Aghtsk Memorial

Name: Aghtsk memorial
Monument type: Grave field
Region: Aragatsotn Province
Periods: Medieval

Name: Aghtsk memorial

Other nomination: Armenian royal mausoleum

Monument type: Mausoleum, church, basilica structure, monument remains, quadrangular monuments, medieval cemetery

Region: Aragatsotn

Community: Ashtarak

Residence: Aghtsk village

Location: Northern part of Aghtsk village, the right bank of the Amberd tributary, the high bank.

Preservation: The mausoleum is completely preserved, the walls and pediments of the church are preserved with a height of 1.5-2m, the step-shaped ground anchor and the lower parts of the walls are preserved from the basilica structure.

Coordinates: N40°18’57 E 44°15’20

Altitude: 1260 m

Era and chronology: The memorial complex dates from the Early Middle Ages to the Late Middle Ages, IV-XVII centuries.

Aghtsk: Unlocking the Secrets of Armenia’s Royal Legacy

As you stand at the heart of this memorial, where the spirits of the ancient people meet the sacred rays of the divine, you can’t help but feel the weight of centuries of Armenian history and the profound stories they hold.

This memorial is not just a place; it is a time machine that transports you to the heart of Armenia’s royal past. Being there is a life-changing experience that will stay engraved in your memories long after you have left the premises.

In the northern reaches of Aghtsk village, within the Aragatsotn region, lies the enigmatic Aghtsk Memorial, often revered as the “Armenian Royal Mausoleum.” This complex, a marvel of architecture and history, offers a unique window into Armenia’s past that is both captivating and profound.

The heart of this memorial is the Royal Tomb, constructed in 364 AD, a poignant reminder of Armenia’s unwavering spirit in the face of adversity. During the Armenian-Persian war, the Persian King Shapuh sought to desecrate Armenian kings’ graves and steal their relics. In response, the Armenian army intervened, choosing Aghtsk as their final resting place. The Royal Tomb itself is an architectural masterpiece—an underground vaulted structure with an east-western axis. Its semi-circular altar on the eastern side adds to its grandeur, while the kings’ remains rest within rectangular, vaulted niches along the southern and northern walls. Carved slabs within these niches tell intricate stories, blending the secular and the sacred. The entire structure, crafted from hewn black tuff, exudes a timeless elegance.

Adjacent to the mausoleum stands the Aghtsk Church, a basilica structure dating back to the IV century, one of Armenia’s oldest basilicas. Unearthed in the 1970s, this three-nave basilica structure features a horseshoe-shaped altar, a rectangular vestry to the south, and pairs of gables to the north and south. In 2016, a remarkable discovery was made—an array of relic boxes made of red and black tufa beneath the church’s pavement. These boxes are believed to have held the relics of royal house members, underscoring the spiritual significance of this sacred site

The year 2017 brought yet more archaeological revelations—a newly discovered basilica structure within the complex, meticulously constructed with hewn tufa stones. This structure, divided into narrow lateral and central wide sections and adorned with four pairs of T-shaped gables, is thought to have served as a throne hall or church for the spiritual leader during the Early Middle Ages.

Archaeological findings from Aghtsk offer a treasure trove of insights into the region’s past. Terracotta tiles featuring animals—bears, camels, deer, and birds—adorned with royal ribbon-necklaces typical of Sasanian art provide a glimpse into the region’s cultural influences. Additionally, pottery, metal objects, and glass artifacts unveil facets of daily life in ancient times.

FACTS

❈ Aghtsk Memorial, also known as the “Armenian Royal Mausoleum,” in Aghtsk village, Aragatsotn, offers a captivating window into Armenia’s past.

❈ The Royal Tomb, constructed in 364 AD, is a testament to Armenia’s resilience during the Armenian-Persian war and is a marvel
of architecture.

❈ The Aghtsk Church, one of Armenia’s oldest basilicas, houses relic boxes believed to contain royal house members’ relics,
highlighting the site’s spiritual significance.

❈ Recent discoveries in 2016 and 2017 unveiled additional basilica structures, potentially serving as a throne hall or church for a
spiritual leader during the Early Middle Ages.

❈ Archaeological findings at Aghtsk, including terracotta tiles, pottery, metal objects, and glass artifacts, provide insights into the
region’s cultural influences and daily life in ancient times.

🔍 Research history

Shahkhatuniants (topographer, 19th century), T. Toramanian (architect, beginning of the 20th century).

Excavations were made in the monument group in 1974-1975 by the Department for Protection and Restoration of the USSR Petshin Monuments, headed by H. Simonyan.

The excavations were resumed in the Aghtsk complex in 2001, then continued in 2015-2021, carried out by the “Scientific research center of the historical and cultural heritage” headed by H. Simonyan.

🧱 Archaeological description

Location
The tomb of the Arshakunyats kings is the most famous among the Aghtsk monuments. The basilica church is located on the northern side of the mausoleum. To the south of the tomb a monumental basilica structure was revealed by excavations in 2017. The ground anchor of the memorial and the furnace are also located in the southern wing.

Stratigraphy
All the monumental structures of the Aghtsk memorial complex date back to the early Middle Ages, the 60s of the IV century. The church was assumed to be built a bit later, but the recent years’ excavation results bring up a basis for new points of view, stating that the church was built before the mausoleum, and the latter’s construction in this place was determined by the presence of the prominent spiritual center here (H. Simonyan). The complex actively functioned in the High Middle Ages as well, traces of the structure and numerous pottery findings have been preserved.

Architecture
Royal Tomb (364 AD). Historians testify to the events preceding the construction of the mausoleum and the summary of the kings’ relics in Aghtsk. In order to break the Armenians’ spirit, at the beginning of the Armenian-Persian war (364-368), the Persian king Shapuh (309-379) sent a special detachment to the Ani-Kamakh fortress to destroy the Armenian kings’ graves and steal the relics. However, the Armenian army takes back the kings’ bones and, since the pagan and Christian kings’ bones were mixed, they found it appropriate to bury them in Aghtsk, not in Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.

The Aghtsk tomb is a vaulted, semi-underground structure (3.75×2.65×2.6m) with an east-western axis, and a rectangular plan. It has a semi-circular altar on the eastern side, and the kings’ bones are supposedly buried in the rectangular, vaulted niches of the southern and northern walls. There are carved slabs built into the front walls of the niches. The entire building is built of hewn, black tuff. The tomb had a second floor, which probably served as a prayer hall. The entrance to the mausoleum is from the west. The tomb also has sculptures depicting many secular and religious subjects: isosceles crosses inscribed in a circle, “Daniel in the lion’s den”, a hunting scene, images of various animals and birds.

Aghtsk Church – As a result of the 1970s excavations, the basilica church located on the northern side of the tomb was completely opened. The church is a three-nave basilica structure with a horseshoe-shaped altar, a rectangular vestry in the south, two pairs of gables (the southern ones are T-shaped, and the northern ones are cross-shaped). The only entrance is from the west. The Church of Aghtsk dates back to the IV century and is considered one of the oldest basilicas in Armenia. In 2016 three relic boxes of red and black tufa were found in front of the altar of the church, under the pavement; according to the researchers’ assumption, the relics of the royal house members were kept in them (H. Simonyan).

The newly discovered basilica structure was revealed in the east-western direction as a result of the 2017 excavations, built with tufa hewn stones; the excavations are still in process. The structure with four pairs of T-shaped gables is divided into 2 narrow lateral and central wide sections. According to the preliminary conclusion of the researchers, the three-nave building was the throne hall or church of the spiritual leader, dating back to the Early Middle Ages (H. Simonyan).

🔨 Findings

Terracotta tiles with different animals (bear, camel, deer, birds) were found from the Aghtsk village. It is noteworthy that the animals are wearing royal ribbon-necklaces typical of Sasanian art. Many findings of pottery, metal and glass were also discovered.

🌍 Significance

The monument is important for studying the stages of formation and development of the architecture and iconography of early Christian tomb structures.

📚 Sources

Literature

History of Armenia by Movses Khorenatsvoi 1913, work. M. Abeghyan and S. Haroutionian, Tpghis, Aragatip Mnatsakan
Martiroseantsi, 306 pages.
History of Armenia by Faustos of Byzantium 1913, Tiflis, print. Yr. N. Aghanians, 407 pages.
Arakelyan B. 1949, Armenian iconography in the IV-VII centuries, Yerevan, Armenian SSR Academy of the Sciences ed., 128 pages.
Mnatsakanyan S. 1982, Armenian early medieval memorial monuments, Yerevan, ASSR Academy of the Sciences ed., 196 pages.
Simonyan H., Safaryan M., Simonyan T., Kalantaryan N., Atoyants E. 2017-2018, “The 2015-2017 excavation results of the Aghtsk
royal tomb “, Monument yearbook, ԺԲ-ԺԳ, pp. 27-29.

List of monuments
Aragatsotn 2.8.1.