Marmashen

Name: Marmashen
Monument type: Church-Monastic Complex
Region: Shirak Province
Periods: Medieval

Name: Marmashen

Other nomination: Marmashen architectural complex

Monument type: Monastery complex

Region: Shirak

Community: Akhuryan

Residence: Vahramaberd village

Location: The monastery complex is located 2 km south-west of the village of Vahramaberd, and 9 km north-west of the city of Gyumri, on a plain overlooking the left bank of the Akhuryan River.

Preservation: The main church and the one located to its south are completely preserved, only the walls and foundations of the other churches are preserved. Marmashen monastery has been renovated for many times. In 1870, Mkrtich Jalalyan repaired the monastery and founded a school adjacent to it. Catholicos Mkrtich I Vanetsi (Khrimian Hayrik) performed renovation works in the monastery in 1900. Since the 1950s, regular renovation works have been carried out. In 2001 The Katoghike church was renovated with the efforts of the Italian-Armenian, Gayane Kaznati.

Coordinates: 400 50′ 34.36” N 43o45’21.00” E

Elevation: 1538 m

Era and chronology: The monastery structures date back to the High Middle Ages, X-XI centuries.

Marmashen: The Cultural Crown of Medieval Armenia

As you wander through the hallowed grounds of the Marmashen complex and visit its five churches one by one, you can’t help but feel the spiritual energy that once coursed through the veins of this place.

More than just an architectural marvel, the complex was a spiritual and cultural epicenter in medieval Armenia. And you can still experience the echoes of wisdom and knowledge resonating through its stones.

So, get ready to be transported through time and space to a place where the past lives on, waiting for you to explore its mysteries and be captivated by its beauty.

Nestled within the quaint Vahramaberd village on a plain overlooking the left bank of the Akhuryan River, just 9 kilometers from the city of Gyumi, lies a treasure from the past, a testament to Armenian history, culture, and spirituality. The magnificent Marmashen architectural complex, which dates back to the High Middle Ages (X-XI centuries), boasts four churches, a vestibule, and other structures, each with its own unique charm and significance.

The jewel in Marmashen’s crown is the St. Kathoghike or Vahramashen Church, erected between 988 and 1029. The architectural finesse displayed in its design is awe-inspiring. According to an inscription on its façade, the church was founded by Prince Vahram Pahlavouni.

In the 10th century, the primary church embodied perfect domed architecture, exhibiting exquisite forms and features that had already been canonized. This main church featured vaulted elements exclusively on both sides of the upper tabernacle, complemented by triangular double alcoves within its exterior walls. Every architectural detail, from the ornate anchors and capitals adorning the wall columns to the facades of the windows and the western porch, was meticulously crafted with a delicate touch. Atop the polygonal drum of the dome, an umbrella-shaped roof added a crowning touch of elegance.

As you explore the complex, you’ll encounter a vestibule attached to the main church, a place that serves as the final resting place for the princely house of the Pahlavunis. Here, the past and present converge, allowing you to pay your respects to the builders and benefactors who have shaped this sacred space over the centuries.

While Marmashen’s main church stands as a testament to architectural prowess, the site also harbors three other churches, each with its unique design and purpose.

The second church is located to the north of the main church, with its northern and eastern walls still standing. It conforms to the domed hall architectural style and was constructed during the same period as the main church.

The third church is situated slightly apart from the main structure, positioned to the south. This smaller edifice follows the architectural type of cross-domed churches and features vaulted sections in all four corners.

As for the fourth church which dates back to the 11th century, it adopts an inscribed cross plan, encompassing four altars with a repository located between each of them.

Your journey of exploration doesn’t conclude here; the further you traverse the site, the more you’ll uncover hidden treasures along your way. These treasures include the remnants of an ancient bridge, thoughtfully preserved on both banks of the Akhuryan River as well as a weathered church standing on top of a hill, a bit farther from the main cluster.

Beyond its captivating sacred beauty, Marmashen held profound intellectual significance, serving as the spiritual and cultural epicenter of medieval Armenia.

Like many other prominent historical treasures, Marmashen is shrouded in captivating tales and legends. One particularly intriguing mystery suggests that the Kathoghike Church of Marmashen was crafted by the skilled medieval architect Tiridates, the same visionary behind the architectural marvel of the Cathedral of Ani.

FACTS

❈ The Marmashen architectural complex, located in Vahramaberd village near Gyumri, dates back to the High Middle Ages (X-XI centuries) and includes four churches, a vestibule, and other structures.

❈ The St. Kathoghike or Vahramashen Church, the jewel of Marmashen, was built between 988 and 1029 by Prince Vahram Pahlavouni. It showcases exquisite
domed architecture, intricate details, and an umbrella-shaped roof on the polygonal drum of the dome.

❈ The complex also features a vestibule, serving as the resting place for the princely house of the Pahlavunis, connecting the past and present of this sacred space.

❈ Marmashen’s site houses three other churches, each with unique architectural styles, including a domed hall, cross-domed, and inscribed cross plan churches.

❈ The complex, apart from its sacred beauty, held significant intellectual and cultural importance in medieval Armenia. Legends and mysteries surround the
Kathoghike Church’s construction, attributed to the medieval architect Tiridates, also known for the Cathedral of Ani.

Research history

Toros Toramanian was the first to make a brief reference to the architecture of the monastery complex. The expedition of the Institute of Archeology and Ethnography carried out excavations in the monastery (director: S. Harutyunyan) in 1972, and as a result the lower layers of the belfry walls, vestibule and other structures were discovered and the Department for the Protection of Monuments of the USSR Gosstroy carried out improvement works in the area in 1973. As a result of the excavations conducted in 1980-1982 (led by S. Harutyunyan), the monastery wall, the round church, the northern vestibule, domestic and industrial structures were discovered. Excavations were carried out in the monastery territory in 2020 as well, within the framework of drawing up a project for fixing and restoring the monument (director: A. Nalbandian).

Archaeological description

Location
The monument complex consists of four churches, a vestibule and other structures. There is a tumble down church preserved on a northern hill, separate from the main group. The remains of the old bridge have also been preserved a little south-east, on both banks of the Akhuryan Rive.

Architecture
St. Kathoghike or Vahramashen Church is the main spiritual building of the complex, built in 988-1029. Both the historians and the multi-line inscription on the southern facade testify to the construction of the church. Prince Vahram Pahlavouni is mentioned as the builder of the main church in both references. In the X century the main church was a perfect domed hall in its forms and all features, already canonized, widely used in Shirak and other architectural schools, with vaults only on both sides of the upper tabernacle, and with triangular double alcoves in the outer walls (except the western one). All the architectural details – the anchors and capitals of the wall columns, the facades of the windows, the western porch – are elaborated with jewelry delicacy. The polygonal drum of the dome is crowned with an umbrella-roof.

The vestibule was later attached to the main church from the western side, which is the cemetery of the princely house of the Pahlavunis. It belongs to the type of four-column vestibule. Only the lower parts of the walls have been preserved from the monument. In the north-eastern corner is the tombstone of Prince Vahram Pahlavuni’s grave, renovated with the church at the end of the XIX century.

The second church is located north of the main church, with only the northern and eastern walls preserved. It belongs to the domed hall type and is contemporary with the main one.

The third church is located slightly away from the main one, on the southern side. This small-sized monument belongs to the type of cross-domed churches with vaults in the four corners.

The fourth church has an inscribed cross plan with four altars, and a repository placed between each of them. The monument dates back to the XI century.

🔨 Findings

As a result of the excavations, many stone, clay and glass findings were discovered.

Significance

Marmashen is one of the best monument groups of the Armenian architecture. It was the prominent cultural and religious center of medieval Armenia.

📜 Traditional legends

According to the legend, the Kathoghike Church of Marmashen was built by a talented medieval architect Tiridates, who also created the architecture of the Cathedral of Ani.

Sources

Literature

Gh. Alishan 1881, Shirak, Venice-St. Lazar, 192 pages. Diva of the Armenian lithography 2017, Shirak region, study X, compiled by S. Barkhudaryan, Yerevan, “Science”, 212 pages.
T. Toramanian 1948, Materials of the History of Armenian Architecture, vol. II, Yerevan, USSR Academy of Sciences ed., 307 pages.
V. Harutyunyan, History of Armenian Architecture, Yerevan, “Luys” 1992, 540 pages.
S. Saghumyan, Marmashen Monastery, Vagharshapat, 1998, 64 pages.
S. Harutyunyan, 1977, Marmashen excavations, thesis reports of the archaeological field work results in the USSR, 1975-1976, Yerevan, pp. 40-41.
S. Harutyunyan, 1983, the excavations results of the Marmashen, 1980-1982; a scientific session dedicated to the results of archaeological field work, thesis reports in the USSR, 1981-1982, Yerevan, page 35.

List of monuments

Shirak 7.108.10

📷 Gallery

Plan of the monastic complex (Harutyunyan 1992, p. 228).
The monastic complex from the east, beginning of the XX century, author Toros Toramanian, History Museum of Armenia.
The general view of the monastery complex from the south-east, beginning of the XX century, author Toros Toramanian, 1905-1909, History Museum of Armenia.
Historical-Cultural Museums-Reserve and Service for the Protection of Historical Environment, Katoghike church, southern facade, 1947
The three churches of the complex from the west (photo by D. Mirijanyan).
The second church (photo by A. Nalbandian).
Marmashen circular church (photo by A. Nalbandyan).
The inscription tombstone of Prince Vahram Pahlavun (photo by D. Mirijanyan).
Tombstone of Prince Vahram Pahlavuni’s wife, 1015. (measurement by S. Aghayan).
Tombstone inscription of the wife of Prince Vahram Pahlavuni’s son (measurement by S. Aghayan).
A part of the church water pipe discovered as a result of the excavations (photo by A. Nalbandian).
A stone lid of a pot found by the excavations (photo by A. Nalbandyan).