V AD - Lachin Region

"Tsitsernavank - General View" © 1999 Raffi Kojian, All Rights Reserved

Tsitsernavank is one of the ancient sacred objects of Armenia. It is situated in the area of Akhayech of historical Sunik on the banks of Akhavno River.

A cloister was situated in outskirts of the village Tsitsernavank, which is in XIII c paid tribute of Tatev. Tsitsernavank is mentioned in one of deed contracts of 844 for the first time. The medieval Armenian historian Stepanos Orbelyan reckoned it among 30 important cloisters of XIII c of Sunik. Tovma Vanandetsi in 1655 in ode, dedicated to outstanding sanctuaries of Armenia, mentions that the cloister had an eventful past. In late medieval times Tsitsernavank together with eight other cloisters of Sunik belonged to eparchy of Tatev. It reached its blooming days in XVII - XVIII cc, when prince Haikaz and bishop Mkrtich built a defensive wall with western arched gates (1613), repaired the cloister’s temple (1779), erected a refectory in southern part (XVIII c).

Well-preserved temple of Tsitsernavank, thanks of its architectural peculiarities, occupies an exceptional place in the history of Armenian building art. The temple is situated in northeastern part enclosed in the territory of the cloister, on almost trapeziformed flat top of the hill bordered by hollows from two sides. In the base of composition lays a three-nave basilica of “western” type, the principal nave of which sets out in the external volume of the building. In Tsitsernavank clearly mark out two kinds of different types of stones used in walling. The bottom of the walls through the whole perimeter, 7-8 m high laying, is built of dark Grey basalt trimmed stones, the other part of the building- from light yellow clear trimmed stone. And not only the top parts of the walls, but also the apse with side-chapels, pylons and pilasters appear to be the late extensions to the basalt part of the monument. The scheme of the temple represents an oblong rectangle (the outward dimensions are 12,5 ---- 25,6 meters) directed towards east-west axis. The inside space is divided by two rows of pylons on three naves, the main one of which in the middle is almost twice wider than the laterals.

The pylons have remarkable forms: in northern row- rectangle shaped in sections, in southern- square shaped. Unequal sized pylons, ranged in longitudinal direction, put in inequality the horse-shoe-shaped and two-centered arches of bays. The middle nave in east finishes up with an apse strongly underlined horse-shoe-shaped scheme and a triumphal arch. Here, just as the other Armenian monuments of IV-V cc, Jarjajaris and Tanahat, apse doesn’t have a window. The apse and the trapeziforms on its both sides are included in the scheme in rectangle counter of outward walls and do not stand out on out. The side-chapels are two-storeyed, and each of the storeys of eastern façade has windows.

The organization of inward space of Tsitsernavank has a rare and interesting feature: it’s the balcony above the apse directed by three archlike apertures on the main nave. The mezzanine (attic storey) situated on the level of second storey, lights up by a pair of windows opening in eastern façade of the temple, and by a half-rounded window above them. The arches of mezzanine are horse-shoe-shaped and their average pillars have simple capitals and bases.

The mezzanine of Tsitsernavank does not have a practical purpose and permanent staircase doesn’t go up to it. The only possible enter is through the aperture left on the arch of southern side-chapel and leading to second storey, from there- to arched balcony. The mezzanine of Tsitsernavank has an aesthetic purpose in mounting the main nave (it plays a secondary role in being a source of light). It may be supposed that stony crosses had been placed between arches, the outlines of which stood out on the lightened background of arched apertures. There is also another example of a church with mezzanine in Armenia- it’s the temple Srkonk constructed by Catholicos Gyut in V c; a detailed description of its composition by Stepanos Orbelyan remains.

The fact of existence of mezzanine throws light of an arguable question about reconstruction of Zvartnots- a masterpiece of Armenian architecture.

One of the main opponent arguments that negate the fact of existence of mezzanine in Zvartnots is the absence of staircase leading to second floor. At the same time they mentioned that arched mezzanines are strange to Armenian architecture and never meet in early medieval Armenian churches. The architectural erections of Tsitsernavank and Srkonk refute that argument. The middle nave of Tsitsernavank lights up by the mezzanine and windows that open cross-cut, raising above the side roof of naves, on the walls of main nave and a pair of windows can be found for example in IV- V cc in one- nave basilicas of Larnakert and Parpi, three-nave basilicas of Ashtarak. The arch of middle nave in section is lancet. Like the concrete slabs of the roof, it, may be the result of rehabilitation works of IX-X cc. The arcade of naves in comparison with the apses dates far more older. It is confirmed by the presence of seams between the western wall of apse and the arcade of prewall pylons joining it by the top fragments of walls, also by the fact that the walls of middle nave obviously cover the side arched apertures of the mezzanine of apse. The next reconstruction made still in early medieval times fastened the northern pylons and the arches connecting them with additional pilasters and double arches, as well as with extension to the northern wall of arcade, six arches of which lean against square in section pilasters. A clean trimmed stone was used while reconstruction. What concerns fastening the pylons of southern row, the extension of additional pilasters to them are built of roughly processed stones and reach the cornice pylons.

Its beyond all questions that this reconstruction is of later period and is the result of repair of the temple in 1779.

Stony staircase on both sides of the apse leads to the altar eminence of one meter high. In the depth of the apse raises a stony altar - huge slab mounted on a pillar.

The arches of naves of Tsitsernavank are deprived of saddle-girth arches- constructive element, found in all Armenian three-nave basilicas.

The central nave of the temple lights up through the mediation of the window situated in western façade directly under the floor, and wide, tall windows, opening at cross-cut walls (four at each). The arches of the windows are horse-shoe-shaped. Later on (probably in XVIII c) all the windows of northern wall and two southern were bricked up. From four available entrances of Tsitsernavank three are situated in southern wall, the other one - in western. Three of them just like the windows were bricked up. The only open entrance is the southwestern one, which joins directly the southern wall.

Its threshold is five stairs higher than the level of the floor of the temple. The square entrance apertures are situated in ancient, basalt walls o the temple. Portals that can be found in basilicas of Kasakh, Yereruyk, Tekor(IV- V cc) are missing here. Here a monolithic basalt bulkhead leans on two stony corbels, set in two corners of entrance aperture. The same way is put in to shape the ancient one-nave church of St. George (IV-V cc) situated in Tsitsernavank’s neighboring village Takh(Goris region).

One of the most important architectural features of Tsitsernavank is the absence of the entrance from western façade, though the relief of the area doesn’t prevent the availability of one. The northern and eastern facades of the monument raise directly on a steep slope of the hill, in consequence of which, the temple is built on multi-stage stilobate from northern side, and on a supporting wall ( from the east) built of massive roughly processed basalt stones set in six rows from the east.

The continuation of stony slabs of the roof makes the cornice of the building. The roof of the apse in comparison with the roof of the central nave, is rather low, which evidence about its being reconstructed. In the joining spot of two roofs, on the finial of the central nave, a small six pillar belfry crowned with conic hipped roof is put. There is no doubt about that it was raised in late medieval times, because similar belfries are peculiar for Armenian churches of XII-XVIII cc and are spread mostly in Sunik.

The outward architectural look of Tsitsernavank is laconic and even strict. In outward facades not many elements of decorations can be found. The windows of western and southern facades stand out by round frames going out through the surface of the wall. The jambs and lintel of eastern and western facades are carved directly on the surface of the wall. A horizontal cornice set of slab stretches under the pair window of eastern façade. The main decoration of the walls of the temple is peculiar to medieval times ornament - an inscribed in circumference equal-winged cross. Various types of crosses are set in the western side of southern wall, between the windows, on the eastern lot and on the bulkheads of the entrances of the same wall. An equal-winged inscribed in circumference cross on the bulkhead of the western entrance is decorated by red paint it’s obvious that the top crosses set on the brick walls are of the same date.

The interior, especially the pylons is richly decorated. The capitals of the pylons are decorated with “biscuits” (set mostly in one row, though some two- rowed in chess order can be found too), wavy ornaments, rays divided into eight triangles, cylinders. Six- petal rosettes inscribed into triangles, flat and wide, entangled like a snake, and lace and etc are pictured on pylons. Above the pylons(by the axis) there are funnel-shaped bays, “signs of eternity” and many-petal rosettes are carved higher, on the walls of arcade. All these ornamental motives are peculiar to early medieval Armenian architecture and were used in IV-VII cc. A more exact dating of the temple promotes one of the ornamental reliefs: a triangle divided into eight rays, which meets only in monuments of V c(Yereruyk, Parpi). What concerns the extension to the pylons, the capitals ( not all of them) of pylons and pilasters of western wall are also worked up with “biscuits”. On the western wall, between the pilasters, a fragment of fresco remains: portraits of Saints standing up straight. In the decoration of the interior, colors are used too: some rosettes and capitols of pylons are covered with red paint. Like some other Armenian temples, Tsitsernavank is short of lapidary inscriptions. There is none, and surely never has been any building inscription. We can be sure that till the half of VI c it was not usual to inscribe some written evidences on big and small cult erections in Armenia. As the early psychology and ideology ruled in Christian period, it was considered to be not modest, boasting thing, and even a sin.

The walls of Tsitsernavank from outward and inward have a wide and plain surface and give opportunity for leaving inscriptions on them. The absence of the fact itself evidence the antiquity of the temple and that from early medieval times Tsitsernavank has not been essentially reconstructed, while there is not a written evidence about it either.

The memorable inscriptions of Tsitsernavank date XVI-XVII cc.

Under the jambs and lintel of the first from west entrance, the only open one from east façade of temple, on a tuff stone, hidden in a basalt laying an inscription telling about the repair of the temple and the belfry was found( in 1967 the stone disappeared).

Of course, by saying about repairing the Tsitsernavank is XVIII c, besides the small belfry on the roof, they also meant the putting of most of the windows and doors, fastening of the pylons- there are no other signs of reconstruction of the monument of that period.

Marks of master-builders are missing in Tsitsernavank, as in ancient bottom lots on basalt wall, so on top tuff parts and pylons.

The absence of signs also evidence about antiquity of the temple, as they were widely used only in VI c. It’s peculiar that from the signs left on Tsitsernavank, three are carved on later added pilasters.

The time of founding and essential reconstruction of Tsitsernavank can be defined (of course with some assumptions) through the help of architectural-artistic features. While describing the monument it was mentioned that it had four essential building periods. First- raising the outward and bottom basalt parts of walls; second- the top fragments of the walls, built of tuff, reconstruction of the apse with the mezzanine and side-chapels; third- raising the nave dividing the arcade an covering the temple with arches; fourth- strengthening of pylons, raising the double arches and the extension of arches to the western wall. As we see the stylistic features of the decoration elements let us date the third period the second half of V c, the fourth one- VI- VII cc. What concerns the extension of the apses and two side rooms( second period), they can be dated to the end of IV- beginning of V cc, when as the canon of Catholocos Saak Partev goes it was necessary that the priest lived in church during summer. In that period the monument had a wooden cover, and as the temple is quite wide, it was already a three-nave basilica( only the naves were divided by wooden colonnades). Still the most important is to elucidate the time of foundation of the temple, first dated as rectangle, without apse, a basalt erection in the east. But the gathered material isn’t enough for exact dating of Tsitsernavank. Its pagan name “ the swallow’s temple”, some essential architectural features of the monument, as well as the in formation of the historians about cult building in the period of spreading Christianity in Armenia, make it possible to suggest a rather true hypothesis , that the most antique erection of ‘Tsitsernavank first was a pagan temple , which after spreading Christianity in Sunik was reconstructed into a church. After adoption of Christianity rapidly develops building of churches in the territory of ass Armenia. As the Armenian historians of IV-V cc say (Agatangeghos, Pavstos Buzand, Zenob Glak) beginning from 301 a great part of pagan heaven temples in Armenia were used as churches almost without any reconstruction. The scheme of pagan building appears here: an oblong, directed from east to west, rectangle composition: only the altar was shifted from west to east. An example of the same possible reconstruction is the antique basalt part of Tsitsernavank, which is also confirmed by its unique architectural feature: absence of entrance from western side. It can be explained by the presence of altar in western part of the temple in pagan times. During the period of spreading Christianity Tsitsernavank gas been destroyed to the bottom parts of walls, or probably was being raised as a heathen temple, and the erection was stopped after adoption of Christianity in Sunik. On the question about if in Armenia there could be pagan heathen temples in the way of original basilica buildings( a quite wide and proportional erection before Christianity in Tsitsernavank could be only a basilica) we can give an affirmative answer.

It’s necessary to mention that for the Armenian cult erections before Christianity, Greek-roman peripter doesn’t appear to be the typical composition and as an example-temple of Garni is the only pagan temple preserved in Armenia. Still before the Helenism in Armenia existed a developed cult architecture and its own type of temples( basilica central) which were used up to adoption of Christianity. Their compositions went back to the local historians. Part of investigations of history of Armenian architecture think that the basilica type of church came to Armenia from Syria. This point of view springs from the close cultural-religion connection that existed in III-IV cc between Armenia and Syria, and also from some resemblance of architectural forms and elements of decorative art of either country. The basilica erections in the territory of Armenia are known thousands of years before adoption of Christianity. The gala halls in the citadels of Urartu’s towns are real basilicas: rectangle in the scheme, divided by the colonnade into nave, erections.

Basilica already had thousands of years of history in Armenia before IV c. And the temple of Tsitsernavank is one of the most important and main erections of that type.

DIRECTIONS:

Tsitsernavank is located in a long river valley of the Lachin Corridor.  To reach it on your way into Karabakh thru the Lachin Corridor, you must turn left a few meters before the Karabakh border post and head north into the valleys.  There are two branches of road you can take at this point and you should choose the left one.  This road will take you all the way to Tsitsernavank without any turns or complications.  When you see it, you should head left across the river and drive up to it.

"Tsitsernavank - view on approach from road" © 1999 Raffi Kojian, All Rights Reserved

"Tsitsernavank - Interior View" © 1999 Raffi Kojian, All Rights Reserved