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If
Dadivank is the most magical monastery of Karabakh, and
Gtichavank the best kept secret, then Gandzasar is the most exquisite.
Located in the north, atop the green hill which climbs above the village of
Vank, it has been restored and is a fully functioning monastery.
Gandzasar has some of the nicest carvings, and detail of any Armenian
monastery. Each stone is well thought out, and the decorations are a
pleasure to discover throughout the complex. Being a functioning monastery
means there are priests and monks there who were happy to give us a tour and
history of the monastery, as well as discuss church issues in general.
This is one of the monasteries in the historic province of Artsakh, in
mountainous Gharabagh. The monastery consists of a church, a gavit on the
west side of the church, and other offices; it is surrounded by high walls.
This church was built between 1232 and 1238, under the patronage and through
the generosity of Melik Jalal-Dola and his wife Mamkan. The jhamatun was
built in 1261. The architecture of this monastery, installed at the summit
of a mountain, blends harmoniously with the magnificent countryside.
Apparently it had reached its heyday in the first half of the 13th century.
For many centuries Gandzasar was the country's cultural center. It has
preserved the gems of Armenian architecture, the church and gavit (annex),
outstanding monuments of medieval architecture and monumental plastics.
The foundations of Gandzasar church were laid by the Khachen Prince Asan
Dzalal in 1216 and completed in 1238, it was sanctified in 1240. The gavit,
according to an Armenian historian Kirakos Gandzaketsi, was built by Mamkan,
Asan's wife (the inscription on the masonry runs: Mamkan, Asan and their son
Atabeg). The year, however, is unknown, although one can say that the
building work was completed in Asan's lifetime, i.e. before 1261.
The church's architecture is based on a cross-cupola composition developed
in the 10th century. |
