The church of Surp Astvatsatsin ( hy, Սուրբ Աստվածածին; meaning ''Holy Mother of God'') is located just off of the main highway through the village of
Karbi in the
Aragatsotn Province
Aragatsotn ( hy, Արագածոտն, ) is a province ('' marz'') of Armenia. It is located in the western part of the country. The capital and largest city of the province is the town of Ashtarak. The Statistical Committee of Armenia reported ...
of
Armenia
Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia.The UNbr>classification of world regions places Armenia in Western Asia; the CIA World Factbook , , and ''Ox ...
. The basilica was completed between the years of 1691–1693, while the belfry was built earlier in 1338.
Architecture
S. Astvatsatsin is a triple-
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 ...
basilica
In Ancient Roman architecture, a basilica is a large public building with multiple functions, typically built alongside the town's forum. The basilica was in the Latin West equivalent to a stoa in the Greek East. The building gave its name ...
, with a single
gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of intersecting roof pitches. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system used, which reflects climate, material availability, and aesth ...
roof covering the entire body of the structure and a small off-centered
cupola
In architecture, a cupola () is a relatively small, most often dome-like, tall structure on top of a building. Often used to provide a lookout or to admit light and air, it usually crowns a larger roof or dome.
The word derives, via Italian, from ...
. Several large
khachkars
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 ...
are embedded into the exterior walls of the church. A large two-storey
belfry it situated in front of the eastern end of the church. The belfry is a separate structure from the basilica. It has a large archway that serves as the support for the upper cupola. The cupola is supported by eight
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 and has 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 ...
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 ...
above.
Gallery
Image:Կարբիի ս. Աստվածածին.JPG, S. Astvatsatsin Church and belfry
Image:Karbi Belfry Inscription.JPG, Belfry inscription (at the midsection of the wall)
Image:Karbi Khachkar.JPG, Khachkar embedded into the wall of S. Astvatsatsin
Image:Karbi Khachkar 2.JPG, Another khachkar
Image:Karbi Church Inscription.JPG, Inscription built into the upper walls of the church exterior
References
Bibliography
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External links
Churches completed in 1693
Armenian Apostolic churches in Armenia
Tourist attractions in Aragatsotn Province
Buildings and structures in Aragatsotn Province
1693 establishments in Iran
17th-century Oriental Orthodox church buildings
17th-century churches in Armenia
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