The church of Saint Sarkis ( hy, Սուրբ Սարգիս եկեղեցի; pronounced ''Surp Sarkis'') is located at the edge of a
gorge
A canyon (from ; archaic British English spelling: ''cañon''), or gorge, is a deep cleft between escarpments or cliffs resulting from weathering and the erosive activity of a river over geologic time scales. Rivers have a natural tendency to cu ...
opposite the town of
Ashtarak 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 ...
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 ''O ...
. It is situated at an attractive point at a promontory overlooking the gorge and offers a fine view to the three churches of
Tsiranavor,
Spitakavor, and
Karmravor. Located in the center of town nearby is also the church of
S. Mariane. Directly below Saint Sarkis in the gorge is a unique bridge built in 1664. A path leads down from the church into the gorge and across the bridge which leads to the town.
Architecture
Saint Sarkis Church has a small
cruciform
Cruciform is a term for physical manifestations resembling a common cross or Christian cross. The label can be extended to architectural shapes, biology, art, and design.
Cruciform architectural plan
Christian churches are commonly describe ...
central-plan supposedly built in the 19th century on an old foundation. A single
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 umbrella type
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 ...
rest on top of the church. Four small windows are located around the drum and upon the walls directly below at each of the four sides of the church. The interior stone has not been changed, yet the exterior façades have had extensive restoration work done recently. It looks to be a new church, but a small number of the older original stones carved with decorative relief and inscriptions (replaced with new stone and now sitting next to the foundation of the building) show its age to be much older.
Gallery
Image:S. Sargis Dome.JPG, Dome of the Church
Image:S. Sargis Below.JPG, Church as seen from below
References
Bibliography
*
External links
Armenian Architectural Studies
Armenian Apostolic churches in Ashtarak
Tourist attractions in Aragatsotn Province
Buildings and structures in Aragatsotn Province
{{Armenia-OO-church-stub