Armenian Archtecture

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ARCHITECTURE

Armenian architecture, a particularly rich part of the Armenian heritage, is widely recognized as a unique contribution to international architecture. The tradition of architectural engineering has ancient origins on the Armenian highlands.

 

During the Urartian period of Armenian history (9th through 6th centuries B.C.), existing traditions were developed and perfected. The Urartians were noted for their high standards in city building (Ainili, Tushpa, Argishti, Erebuni,), palatial complexes and richness of interior decoration. Urban architectural traditions, as well as other forms of art in pre-Christian Armenia, were developed further under the influence of ancient Hellenistic and Roman art. The temple of Garni is the only pagan monument existent in Armenia.

 

Armenia entered a new phase of architectural development with the adoption of Christianity as state religion in 301 A.C. City building and other forms of architecture entered a new and long-lasting developmental phase, while persevering older traditions.

 

In the early Christian period in Armenia (5th through 7th centuries), church architecture proceeded with the creation of various basilical domed houses. Armenian architecture carved its national style with the construction of the cathedrals of Echmiadzin, Ererouk, Hripsime, Zvartnots, and Geghard monastery.

 

During the 9th through 14th centuries, Armenian architecture proceeded on the same developments path and crated new masterpieces: the monasteries of Amberd,Tatev, Aghtamar, Marmarashen, Sanahin, Haghpat (9th through 11 centuries), s, Haghartsin, Goshavank, Magaravank, Ohanavank, Harichavank and Noravank (12th through 14th centuries).

 

A unique manifestation of Armenian medieval national art is comprised by the monuments called khachkars or cross stones which were used widely in Armenia. There are found in Armenia prehistoric monoliths which had ceremonial significance in the pagan religion.

 

Following the conversion to Christianity, the wooden cross-symbol of the new faith was erected in the various shrines in Armenia. The earliest attempts to replace the wooden cross with a stone cross date back to the period between 4th and 7th centuries. The cross stones were used for a variety of purposes: to mark military victory, to commemorate events of historic significance, to dedicate the conclusion of the construction of churches, fountains, bridges and other structures.

 

Following the Sovietization of Armenia in 1920, two architectural directions competed for dominance: the national and the modern. This dual track of architecture produced various phases of Armenian architecture, even during the short Soviet period.

 

In Armenia today one can easily see the differences in style between the national; the Government Buildings of Republic Square, http://www.armeniaemb.org/images/opera2.jpg the State Opera House, http://www.armeniaemb.org/images/matensmall.jpg the Matenadaran, the Genocide Monument, and the modern: http://www.armeniaemb.org/images/youth.jpg the Youth Palace, http://www.armeniaemb.org/images/spcomplex.jpg the Sports complex, the Airarat movie theater, and http://www.armeniaemb.org/images/airport.jpg the Zvartnots Airport.

 

Visit http://www.armeniaemb.org/geninfo/architec.htm for more details and illustrations.

 

 

 

[This message has been edited by MJ (edited February 13, 2001).]

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Architecture of the IV to the VII centuries Church - The House of GOd on the Earth

 

 

Written by Gevork Nazaryan. Some portions of the Architecture of Armenia were taken from the Siuni Server.

 

The conditions for the development of architecture were quite favorable during the Arshakouni Kingdom, which came after the fall of Artashesian Dynasty. King Khosrov Kotak (322-338 A.D.) founded the capital city of Dvin. The construction of churches gained tremendous impetus when in 301 A.D. St. Gregory the Illuminator and the Armenian King Trdat (Tiridates) proclaimed Christianity as the official religion of Armenia, thus making Armenia the first Christian nation in the world. At the very outset of the formal adoption of Christianity as the official religion, St. Gregory the Illuminator founded the first churches and houses of prayer at Ashtishat, Vagharshapat, Sevan and other parts of Armenia. These buildings were single-nave and try- nave basilicas, often built upon the foundations of former pagan temples. In some instances, pagan temples were converted to churches, relocating the apse from the west to the east side of the building. V th century architectural developments resulted in the creation of the traditional Armenian central-domed cathedrals and domed basilicas. These were basic innovations in Armenian Church architecture.

http://www.armenianhighland.com/images/illustration412.jpg

The principle of the dome came from prehistoric times and from centuries of architectural tradition in Armenia. «Corbelling» or erecting a wooden domed roof over a square building was widely practiced in Armenia in the construction of public and domestic buildings. This technique consists of laying short wooden beams across the angles of the square formed by four columns or four walls. The Armenian master builders translated this technique into stone and succeeded in building monumental domed structures in masonry. One of the earliest examples of the domed cathedral is the Mother Cathedral of St. Echmiatsin. About the year 480 A.D., prince Vahan Mamikonian rebuilt the basilica church formerly build by St. Gregory the Illuminator in 303 A.D. and incorporated the cruciform plat with a separate, quatrefoil dome-on-pendentive design. The cruciform plan is evident trough the four apses protruding from the walls of the basic quadrilateral plan. As to the dome, it is the central and unifying motif of the overall cruciform design in both plan and elevation. The Cathedral of St. Echmiatsin is one of the earliest examples of Armenian (as well as non-Armenian) architecture incorporating the central-dome construction. It became the prototype of Bagaran (624 631), Mastara (VI th century) and other similar constructions and their variants. The isolated columns of St. John Cathedral of Mastara and of similar designs (e.g. Harij, Ardek, and Voskebar) are eliminated and the broad dome, with modifications of the drum, rests upon the corners of the apses, creating a feeling of space in the interior. The further development of the central dome theme of St. Echmiatsin and Mastara was realized, in the Cathedral of Avan, built in the last decades of the VI th century. In this design the cruciform is incorporated with a perfected square, whose open corners accommodate four round vestries with centralized open anterooms. The broad-set dome rests upon the eight columns bordering the anterooms and vestries. The structural design of the Cathedral of Avan reached a higher degree of perfection in the Cathedral of Virgin Martyr St. Hripsime (618) and in similar structures such as the Monastery of the Holy Translators, the churches of Garnhovit and Sisavan in the vast and powerful Armenian province of Siunik. In contrast to Avan, the Cathedral of St. Hripsime is square-corned and the exterior walls under the apse are indented with trapezoidal niches. This arrangement result in thinner exterior walls while at the same time enhances the structural integrity and aesthetic balance of the overall edifice. The broad, massive outline of St. Hripsime has an extraordinarily harmonious composition. Its lean, stable and yet soaring structure is a fitting match to Ararat and Aragats, which grace its background. The Church of Hripsime is rightly considered a gem of VII th Century classical Armenian Architecture. The dome on pendentives becomes the unifying architectural characteristic of VI th and VII th century Armenian Churches. Subsequently, Armenian architects sought and found various solutions to the problems of enclosing a larger space with now modes of constructing domes. The tri-nave domed basilical cathedral of Tekor (V th century), was the original model from which evolved the dome supported on four columns (e.g. Otsoun, Gayane, Mren, Bagavan). Basilican and cruciform central-domed layouts evolved into another tri-apse Basilican forms and reached, as in the case of the Mother Church of Dvin (607) and the basilica at Talin, monumental dimensions. The cruciform, central-domed church structure was in general use during the VI th to VII th centuries. The cruciform was expressed in the interior and exterior by different adaptations of the arms of the cross. Another interesting cruciform type is illustrated in the Church of Yeghvard and in the multi-apse temple of Irint to the late VII th century. In these structures, 8 radiated apses are inscribed in a polygon and the dome rests on the intersecting ribs of the apses.

 

 

 

Armenian Architecture of the IV th to the VII th Centuries

 

 

 

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[This message has been edited by MJ (edited February 13, 2001).]

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