Hye Sharzhoom Armenian Action
Sosse Baloian
Staff Writer
Armenian churches dominate the sphere of Armenian architecture. 3,788 Armenian churches were built in Greater Armenia in the period from the adoption of Christianity in the early fourth century to the early twentieth century.
Unfortunately, this number has diminished significantly and only 2.3% of Armenian churches in Turkey survived after the 1915 Genocide.
On Friday, April 9, 2021, Prof. Barlow Der Mugrdechian, Berberian Coordinator of the Armenian Studies Program, gave an overview of Armenian church architecture in his presentation, “The Arts of Armenia-Armenian Architecture.” This lecture was a part of the Armenian Studies Program Spring 2021 Lecture Series as well as the “Arts in Motion Showcase Week” of the College of Arts and Humanities at Fresno State.
Prof. Der Mugrdechian stated that art historians typically categorize Armenian church architecture based on the style or the period of construction. Early Armenian church construction is divided into two periods. The first period dates from the late fourth century to the late seventh century followed by a brief interruption when the Arab Empire conquered most of Armenia.
Then from the ninth to eleventh century a “renaissance of Armenian church building” took place under the Armenian Bagratuni and Artsruni kingdoms.
Present in both periods are four key characteristics that make up the “National Style” of Armenian church architecture: the use of large cut stone, usually tufa; vaulted ceilings; a dome; and composite roofs.
Although Armenian church architecture has a national style, Prof. Der Mugrdechian highlighted the diversity in Armenian church production throughout the centuries by discussing several different churches throughout Greater Armenia.
Prof. Der Mugrdechian explained that the use of large cut stone in construction predates the period of Armenian Christian architecture.
In Yerevan, Armenia, archaeologists excavated the remains of the ancient Urartian fortress of Erebuni, dating to 782 B.C. Within the fortress, the remnant walls of the Temple of Erebuni demonstrate “the use of large cut stone [which became] the basis for the building of monumental buildings in Armenia,” according to Prof. Der Mugrdechian.
He explained that volcanic tufa or basalt was abundant in Armenia whereas wood was often scarce. Volcanic stone is relatively easy to cut and has the quality of becoming stronger over time.
Another prominent stylistic element, the vaulted ceiling, is a series of self-supporting arches above walls. Der Mugrdechian stated that one feels a sense of space when standing inside the structure and looking up towards the ceiling.
He expressed this concept by showing images of the Tanahat church which was built during the fifth-sixth century. Although the Tanahat church is in ruins today due to damage from earthquakes, art historians have been able to learn a lot about Armenian architecture by examining its ruins.
When designing churches, Armenian architects initially adopted the basilica style from Roman architecture. Eventually, Armenians developed new styles of church architecture to reflect their Christian beliefs.
Prof. Der Mugrdechian remarked that “the Armenians wanted to form spaces for worship that were different than what were used in pagan times.” The central worship service of the Armenian Church – the Divine Liturgy and Holy Communion – helped inspire the theological purpose behind Armenian church architecture.
By the sixth-seventh centuries, the use of domes dominated Armenian church construction. Prof. Der Mugrdechian explained that many view the dome as a “symbol of heaven, perfection, or the greatness of God.”
Holy Etchmiadzin, the church of the “Descent of the Only Begotten,” was actually one of the earliest Armenian churches built with a dome.
It was constructed in 303 A.D. according to Agatangelos, a chronicler of Armenian Christianity, but was partially destroyed during the Persian wars and rebuilt in 484 A.D. The church is categorized in the centrally planned style because the structure is designed to support the dome with the use of pillars and buttressing to help reinforce the walls.
Prof. Der Mugrdechian explained that an interesting aspect of Armenian church architecture is that the outline of the spaces in the internal structure is not always visible from the outside. This is accomplished by the use of composite roofing. Many Armenian churches, including the Cathedral of Ani and St. Hripsime demonstrate the use of composite roofs.
According to Prof. Der Mugrdechian, the Cathedral of Ani is arguably one of the most outstanding examples of Armenian church architecture. The Cathedral of Ani was built during the period of the Bagratuni kingdom in 1001 A.D. Today it is located on the border between Turkey and Armenia. The Cathedral is built with polychromatic tufa stone, ranging from different shades of orange and black and the external walls are decorated with elegant arcades.
St. Hripsime was built in 618 A.D. during the Catholicosate of Komitas I. It is considered one of the most popular Ar-menian churches because it commemorates the spot where the virgin Hripsime was martyred by King Trdat in the 4th century.
This church is a popular pilgrimage site that houses the tomb of St. Hripsime underneath the main altar. The church was built in the Armenian radiating style which features a massive faceted dome covering the main hall.
Prof. Der Mugrdechian de-monstrated that the Armenian radiating style became a common style in Armenian architecture, with individual differences as in the church at Aghtamar.
The Church of the Holy Cross was built in Lake Van during the period of the Artsruni kingdom in the tenth century on Aghtamar island.
It is unique for its extensive decoration of externals reliefs, particularly the program of Old Testament reliefs. Inside the church, the walls are decorated with frescoes reflecting themes from the New Testament.
“Armenian churches are still being built throughout the world in a variety of styles, some imitating the earlier church styles but some using modern building techniques which are different but at least try to give the distinctive look to Armenian architecture,” concluded Prof. Der Mugrdechian.
Prof. Der Mugrdechian’s presentation was based on a course that he teaches, “The Arts of Armenia” developed from Dr. Dickran Kouymjian’s book The Arts of Armenia, which is available as an online resource through the Armenian Studies Program website, http://www.fresnostate.edu/artshum/armenianstudies/resources/artsofarmeniaindex.html.