MosJan Posted October 20, 2001 Report Share Posted October 20, 2001 The monastery of Kecharis http://www.hrazdan.am/Kecharis/kecharis.jpg Tsakhkadzor In Armenian it means canyon of flowers. This town is located on the eastern slope of Teghenis Mountain 1845 m. above sea level. Kecharuik This is an ancient name of Tsakhkadzor. During the early Middle Ages it was a royal hunting place for the House of Arshakids. X century The House of Grand Duke Of Pahlavooni took over this place from the feudal house of Varajnuni. They gave a new name to the place - Tsakhnots, in Armenian it means - Flower.-bed. XI century Grigor Magistros Pahlavooni, famous Armenian politician, military commander, diplomat and scientist started to develop this place. It was he who founded the Monastery of Kecharis, built the church of St. Grigor the Illuminator and the church of Surp Nishan (Sign). 1196 year Kecharis is freed from Seljuqs. 1196-1206 The main entrance (gavit) of the church of St. Grigor the Illuminator was built. 1203 year The Grand Duke Vasak Haghbakian took over Kecharis place. 1214 year The Grand Duke Vasak Haghbakian built the church of Katogike, Architect - Vetsik. 1236-1243 Armenia was conquered by Tatars. Nearly all churches were destroyed. 1248 year Kecharis was restored. XIII century Famous Armenian poet and spiritual figure Khachatur Kecharetsi had his own school in Kecharis. XVI-XVII c. Armenia becoming the place of Turkish-Persian wars. 1828 year Eastern Armenia joined Russia. Kecharis was given the name Tsakhkadzor. 1991 year Armenian became an independent country. 1997-2000 Kecharis was restored once again. http://www.hrazdan.am/Kecharis/kecharis1.jpg Kecharis before restoration http://www.hrazdan.am/Kecharis/kecharis2.jpg web page Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bellthecat Posted October 21, 2001 Report Share Posted October 21, 2001 Not exactly true, as is usual with Armenia. The photo that purports to show the monastery "before" the "restoration" actually does not show it. It is actually an old 19th century photo. There WAS a proper archeological restoration - meaning a consolidation of the existing structure where nothing new is added - during the Soviet period. There is no evidence that the rebuilt drums and domes looked like this - and any archaeologist or art historian worth their salt would condemn this so called "restoration". It is just another, all too common, example of the contempt and deliberate medievalisim that is now shown in Armenia towards cultural artifacts - they are getting to be as bad as the Turks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azat Posted October 22, 2001 Report Share Posted October 22, 2001 quote:Originally posted by bellthecat:Not exactly true, as is usual with Armenia.The photo that purports to show the monastery "before" the "restoration" actually does not show it. It is actually an old 19th century photo. This is a picture that I have seen as a picture prior to the restoration. http://www.rpi.edu/~keefej/index.html/Images/Kec1.gif It looks to my untrained eye very much like the picture from the one that Movses posted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bellthecat Posted October 22, 2001 Report Share Posted October 22, 2001 Untrained eye - you said it! Don't you see that the roof has been consolidated and all the missing stone tiles on the roof have been replaced (and that in the new "restoration" all those tiles, including the surviving original ones, have been ripped off and replaced by ones that do not have the characteristic ribbing). Also see how the missing gable on the south facade has been rebuilt. The Soviet restoration shows admirable restraint, only rebuilding those parts that are necessary to maintain the structural integrity of the original medieval structure. The ignorance of those involved in this new restoration is breathtaking - why did they just not go the whole way and demolish everything and rebuild anew - I bet there would be much more money to be made that way (for money making, be they by the contractors or the avaricious priests, is the only explanation for such vandalisim). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azat Posted October 22, 2001 Report Share Posted October 22, 2001 I do see that, I think I misunderstood what you were saying originally. The old picture posted by Movses looks like the one I posted. Am I wrong? I can see that there are some differences, but it looks like the same church to me. BTW: I was in Armenia this past summer and was horrified at the reconstruction that had been done in the inside of Edchmiadsin. It looked horrible. It felt like I was in a Russian church. They had not even tried to restore the paint damage from years of Candle burning, but had just painted over the old. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJ Posted October 22, 2001 Report Share Posted October 22, 2001 As a matter of a broad statement, I don't think that any of the historic monuments should be restored. It just erodes their historic significance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bellthecat Posted October 23, 2001 Report Share Posted October 23, 2001 quote:Originally posted by MJ:As a matter of a broad statement, I don't think that any of the historic monuments should be restored. It just erodes their historic significance.Time for a ticker-tape parade - MJ and I agree on something!Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bellthecat Posted October 23, 2001 Report Share Posted October 23, 2001 quote:Originally posted by Azat:I do see that, I think I misunderstood what you were saying originally. The old picture posted by Movses looks like the one I posted. Am I wrong? I can see that there are some differences, but it looks like the same church to me.BTW: I was in Armenia this past summer and was horrified at the reconstruction that had been done in the inside of Edchmiadsin. It looked horrible. It felt like I was in a Russian church. They had not even tried to restore the paint damage from years of Candle burning, but had just painted over the old. Yep, it is the same building - I was just trying to say that the state of the church before this new restoration was NOT the state shown in the old photo (the website says it was), and that there had been a restoration (or, more correctly, a consolidation) in the recent past which had ensured the preservation of the building. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJ Posted October 23, 2001 Report Share Posted October 23, 2001 Steve, You are growing in my eyes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MosJan Posted January 17, 2002 Author Report Share Posted January 17, 2002 i have some new pics. of Kecharis =- http://www.mksduduks.com/Gallery/Kecharis/Kecharis1.jpg http://www.mksduduks.com/Gallery/Kecharis/Kecharis2.jpg http://www.mksduduks.com/Gallery/Kecharis/Kecharis3.jpg http://www.mksduduks.com/Gallery/Kecharis/Kecharis4.jpg http://www.mksduduks.com/Gallery/Kecharis/Kecharis5.jpg http://www.mksduduks.com/Gallery/Kecharis/Kecharis6.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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