References

External links

Armeniapedia.org: Yeghvard Church & Katoghike Church

FindArmenia.com: Surp Astvatzatzin (Surp Nshan) Church of Yeghvard

Yeghvard Church
{{Armenian Churches Armenian Apostolic churches in Armenia Tourist attractions in Kotayk Province Buildings and structures in Kotayk Province Churches completed in 1301 14th-century churches in Armenia 14th-century Oriental Orthodox church buildings