St. Gevorg Church (Nakhchivan)

Saint Gevorg Church, a ruined Armenian apostolic church in Nakhchivan, the capital of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic of Azerbaijan.[1][2]

St. Gevorg Church
Սուրբ Գեվորգ Եկեղեցի
Map
LocationNakhchivan (city)
DenominationArmenian Apostolic Church
History
Statusdestroyed
Founded1869
Architecture
StyleBasilica
Years built1869-1872
Demolished1997-2005

History

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The church was built in 1869 on the foundations of a previously existing church that existed on the site. The construction was completed in 1872.[1][2][3]

In Soviet times, it was still a standing monument.[1][2] The church was completely destroyed at some point between 1997 and 2005.[4][3]

Architectural characteristics

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The church had a quadripartite domed basilica design. It was made up of a rectangular plan of the main shrine, a pair of storage rooms and a hall. The dome, lined with bricks, was located in the center of the cross-like roof of the building, on four gables.[1][3]

It had three entrances, which were located on the western, northern and southern facades.[1][3]

The outer walls were lined with red tuff brought from the quarry of Karmir Vank valley in Astapat village.[1]

The church looked quite interesting from the outside, but modestly decorated. The ornamental sculptures were only on the arches of the entrances and windows.[1]

On the two windows on the west side, in a frame, the compositional iconography of St. Sargis was carved. St. Sargis was depicted riding a horse and killing a snake-dragon with a cross-shaped spear under the horse's feet. A praying man was also depicted in front of the horse. A halo was depicted on the head of St. Sargis.[1][3]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Այվազյան, Արգամ, «Նախիջևանի կոթողային հուշարձաններն ու պատկերաքանդակներն», Երևան, 1987 թվական, էջ 86։
  2. ^ a b c Սամվել Կարապետյան, Նախիջևան քարտեզագիրք, Երևան, 2012, էջ 25
  3. ^ a b c d e Ayvazian, Argam. The Historical Monuments of Nakhchivan. Transl. Krikor H. Maksoudian. Detroit: Wayne State University Press, 1990, p. 92.
  4. ^ Khatchadourian Lori, Smith Adam, Ghulyan Husik, Lindsay Ian (2022)։ Silent Erasure: A Satellite Investigation of the Destruction of Armenian Cultural Heritage in Nakhchivan, Azerbaijan։ Ithaca NY: Cornell Institute of Archaeology and Material Studies։ pp. 322–325