Karmravor ( hy, Կարմրավոր եկեղեցի; meaning "reddish" because of the color of its dome), also known as the ''Church of Holy Mother of God'' (Սուրբ Աստվածածին, ''Surb Astvatsatsin'') is a 7th-century

Armenian Apostolic , native_name_lang = hy , icon = Armenian Apostolic Church logo.svg , icon_width = 100px , icon_alt = , image = Էջմիածնի_Մայր_Տաճար.jpg , imagewidth = 250px , a ...

church in the town of

Ashtarak Ashtarak (Armenian: ), is a town and urban municipal community in the Aragatsotn Province of Armenia, located on the left bank of Kasagh River along the gorge, northwest of the capital Yerevan. It is the administrative centre of the Aragatsotn pr ...

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 i ...

Architecture

Surp Astvatsatsin is a small building with a cruciform central-plan and a dome with an octagonal

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 ...

and a

Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...

-style red tile roof. It measures only 19 feet 7 inches by 24 feet 6 inches, and is simply decorated with geometric and foliage patterns around the eaves and cornices. The apse is horseshoe shaped. Many of the original tiles on the roof which were laid on mortar have remained intact, and the church has had only some minor restoration during the 1950s. According to Thierry, ''Surp Astvatsatsin'' marks a turning point in Armenian architecture, with its plan in the shape of a cross with a single dome setting a style that would be repeated over the centuries in spite of other influences. Other churches of a similar style attributed to the 6th or 7th century are St. Marine of

Artik Artik (Armenian: ), is a town and urban municipal community in the Shirak Province of Armenia. As of the 2011 census, the town had a population of 19,534. As per the 2016 official estimate, the population of Artik is around 18,800. Artik is famou ...

, Lmbatavank, St. Astvatsatsin of

Talin Talin may refer to: Places *Talin, Armenia, a city * Tálín, a municipality and village in the Czech Republic *Tallinn, capital of Estonia * Talin, Iran, a village in West Azerbaijan Province *Talin, Syria, a village in Tartus Governorate Other * ...

, and St. Astvatsatsin of

Voskepar Voskepar ( hy, Ոսկեպար) is a village in the Tavush Province of Armenia, located close to the Armenia–Azerbaijan border. Etymology Voskepar derives its name from the Voskepar mountain range; from Armenian Ոսկե (''voske'', gold), ...

. The door of the church was created and carved in 1983 by Sargis Poghosyan. In the cemetery adjoining the church is the grave of the poet

Gevorg Emin Gevorg Emin (, September 30, 1919 – June 11, 1998) was an Armenian poet, essayist, and translator. Biography Emin, the son of a school teacher, was born in the town of Ashtarak. In 1927, his family moved to Yerevan, the capital of Sovi ...

Gallery

Image:Karmravor Ashtarak Walls.JPG Image:Karmravor Gate Inscription.jpg Image:Karmravor Front.jpg Image:Karmravor Side.jpg Image:Karmravor Detail.JPG File:Karmravor 2015-1.jpg File:Karmravor 2015-2.jpg,

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 File:Karmravor 2015-3.jpg File:Karmravor 2015-4.jpg File:Karmravor 2015-5.jpg

References

Notes

Bibliography

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External links

About Karmravor Church

Armeniapedia.org: Karmravor Church
{{Armenian Churches Tourist attractions in Aragatsotn Province Armenian Apostolic churches in Ashtarak Oriental Orthodox congregations established in the 7th century Buildings and structures in Aragatsotn Province