Oshki ( ka, ოშკი Oshki, tr, Oşkvank Manastırı/Çamlıyamaç) is a GeorgianThe real and ideal Jerusalem in Jewish, Christian, and Islamic art: studies in honor of Bezalel Narkiss on the occasion of his seventieth birthday
Bianca Kühnel, Bezalel NarkissAmerican Encyclopaedia
/ref>Art and identity in thirteenth-century Byzantium: Hagia Sophia and the empire of Trebizond Antony Eastmond
/ref>Bread and ashes:a walk through the mount ains of Georgia
Tony AndersonOSHKI
World Monument Fund monastery from the second half of the 10th century located in the historic province of Tao, now part of the territory of

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula ...

. The main church, dedicated to

St 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 ...

, was built between 963 and 973. The Monasterys location in Turkey is in the village of Çamlıyamaç, in northeastern Erzurum Province, bordering

Artvin Province Artvin Province ( tr, ; ka, , ''Artvinis p’rovincia''; Laz: ართვინიშ დობადონა ''Artviniş dobadona'') is a province in Turkey, on the Black Sea coast in the northeastern corner of the country, on the border w ...

. Oshki monastery was a major centre of

Georgian literature The culture of Georgia has evolved over the country's long history, providing it with a unique national identity and a strong literary tradition based on the Georgian language and alphabet. This strong sense of national identity has helped to pre ...

and enlightenment during the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

. The monastery is considered "one of the largest and architecturally most complex buildings produced anywhere in the

Eastern Christian Eastern Christianity comprises Christian traditions and church families that originally developed during classical and late antiquity in Eastern Europe, Southeastern Europe, Asia Minor, the Caucasus, Northeast Africa, the Fertile Crescent and ...

world." It is considered one of the four

Great Cathedrals Great Cathedrals () is a term used in historiography and architecture that refers to four large Georgian cathedrals built in the 10th and 11th centuries AD. The first of these cathedrals was Oshki, one of the most important architectural and ...

of the Georgian Orthodox world.

Architectural sculpture and figurative reliefs

The construction of the monastery at Oshki was sponsored by the Grand duke/King Bagrat II of Tao and

David III of Tao David III Kuropalates (, ''Davit’ III Kurapalati'') or David III the Great (დავით III დიდი, ''Davit’ III Didi''), also known as David II, (c. 930s – 1000/1001) was a Georgian prince of the Bagratid family of Tao, a histo ...

. The blind arches are an important part of the whole decoration. In Oshki they stretch along the outer walls of the church in the south, east and north. It is an early example of the use of decorative blind arches on the facades. They divide the wall in line with the general architectural rhythm. The central part of the facade is mainly decorated with bas-reliefs. Bas-reliefs, placed high above the central arch, are given the place of honour on the southern facade, which is the main facade of the church. They stand out from the flat surface. The eagle with an animal in his talons probably symbolises victory, and the whole sculptural composition the triumph of the heavenly forces represented by the archangels

Michael Michael may refer to: People * Michael (given name), a given name * Michael (surname), including a list of people with the surname Michael Given name "Michael" * Michael (archangel), ''first'' of God's archangels in the Jewish, Christian and ...

and

Gabriel In Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam), Gabriel (); Greek: grc, Γαβριήλ, translit=Gabriḗl, label=none; Latin: ''Gabriel''; Coptic: cop, Ⲅⲁⲃⲣⲓⲏⲗ, translit=Gabriêl, label=none; Amharic: am, ገብ� ...

. In the province of Tao the power lay in the hands of the ruling dynasty of the Bagrationi, whose members Bagrat ''eristavt-eristavi'' and David Magistros are depicted lower down on the same facade, near the

deesis In Byzantine art, and in later Eastern Orthodox art generally, the Deësis or Deisis (, ; el, δέησις, "prayer" or "supplication"), is a traditional iconic representation of Christ in Majesty or Christ Pantocrator: enthroned, carrying a boo ...

, to show that the heavenly forces were the family's patrons. The figures are well proportioned, elegant in contour and form. The static postures of earlier donor portraits give way to free movement, and an equal attempt can be traced in the near three-dimensional renderings of the archangels and the deesis of the southern facade, as well as on a column in the southern gallery. The decorative system of the Oshki church also includes the low reliefs characteristic of the so-called transitional period in medieval Georgian art (8th - 10th centuries), when the old style had not yet given way completely, and new ways were evolving. Sculptors of the different generations must have worked on it. The church in Oshki already shows the tendencies that would eventually develop in the 11th century.

Name and Etymology

There are two different views regarding the etymology of the place name ოშკი (ošḳi;

IPA IPA commonly refers to: * India pale ale, a style of beer * International Phonetic Alphabet, a system of phonetic notation * Isopropyl alcohol, a chemical compound IPA may also refer to: Organizations International * Insolvency Practitioners A ...

: ɔʃkʼi): according to Kakha Shengelia and Valeri Silogava the word ოშკი (ošḳi) derives from

Megrelian Mingrelian or Megrelian (, ) is a Kartvelian language spoken in Western Georgia (regions of Mingrelia and Abkhazia), primarily by the Mingrelians. The language was also called kolkhuri (Georgian ) in the early 20th century. Mingrelian has histori ...

word შქა (shka), meaning "being in the middle"; according to Merab Chukhua, is Laz word and means "dog rose" (''rosa canina''), which corresponds to Georgian ასკილი (asḳili) and Kartvelian ''*ასკილ-'' (*asḳil-). In Armenian and Turkish languages this monastery is named "Oshk vank" (from Armenian language "vank" - "cathedral").

Inscriptions

Inscription №1

The first inscription in Oshki temple is drawn with Sanguri ( ka, სანგური) color and is located over the southern main entrance to the temple. Nowadays 12 lines still exist. All inscriptions are written with Mrgvlovani, the earliest version of Georgian script. The original can be seen on the illustration in the right. The first scientist who explored this inscription was

Marie-Félicité Brosset Marie-Félicité Brosset (24 January 1802 – 3 September 1880) was a French orientalist who specialized in Georgian and Armenian studies. He worked mostly in Russia. Early life and first works Marie-Félicité Brosset was born in Paris in ...

, a French orientalist who specialized in Georgian and Armenian studies.M. Brosset, ''Inscriptions géorgiennes et autres recueillies par le P. Nerses Sargisian, Mékhitariste de S.Lazare, et expliquées par M.Brosset''; Mémoires de l'Académie impériale des sciences de St.Pétersbourg, VII ser., t. VIII, no.10 (S.-Petersbourg, 1864), стр.1-24 Later these inscriptions were researched by

Ekvtime Takaishvili Ekvtime Takaishvili (also spelled Taqaishvili) () (January 5, 1862 – February 21, 1953) was a Georgian historian, archaeologist and public benefactor. Born in the village of Likhauri in the western Georgian province of Guria to a local noblema ...

and

Wachtang Djobadze Wachtang Djobadze ( ka, ვახტანგ ჯობაძე) (March 8, 1917 – February 10, 2007) was a Georgian art historian and Professor at the California State University, Los Angeles. During the Soviet Union, he lived as an émigré i ...

. As noted by Wachtang Djobadze, the first inscription gives a lot of information about the temple. It mentions the names of

Ktetor ''Ktetor'' ( el, κτήτωρ) or ''ktitor'' (; ka, ქტიტორი ''kt’it’ori''; ro, ctitor), meaning "founder", is a title given in the Middle Ages to the provider of funds for construction or reconstruction of an Eastern Orthodox c ...

s of the church - Georgian kings Bagrat Eristavt-Eristavi and

. Also there is information about architect of the church - someone called Grigol.Wachtang Djobadze - Georgian monasteries of early medieval period in historical Tao, Klarjeti and Shavsheti = ადრეული შუა საუკუნეების ქართული მონასტრები ისტორიულ ტაოში, კლარჯეთსა და შავშეთში / Editor - M.Lordkipanidze. — Tb.:Universal, 2007. — 346 p. — #მოწყალებითა ღ(მრ)თისაჲთა რ(ომე)ლი სცავს ყ(ოვე)ლთა მოშ(ი)შთა მ(ი)სთა და წარმოჳმართ(ე)ბს მოყოჳარეთა სახელისა მისისათა ყ(ოვე)ლთა ს(ა)ქმ(ე) #თა კ(ე)თ(ი)ლთა ამის წ(მი)დისა ს(ა)მ(ე)ბ(ი)სა სარწმოჳნოვებ(ი)თა და მ(ეო)ხ(ე)ბ(ი)თა წ(მი)დისა დ(ე)დოფლისა ჩ(უე)ნისა ღ(მრ)თ(ი)სმშობ(ე)ლისაჲთა მ(ა)დლითა წ(მი)დ(ა)ჲსა ძ(ე)ლისაცხოვრებისაჲ #თა შეწ(ე)ვნითა და მეოხ(ე)ბ(ი)თა დიდებოჳლისა ნათლი ��ცემლისაჲთა და ყ(ოვე)ლთა წმიდაჲთაჲთა რ(ომელ)ნი საოჳკოჳნითგ(ა)ნ სათნო ეყ(უ)ნ(ე)ს ღ(მერ)თსა ამათ ყ(ოვე)ლთა #წმიდათა სადიდებ(ე)ლ(ა)დ და საქებ(ე)ლ(ა) იწყ(ე)ს ღ(მრ)თივ გოჳრგოჳნოს(ა)ნთა მ(ე)ფ(თ)ა ჩ(უე)ნთა შ(ე)ნ(ე)ბ(ა)დ ამის წმიდისა ს(ა)ყდრისა რ(ა)თა ამას შ(ი)ნა აღესროჳლებოდიან დღესა #სწაოჳლნი და შეიმკვებოდიან ჴსენებ(ა)ნი წმიდათანი ვ(ითარც)ა წერილ არს ჴსენებასაწმიდათასა ეზიარებოდ(ე)თ ამათ ყ(ოვე)ლთა წმიდათა სოჳრვილითა #ამათ დიდეოჳ ��ა მ(ე)ფ(ე)თა ჩ(უე)ნთა ოჳშოჳრვ(ე)ლ ყ(უ)ნენ საფას(ე)ნი წარმავ(ა)ლნი წარ ��ვალისა მ(ი)სთოჳის რ(ა)თა ყ(ოველ)ნი წმიდანი შემწ(ე)დ მოიგნენ და ღმერთმან შ(ეე)წ(იე)ნ ორთავე #ცხოვრებ(ა)თა ძ(ე)თა ღ(მრ)თ(ი)ვ კოჳრთხეოჳლისა ადარნასე კოჳრაპალატისატა ბ(ა)გრ(ა)ტ ერისთავთა ერისთ(ა)ვმ(ა)ნ დავით მაგისტროსმ(ა)ნ სამებამ(ა)ნ წმიდამან #სამნივე დაიფარენ მორჯოჳენითა თ(ჳ)სითა და ა(დი)დ(ე)ნ ორთავე ცხორებ(ა)თა და მე გრიგოლ ღირს მყო ღ(მრერთმა)ნ მსახოჳრებ(ა)სა ამას მ(ა)თსა ღ(მრ)თისა მიმართ და მე ვიყ #ავ სა ��ესა ზ(ედ)ა-მ ��ომი და არწმოჳნა ღ(მერთმა)ნ გონებასა მ(ა)თსა ერთ-გოჳლობაჲ ჩ(ე)მი მ(ო)ნისა მ(ა)თისაჲ ესე იყო გალატოზთა და მოქმედთა მიზდი და აზავერთა მექოჳიშე #თაჲ რ(ომე)ელ წელიწადსა წარეგების დრამაჲ :კ: ათასი ღოჳინოჲ ფ(ისო)სი :ჭ: რკინაჲ ლიტრი :ნ: ხოჳარბალი გრივი :ს:მ:ი: გალატოზი და ხო ��ოჲ და მჭედელი რ(ომე) ��მა��ადის შ(უ)რებო #და ჲ:ი: ჴ(ა)რი რ(ომ)ელ ქვასა კრ(ე)ბდა :ლ: ჯორი და სხ(უ)აჲ აზავერი რ(ომე)ლ გრიგოჳლ-წმიდით სპონდიკსა კრ(ე)ბდა :ლ: სხოჳაჲ აზავერი რ(ომე)ლ ��რ(ე)��და :ჲ: #ჲდა ��ი��რი და მოქმედი :პ:

Gallery

Image:oshki2.jpg, Oshki (963-973), interior, looking east into the main apse Image:oshki3.jpg, Oshki (963-973), south porch Image:oshki4.jpg, Oshki (963-973), church of St John the Baptist, south facade

References

External links

Virtualtao-klarjeti.com

OshkiOshki scriptorium and refectory
* Leila Khuskivadze, Georgian-Byzantine relations on the example of tao-Klarjeti relief sculptures, In
''Proceedings of the 21st International Congress of Byzantine StudiesProceedings of the 21st International Congress of Byzantine Studies''
International Congress of Byzantine Studies, London, 21–26 August 2006, P. 300-301, .,

Google Books Google Books (previously known as Google Book Search, Google Print, and by its code-name Project Ocean) is a service from Google Inc. that searches the full text of books and magazines that Google has scanned, converted to text using optical ...

Speaking Monuments: Oshkavank, Armenian Public TV
{{Georgian churches 973 Christian monasteries established in the 10th century Georgian churches in Turkey Historic sites in Turkey Buildings and structures in Erzurum Province