St. Astvatsatsin (Holy Mother of God)

Name: St. Astvatsatsin (Holy Mother of God)
Monument type: Church and Monastic Complex
Region: Kotayk Province
Periods: Medieval

Name: St. Astvatsatsin (Holy Mother of God)

Other nomination: Two-storey church of Yeghvard

Monument type: Church-mausoleum

Region: Kotayk

Community: Yeghvard

Residence: Yeghvard town

Location: Central part of Yeghvard city

Preservation: Standing, functioning. It is one of the unique monuments having come to us without significant transformation:

Coordinates: 40o19’10” 44o28’50”

Altitude: 1325 m

Era and chronology: High Middle Ages – 1301

Yeghvard: A Two-storey Marvel From the High Middle Ages

Holy Mother of God in Yeghvard is nothing short of a masterpiece which symbolizes the dawn of a transformative period that marked the artistry of the High Middle Ages

You will need your full focus, as you feast your eyes on its abundant and intricate details. Within this gem, you’ll uncover a rich tapestry of ornaments and symbols, and sculptures that will truly captivate your senses.

And beyond its apparent beauty, this church conceals hidden legends and tales, casting an aura of mysticism that can transport your soul while delighting your sight.

In the heart of Yeghvard town, a hidden gem from the High Middle Ages stands as a testament to the rich heritage of the Kotayk region. The Holy Mother of God Church, sometimes known as Yeghvard Church, was built during the High Middle Ages, in the year 1301.

This two-storey church-mausoleum has remained remarkably preserved and after being renovated in 1745, it still stands tall and functions to this day.

The Yeghvard Church has an intricate and awe-inspiring architecture, showcasing the innovation and artistry of its era. This tower-shaped, domed, two-storey church is a prime example of the new architectural style that emerged at the end of the 13th century and the first decades of the 14th century.

The first floor boasts intersecting vaults, while the second floor features a stone dome with richly crafted dome-bearing arches. The stone staircase, symmetrically adorning the main façade, leads to the second floor, reserved for privileged ceremonies.

On the second floor, the liturgical altar, crowned by a stone dome, stands as a testament to the skill of the artisans who brought this vision to life. Its richly crafted dome-bearing arches, supported by a twelve-column rotunda, elevate this sacred space to new heights.

In the upper row of the drum, glazed tiles from the 13th and 14th centuries with Persian inscriptions were discovered, adding a touch of exotic allure to this already enchanting monument.

What makes this monument truly remarkable is the richly decorated facades adorned with an abundance of ornaments and unique sculptures. The sculptures include Our Lady with the child and the prophet Isaiah, a lion and a bull, an eagle clawing at a calf, a leopard hunting a deer, and an ibex. These intricate details once adorned the exterior of the church, painted in striking white, red, and yellow hues, bringing life to the stone.

The church’s beauty has never ceased to inspire tales from the past. One legend has it that the church holds a tale of unrequited love, where the owner’s daughter, known for her beauty, sought refuge on its dome to escape the Khan’s soldiers who sought to take her to his harem. In a heartbreaking act of defiance, she chose to end her own life rather than fall into their hands, forever enshrining the church as a symbol of courage and defiance.

And even in our present time, layers of history continue to unfold in this sacred place. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, reconstruction work ensued, restoring the pillars, pediment, dome, and other intricate elements. Archaeological excavations unveiled a rich history, with human bones discovered in the vicinity, echoing the lives of those who once worshiped here. In 2007, the foundations of two early medieval church structures had been uncovered on this site, making sure that we remain astonished by it for more years to come.

FACTS

❈ The Holy Mother of God Church, also known as Yeghvard Church, stands in Yeghvard town, a hidden gem from the High Middle Ages, built in 1301 and renovated in 1745.

❈ This two-storey church-mausoleum features intricate and awe-inspiring architecture, representing a new style of the late 13th
and early 14th centuries.

❈ The first floor has intersecting vaults, while the second floor boasts a stone dome with richly crafted dome-bearing arches and
a liturgical altar.

❈ The church’s richly decorated facades are adorned with unique sculptures and Persian-inscribed glazed tiles from the 13th and 14th centuries.

❈ Legends and history intertwine at this sacred place, with tales of unrequited love and ongoing archaeological discoveries that continue to reveal its rich heritage.

🔍 Research history

In 1969-1971 the remains of the attached unfinished three-nave church were removed, reconstruction works were carried out (the pillars, pediment, dome, all the slopes, the damaged stage of the 2nd floor). Archaeological excavations were conducted while releasing the structure from the thick layer of surrounding soil (up to 1.9 m). Human bones were discovered in every well.

The expedition of the Institute of Archeology and Ethnography of the RA NAS (H. Melkonyan, G. Sargsyan) made excavations around the church in 2007. The foundations of two early medieval church structures were revealed on its north-western side. The first church is a IV-V century single-nave vaulted structure with a horseshoe-shaped upper tabernacle. After the destruction of this church, in the 7th century, another spiritual structure with a quadrilateral and a central dome was drawn on its volume.

🧱 Archaeological description

Architecture
Yeghvard church belongs to the new, tower-shaped, domed, two-storey church type created at the end of the XIII century and the 1st decades of the XIV century (Goshavank library-church, St. Minas in Kaputan, Noravank St. Astvatsatsin).

The first floor with a square plan and a semi-circular upper tabernacle on the eastern side (similar to the altar of the Psalms) is covered with intersecting vaults. There are small rectangular vaulted storage rooms to the right and left of the upper tabernacle. The 2nd floor has a cross floor plan. The liturgical altar with a stone dome (cover) and richly crafted dome-bearing arches with 12-column rotunda rising on it, stand out. The latter has slender proportions and is covered with a conical canopy. The 2nd floor was reserved for privileged people and ceremonies were rarely performed. The stone staircase with a symmetrical arrangement on the main façade lead to the 2nd floor. The only entrance to the church is on the western side. It is built of dark gray and black (1st floor), yellow-brown and reddish (2nd floor) tuff.

Most of the sculptures covering the facades were painted (white, red, yellow).

In the arrangement of the upper row of the drum, richly decorated XIII-XIV century glazed tiles with Persian inscriptions (Firdusi from Shahnameh) were enclosed.

It was renovated in 1745. A wooden zhamatun was built next to St. Astvatsatsin in the 1900s. The lower set of stairs leading to the 2nd floor were likely to be broken during the construction. The name of the architect, Shahik Vardapet, can be read on the northern facade of the church, under the eagle sculpture, on the arched wall.

🔨 Findings

As a result of the excavations, many fragments of pottery, winged crosses, khachkars and tiles were found.

🌍 Significance

The monument stands out with an abundance of ornaments and unique sculptures (Our Lady with the child and the prophet Isaiah, a lion and a bull, an eagle clawing at a calf, a leopard hunting a deer, an ibex), elegant ornaments.

📜 Traditional legends

The Yeghvard village owner’s daughter’s reputation for her beauty reaches the Khan of Yerevan, and the latter demands to bring her to his harem. The landlord refuses, and the Khan sends soldiers to abduct the girl. In order not to fall into their hands, the owner’s daughter climbs the dome of the village church and commits suicide by throwing herself down from there.

📚 Sources

Literature

Ghanalanyan A. 1969, Legends, Yerevan, Armenian SSR Academy of Sciences ed., 530 pages.
Mnatsakanyan St. 1971, Yerevan and its surroundings, Yerevan, Hayastan ed., 201 pages.
Zhamkochian A., Kalantaryan A. 1971, Yeghvard Astvatsatsin Church’s Glazed Tiles, Historical and Philosophical Journal, N 4, pp. 277-281.
Hovhannisyan K. 1978, The renovation of architectural monuments in Soviet Armenia, Yerevan, Hayastan ed., 249 pages.
Tumanyan Yu. 1988, New life for monuments, Yerevan, Hayastan ed., 208 pages.
Toramanian T. 2013, Materials of the history of Armenian architecture, Yerevan, YSU ed., 864 pages.
Melkonyan H. 2007, New Church in Yeghvard, Armenian Art, N 3-4, page 34.
Hasratyan M. 2017-2018, The Armenian two-storey, domed churches of the High Middle AXges, Monument yearbook, XII-XIII centuries, pp. 53-74.

List of monuments
Kotayk 6.4/7