Mashtots Hayrapet ( hy, Մաշտոց Հայրապետ եկեղեցի; also Pok'r meaning "Little") is a church located within the village of
Garni in the
Kotayk Province of
Armenia. It was built in the 12th century at the site of what was a
pagan
Paganism (from classical Latin ''pāgānus'' "rural", "rustic", later "civilian") is a term first used in the fourth century by early Christians for people in the Roman Empire who practiced polytheism, or ethnic religions other than Judaism. ...
shrine. A stone carved from red
tufa is situated at the right of the entrance upon a low rock wall. It has on it the design of a bird perched on a floral stem with the rosette of
eternity under its tail. The rosette is also a distinctive pagan symbol representing the sun or the moon, symbolizing the eternal cycle of life, death, and rebirth. It is said that because of this pagan symbology, this stone has a connection to the prior shrine.
The church has a small
cruciform type central-plan with a single
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
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 ...
. It is constructed from dark grey stone, with red tufa inlaid around the windows, roof, and dome. Elaborate decorations of geometric and
foliage patterns may be seen all around the windows, portal, dome, and other parts of the façade. The apron around the
apse in the interior of the church also is intricately carved. A number of
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 are scattered around the church grounds, including one in particular adjacent to the building that is reminiscent of a small shrine.
In the village is also the fortress complex of Garni with the 1st century AD
Garni Temple
The Temple of Garni ( hy, Գառնիի տաճար, ''Gaṙnii tačar'') is the only standing Greco-Roman colonnaded building in Armenia and the former Soviet Union. Built in the Ionic order, it is located in the village of Garni, in central Armen ...
,
Surb Astvatsatsin Church, a ruined 4th century single-aisle church, a ruined Tukh Manuk Shrine, Saint Sargis Shrine, and a Queen
Katranide Shrine. Across the
Garni Gorge is the
Havuts Tar Monastery and
Aghjots Vank
Aghjots Vank ( hy, Աղջոց վանք); also known as the Saint Stephen Monastery of Goght ( hy, Գողթի Սուրբ Ստեփանոս վանք), is a 13th-century monastery situated along a tributary of the Azat River Valley within the Khosrov ...
located in the
Khosrov State Reserve
Khosrov Forest State Reserve ( hy, Խոսրովի անտառ պետական արգելոց), is a nature reserve in Ararat Province of Armenia. The reserve is one of the oldest protected areas in the world having a history of about 1700 years. I ...
.
Gallery
Image:Mashtots Hayrapet Front Facade.JPG, Front façade of Mashtots Hayrapet Church.
Image:Mashtots Hayrapet Detail.JPG, Façade detail around portal.
Image:Mashtots Hayrapet Pagan.JPG, Bird perched upon a floral stem with the pagan symbol of the "rosette of eternity" under its tail.
Image:Garni, Surb Mashtots Hayrapet, (Sb Astvatsatsin) Church01.jpg, Surb Mashtots Hayrapet (Sb Astvatsatsin) Church, dome
Image:Mashtots Hayrapet Dome.JPG, Mashtots Hayrapet Church drum and dome
Image:Garni, Surb Mashtots Hayrapet, (Sb Astvatsatsin) Church02.jpg, Surb Mashtots Hayrapet Church, wall oprnament
Image:Garni, Surb Mashtots Hayrapet, (Sb Astvatsatsin) Church03.jpg, Surb Mashtots Hayrapet Church
Image:Garni, Surb Mashtots Hayrapet, (Sb Astvatsatsin) Church04.jpg, Surb Mashtots Hayrapet Church, Cross-Stone
Image:Garni, Surb Mashtots Hayrapet, (Sb Astvatsatsin) Church05.jpg, Surb Mashtots Hayrapet Church
Image:Garni, Surb Mashtots Hayrapet church, cemetery3.jpg, Surb Mashtots Hayrapet Church, gravestone
Image:Garni, Surb Mashtots Hayrapet church, cemetery2.jpg, Surb Mashtots Hayrapet Church, Cross-stone
Image:Mashtots Hayrapet Tombstone.JPG, Tombstone with individual holding a duck
References
Bibliography
*
External links
Places to See: Garni* Mashtots Hayrapet Church of Garni on Panoramio
photo1photo2photo3Cross-StoneTombstone
{{Armenian Churches
Armenian Apostolic churches in Armenia
Tourist attractions in Kotayk Province
Buildings and structures in Kotayk Province
12th-century Oriental Orthodox church buildings
12th-century churches in Armenia