| Karmravor Church Կարմրաւոր եկեղեցի |
|
|---|---|
|
The church of Surb Astvatsatsin, August 2009 |
|
|
Shown within Armenia
|
|
| Basic information | |
| Location | Ashtarak, Aragatsotn Province, Armenia |
| Geographic coordinates | |
| Affiliation | Armenian Apostolic Church |
| Architectural description | |
| Architectural type | Small cruciform central-plan |
| Architectural style | Armenian |
| Completed | 7th century |
| Specifications | |
| Dome(s) | 1 |
Karmravor (Armenian: Կարմրաւոր եկեղեցի; meaning "Reddish" because of the color of its dome) or Surb Astvatsatsin (Armenian: Սուրբ Աստուածածին; meaning "Holy Mother of God") is a 7th century Armenian church built by priests Gregory and Manas. The church is located on the northeast side of the town of Ashtarak in the Aragatsotn Province of Armenia.
Contents |
According to a legend, three sisters lived in Ashtarak, all of whom fell in love with the same man, prince Sargis. The elder two sisters decided to commit suicide in favor of the youngest one. One wearing an apricot-orange dress and the other wearing a red dress, they threw themselves into the gorge. When the youngest sister found out, she put on a white dress and also threw herself into the gorge. Sargis then became a hermit and three small churches appeared at the edge of the gorge, named after the sisters' dress colors.
Surb Astvatsatsin is a simple building with a small cruciform central-plan and a Byzantine style single red tile dome roof. It is a small church measuring only 19 feet 7 inches by 24 feet 6 inches. The apse is horseshoe shaped in the interior, and is rectangular on the exterior. It has an octagonal drum, and is simply decorated with geometric and foliage patterns around the eaves and cornices. Most of the original tiles on the roof which were laid in mortar have remained intact, and the church has had only some minor restoration during the 1950s.
According to Thierry, Surb Astvatsatsin marks a turning point in Armenian architecture, with its simple building in the shape of a cross with a single dome setting a style that would be repeated over the years in spite of other influences.[nb 1]
Other churches of a similar style attributed to the 6th or 7th century are Saint Marine of Artik, Lmbatavank, S. Astvatsatsin of Talin, and S. Astvatsatsin of Voskepar.