St. Astvatsatsin Church (Holy Virgin)

🔍 Research history

The studies mainly concern the architecture and lithographic heritage of the monastery.

🧱 Archaeological description

Architecture
It was built with red and brown hewn tufa stones, has a symmetry stretching from the east to the west (22.1 x 13.4 m), and a pair of triangular niches on the eastern facade. One of the remarkable details is the stone shelf running along the perimeter of the walls inside, most likely served as a bookcase. The dome is crowned with a fan-shaped spire. It stands out with discreet interior and exterior solutions. The monastery was renovated by Prince Vahan in 1209, after Princes Ivane and Zakare (1201) liberated Bjni from the Seljuks. A vaulted chapel, adjacent to St. Astvatsatsin Church from the south, was built in 1272, with a large khachkar placed in the niche of the western wall. There are many unique khachkars in the yard, khachkars made by Master Melikset inclusive. The monastery was heavily damaged during the Timur Lenk’s invasion. The monk priest was killed in the church. However, the monastery later regained its former glory and reputation. At that time, many manuscripts were created in the monastery, including the Gospel copied by Bishop Grigor. It was enclosed with large and small semi-finished sandstones in 1666; there are round towers at the corners of the walls. St. Astvatatsin Monastery was a scriptorium center of medieval Armenia. The monastery was of a great prominence in the 12th century, during the reign of Armenian Catholicos Grigor G. Pahlavuni, son of Grigor Magister.

French traveler Chardin spent a night in St. Astvatsatsin Monastery in 1637, later describing it in his travelogues. French explorer Piton de Tournefort also visited the monastery in 1700, mentioning about it in his work. In the 19th century school buildings were built in the southern part of monastery, and cells – in the northern side. The school building was built in the western part of the monastery in 1895 by Armenian Catholicos Mkrtich A. Vanetsi’s order (Khrimyan Hayrik).

The lower layers of the monument walls were partially restored in 1939. It was completely renovated and got its original appearance in 1956-1957.

🌍 Significance

The higher educational and scientific center named “Master’s School” operated here. It was a famous center of medieval writing and miniature painting.

📜 Traditional legends 

According to the legend, the Bjni monastery and the fortress were connected by an underground road through which water and food were brought to the besieged by four-wheeled carts.

📚 Sources

Literature

1. Harutyunyan V. 1992, History of Armenian Architecture, Yerevan, “Luys”, 540 pages.
2. Simonyan H. 2001, Bjni, Yerevan, 10 pages.

List of monument
State register – 6.66.2.1