Mastara ( hy, Մաստարա) is a village in the
Talin Municipality 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
* ...
of 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 ...
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 ' ...
. The 5th-century Armenian
Church of S. Hovhannes is situated in the northeastern half of the village, while the church of S. Stepanos Nakhava sits on a hilltop to the north. There is also the small medieval Tukh Manuk Church in the village to the southeast.
Etymology
The name Mastara is thought to be derived from the words ''mas'', meaning "a piece", and ''tara'', "I buried/took". This comes from the popular legend that
Gregory the Illuminator
Gregory the Illuminator ( Classical hy, Գրիգոր Լուսաւորիչ, reformed: Գրիգոր Լուսավորիչ, ''Grigor Lusavorich'';, ''Gregorios Phoster'' or , ''Gregorios Photistes''; la, Gregorius Armeniae Illuminator, cu, Svyas ...
brought back
relics of
John the Baptist
John the Baptist or , , or , ;Wetterau, Bruce. ''World history''. New York: Henry Holt and Company. 1994. syc, ܝܘܿܚܲܢܵܢ ܡܲܥܡܕ݂ܵܢܵܐ, Yoḥanān Maʿmḏānā; he, יוחנן המטביל, Yohanān HaMatbil; la, Ioannes Bapti ...
from
Caesaria, a fragment of which he enshrined beneath the Church of S. Hovhannes.
Gallery
Image:Mastara Church.jpg, S. Hovhannes Church
Image:Mastara, Surb Hovanes Church1.jpg, S. Hovhannes Church
Image:Mastara, Surb Stepanos Nakhavka Church.jpg, S. Stepanos Nakhavka Church
References
*
Report of the results of the 2001 Armenian Census
Populated places in Aragatsotn Province
{{Aragatsotn-geo-stub