Tegher Monastery
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Tegher Monastery ( hy, Տեղեր or Տեղերի Վանք; also Tegheri Vank) is an early 13th-century Armenian monastery and church located on the southeastern slopes of
Mount Aragats Mount Aragats ( hy, Արագած, ) is an isolated four-peaked volcano massif in Armenia. Its northern summit, at above sea level, is the highest point of the Lesser Caucasus and Armenia. It is also one of the highest points in the Armenian ...
near the modern village of Tegher, and across the
gorge A canyon (from ; archaic British English spelling: ''cañon''), or gorge, is a deep cleft between escarpments or cliffs resulting from weathering and the erosion, erosive activity of a river over geologic time scales. Rivers have a natural tenden ...
from the village of
Byurakan Byurakan ( hy, Բյուրական), is a major village in the Aragatsotn Province of Armenia, located on the slope of Mount Aragats. The village is home to several historical sites including the 7th-century Artavazik Church, the 10th-century bas ...
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 ...
. It was built for Princess Khatun (also known as Mamakhatun), the wife of Prince Vache I Vachutian who had purchased the district of Aragatzotn from the Zakarian brothers. The architect Vardapet Aghbayrik designed Tegher and the monasteries of
Saghmosavank The Saghmosavank ( hy, Սաղմոսավանք, lit. "monastery of the Psalms") is a 13th-century Armenian monastic complex located in the village of Saghmosavan in the Aragatsotn Province of Armenia. Like the Hovhannavank monastery which is five ...
and
Hovhannavank Hovhannavank ( hy, Հովհաննավանք) is a medieval monastery located in the village of Ohanavan in the Aragatsotn Province of Armenia. The monastery stands on the edge of the Kasagh River canyon, and its territory is adjacent to the vill ...
during the 13th century. The monastery survived intact during a time when
Mongol The Mongols ( mn, Монголчууд, , , ; ; russian: Монголы) are an East Asian ethnic group native to Mongolia, Inner Mongolia in China and the Buryatia Republic of the Russian Federation. The Mongols are the principal member of ...
invasions plagued the lands. Ruins of the 9th century village of Tegher (Old Tegher) sit a short-distance walk from the monastery. Numerous foundations may be seen, along with the remains of a Tukh Manuk funerary chapel of the 5th century. Nearby is also the medieval to 19th century cemetery with some
mausoleum A mausoleum is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the interment space or burial chamber of a deceased person or people. A mausoleum without the person's remains is called a cenotaph. A mausoleum may be consid ...
s and
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.


Architecture


Church

The church of Surb Astvatsatsin was built in 1213, and is constructed from dark gray
basalt Basalt (; ) is an aphanite, aphanitic (fine-grained) extrusive igneous rock formed from the rapid cooling of low-viscosity lava rich in magnesium and iron (mafic lava) exposed at or very near the planetary surface, surface of a terrestrial ...
. It is a
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 described ...
type plan with a chamber in each of the four corners and a semicircular
apse In architecture, an apse (plural apses; from Latin 'arch, vault' from Ancient Greek 'arch'; sometimes written apsis, plural apsides) is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome, also known as an ''exedra''. In ...
at the end of the hall. A central tall round
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 she ...
rests above with a tent style
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 ...
, supported by the corners of the square which is supported by
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 below. The roof of the church is
gabled 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 ...
. The structure is simply decorated except for the
cornice In architecture, a cornice (from the Italian ''cornice'' meaning "ledge") is generally any horizontal decorative moulding that crowns a building or furniture element—for example, the cornice over a door or window, around the top edge of a ...
moldings and accentuation of the
arch An arch is a vertical curved structure that spans an elevated space and may or may not support the weight above it, or in case of a horizontal arch like an arch dam, the hydrostatic pressure against it. Arches may be synonymous with vaul ...
es in the main area. From the exterior, the building is rectangular with two wall
niche Niche may refer to: Science *Developmental niche, a concept for understanding the cultural context of child development *Ecological niche, a term describing the relational position of an organism's species *Niche differentiation, in ecology, the ...
s and windows on the north, east, and south.


Gavit

The
gavit A ''gavit'' (Armenian ) or ''zhamatun'' (Armenian: ) is often contiguous to the west of a church in a Medieval Armenian monastery. It served as narthex (entrance to the church), mausoleum and assembly room. History The ''gavit'', the distinctive ...
adjacent to S. Astvatsatsin was finished in 1221. It is a large central-plan with four large columns. Intersecting arches support the square on which a dome with an
oculus Oculus (a term from Latin ''oculus'', meaning 'eye'), may refer to the following Architecture * Oculus (architecture), a circular opening in the centre of a dome or in a wall Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Oculus'' (film), a 2013 American ...
sits. Situated towards the front of the gavit at either corner, are two second-story rooms where students of the monastery once lived and were able to escape persecution from potential invading forces. Above these rooms are towers that are similar in construction to the main dome and drum of the church. On one of the columns of the gavit is an inscription that gives credit to the architect Vardapet Aghbayrik for designing S. Astvatsatsin and its gavit. In this same structure are numerous graves, one of which is the noble Princess Khatun and another is her husband Prince Vatcheh Vatchutian. Just outside the gavit, upon the front façade above the portal are a grouping of cross designs carved into the stone. Each is a memorial to a wealthy donor who supported the construction of the monastery, and is thus given "free passage" to heaven.


Gallery

Image:Map of Amberd.gif, Road map showing the location of Tegher Monastery and the surrounding region. Image:Tegher Monastery.jpg, View with the foundation. Image:Tegher Southeast.JPG, View from the southeast side. Image:Tegher Portal.JPG, Portal at the front façade of the gavit. Image:Tegher Gavit Column.JPG, One of the columns of the gavit. The grave of Princess Khatun lays covered with a white cloth behind. Image:Tegher Gavit Dome.JPG, Dome located centrally above the gavit. Image:Tegher Chapel.JPG, 5th century Tukh Manuk Chapel ruins near the monastic complex. Image:Tegher Khachkar.JPG, Khachkar at the chapel.


References


Bibliography

*


External links


Armeniapedia.org: Tegher Monastery

Armenica.org: Tegher Monastery


{{Armenian Churches Archaeological sites in Armenia Christian monasteries established in the 13th century Christian monasteries in Armenia Oriental Orthodox congregations established in the 13th century Tourist attractions in Aragatsotn Province Churches in Aragatsotn Province