St. Thaddeus the Apostle Church of Ddmashen (; also St. Tadevos the Apostle Church) is a 7th-century Armenian church located within the village of

Ddmashen Ddmashen () is a village in the Sevan Municipality of the Gegharkunik Province of Armenia Armenia, officially the Republic of Armenia, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of West Asia. It is a part of the Caucasus region and i ...

in the

Gegharkunik Province Gegharkunik (, ) is a provinces of Armenia, province (''Administrative divisions of Armenia, marz'') of Armenia. Its capital and largest city is Gavar. Gegharkunik is inhabited by approximately 209,669 people and the majority are ethnic Armenian ...

Armenia Armenia, officially the Republic of Armenia, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of West Asia. It is a part of the Caucasus region and is bordered by Turkey to the west, Georgia (country), Georgia to the north and Azerbaijan to ...

. Named after Saint Thaddeus the Apostle, the church is considered by some to be the fourth most important example of its style of architecture after the

Cathedral of Talin The Cathedral of Talin () is a seventh-century Armenian cathedral located in the cemetery of Talin, in the Aragatsotn Province of Armenia. Talin Cathedral Architecture Talin's Katoghike Church sits central to the town cemetery and dominates ...

Ptghavank Ptghnavank () or Ptghni church (Պտղնիի տաճար) is located in the village of Ptghni in the Kotayk Province of Armenia. Architecture The temple is a domed single-nave basilica type completed in the 6th or 7th century. Presently, the o ...

, and

Aruchavank Aruchavank or the Cathedral of Aruch (; also Surb Grigor) is situated on a rocky plateau at the western foot of Mount Aragats in the village of Aruch in the Aragatsotn Province of Armenia. According to wall inscriptions on the east wall and manusc ...

. Following structural damage caused by an earthquake, the drum was replaced in 1907 by a sixteen-sided one in an architectural style that was different from that of the original. Aside from the aforementioned alteration, there have not been any other major changes to the church. A large cemetery is situated south of the church, consisting mostly of unmarked grave stones.

Architecture

The church of S. Tadevos has a large

cruciform A cruciform is a physical manifestation resembling a common cross or Christian cross. These include architectural shapes, biology, art, and design. Cruciform architectural plan Christian churches are commonly described as having a cruciform ...

rectangular-plan. A single conical

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 ...

rests above a sixteen-sided

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 ...

with eight windows that let light into the interior of the structure. There are also niches in the façades between each of the windows that surround the drum. There is a single small window at the

apse In architecture, an apse (: apses; from Latin , 'arch, vault'; from Ancient Greek , , 'arch'; sometimes written apsis; : apsides) is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical Vault (architecture), vault or semi-dome, also known as an ' ...

, while there are ten larger windows light the

nave The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...

, and a window in each of the prayer rooms or "studies" adjacent to the apse. The exterior and interior of the church are relatively void of any decoration. Molding above the windows is undecorated as well. Within the interior of the church is a painted wooden

altar An altar is a table or platform for the presentation of religion, religious offerings, for sacrifices, or for other ritualistic purposes. Altars are found at shrines, temples, Church (building), churches, and other places of worship. They are use ...

Gallery

Image:Ddmashen S. Tadevos Church SW Wall.JPG, View from the southwest Image:Ddmashen Khachkar 2.JPG, Khachkars near the south entrance Image:Ddmashen Khachkars.JPG, A row of khachkars Image:Ddmashen S. Tadevos Church SW Corner.JPG, View from the southwest corner Image:Ddmashen Church West Portal.JPG, West entry Image:Ddmashen Church 1.jpg Image:Village Ddmashen.JPG, Village view of Ddmashen with the church

References

*
DDMASHEN (Gegharkunik) - Union of Communities of Armenia

External links

Ddmashen Church, Armeniapedia.org
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Thaddeus Church, Ddmashen 7th-century churches in Armenia Armenian Apostolic churches in Armenia Buildings and structures in Gegharkunik Province