St. Stepanos Church

Name: St. Stepanos Church
Monument type: Church-Monastic Complex
Region: Aragatsotn Province
Periods: Medieval

Name: St. Stepanos Church

Other nomination: Petros Akanates cross-stone, reservoir, Kosh “Aghjyka Berd” castle

Monument type: Cross-stone, church, reservoir, castle

Region: Aragatsotn

Community: Ashtasrak

Residence: Kosh village

Location: Petros Akanates cross-stone: near the village of Kosh, on the Yerevan-Gyumri road; St. Stepano: north-eastern side of the village, the right side of the slope; reservoir: 500 m south of St Stepanos; “Aghjyka berd “ castle: north of Kosh village, on a rocky hill.

Preservation: Cross-stone: standing; St. Stepanos: restored; the reservoir: partially destroyed; the castle: fortified

Coordinates:

Cross-stone : 40°17´03.1˝N 44°10´35.7˝E
St. Stepanos: 40°18´36.2˝N 44°09´22.1˝E
The reservoir: 40°18´34.7˝N 44°09´19.3˝E
The castle: 40°18´26.1˝N 44°09´34.5˝E

Altitude: 1135 m, 1340 m, 1335 m, 1332 m

Era and chronology:

Petros Akanates cross-stone: 1195
St. Stepanos: VII century
The reservoir: X century
The castle “Aghjyka Berd” was founded in the IV century, rebuilt in the XIII-XIV centuries.

Kosh: Treasure Trove of Medieval Marvels

As you stand among the rolling hills of Armenia’s Aragatsotn region, you are transported to a place where time itself seems to have paused. In the village of Kosh, history unfolds in the most captivating and awe-inspiring way.

Four remarkable monuments, each with its own unique story to tell, form the heart and soul of this ancient settlement: the Petros Akanates cross-stone, St. Stepanos Church, the enigmatic “Aghjyka Berd” castle, and a reservoir that defies the norms of medieval engineering.

Embarking on this exceptional journey through Kosh, where the past whispers its secrets through stone, legend, and legacy, you’ll unlock bit by bit the mysteries of a bygone era, entering the realm of medieval Armenia’s enigmatic past.

Located within the Ashtarak community, the village of Kosh conceals a wealth of medieval monuments, each brimming with its own distinctive narrative.

One of the most prominent landmarks in Kosh is the Petros Akanates cross-stone. Dating back to the year 1195, this cross-stone stands as a testament to the enduring Armenian heritage. It stands proudly near the village of Kosh, welcoming travelers along the Yerevan-Gyumri road. The intricate carvings on this stone tell tales of a bygone era, etching the history of Armenia into its very surface.

Just a stone’s throw away lies the St. Stepanos Church, a true architectural gem that has stood for centuries. Built in the VII century, this church is a symphony of symmetry and exquisite decorative details. Over the years, it expanded and transformed into not only a place of worship but also a center for scholarly pursuits. Inscriptions reveal that the monastery underwent renovations in 921 and 1347, bearing witness to the passage of time and the continuity of faith.

One cannot speak of Kosh without mentioning the reservoir that lies 500 meters south of St. Stepanos. This remarkable engineering structure, dating back to the 10th century, is a testament to the ingenuity of medieval Armenia. A walled, rectangular reservoir constructed with precision from hewn stones, it once purified water through cleverly designed square holes at its base. It is a testament to the engineering prowess of its time, a tangible link to an ancient world.

Further north of Kosh village, perched atop a rocky hill, stands the “Aghjyka Berd” castle. This medieval fortress, founded in the IV century and later rebuilt during the XIII-XIV centuries, bears silent witness to centuries of history. Its quadrangular plan is adorned with semi-circular towers at each corner, and its imposing presence suggests an era of strategic importance. While the exact layout of the internal structures remains shrouded in mystery, the castle’s walls, constructed from a blend of basalt and reddish tuff stones, whisper stories of a resilient past.

Kosh village itself is rich in history, as it was once part of the Arsacid royal settlement. It served as a winter residence during the Battle of Avarayr in the V century, only to be captured and destroyed in a turbulent era. The village’s name resurfaces in historical inscriptions, including one in 867 related to a dispute over water usage mediated by Commander Smbat Bagratuni. Though not frequently mentioned in chronicle sources, Kosh’s preserved monuments and lithographs offer glimpses into its storied past.

One cannot overlook the traditional legends that shroud Kosh. According to local lore, Armenian Arsacid King Tiran spent his final years in the Kosh castle after he was blinded. This tale adds an air of mystery and intrigue to the already captivating history of the region.

FACTS

❈ Kosh village in the Ashtarak community is home to a rich collection of medieval monuments, each with its own unique story.

❈ The Petros Akanates cross-stone, dating back to 1195, is a testament to Armenia’s enduring heritage, adorned with intricate carvings along the Yerevan-Gyumri road.

❈ St. Stepanos Church, built in the VII century, is an architectural gem that expanded over the years, serving both as a place of worship and a center for learning, witnessing renovations in 921 and 1347.

❈ The 10th-century reservoir, located south of St. Stepanos, showcases medieval Armenian engineering with its precise stone construction and water purification
system.

❈ The “Aghjyka Berd” castle, perched on a rocky hill, founded in the IV century and rebuilt in the XIII-XIV centuries, represents the enduring history and strategic
significance of the region.

❈ Kosh village, once part of the Arsacid royal settlement, has a storied past that includes being a winter residence during the Battle of Avarayr in the V century.

❈ Local legends add to the intrigue, with tales of Armenian Arsacid King Tiran spending his final years in the Kosh castle after being blinded.

Research history

H. Shahkhatuniants (19th century topographer), T. Toramanian (architect, early XX century), A. Shahinyan (historian, XX century), V. Grigoryan (architect, XX century), A. Manucharyan (lithographer, XXI century), N. Kotanjian (art critic, XX century), L. Kirakosyan (architect, XX century)

Archaeological description

Location
Kosh is famous for various archaeological monuments of the early period spread on the right and left sides of the valley stretching to the village from the north. Kosh (formerly Kvash) was one of the villages in the Arsacid royal settlement mentioned in regard to Arsacid King Tiran’s residence here after his blindness (338-350) and the transfer of his nephew Gnel here by Arshak II (350-368). It was a royal winter residence during the Battle of Avarayr in the V century captured and destroyed by Vasak Syuni like the other fortified towns. Kosh is later mentioned in the inscription of Aruch in 867 in regard to the fight among Aruch, Kosh and Gavar on water usage resolved by Commander Smbat Bagratuni’s mediation. Kosh is not further mentioned in the chronicle sources. Preserved monuments and lithographs provide information about the village history.

The early medieval structure is St. Stepanos Church (Koshavank) dating back to the first half of the VII century with its symmetrical plan and architectural decorative details. Its territories expand in the X-XIV centuries, in the XII-XIV centuries it was also known as a writing center. According to the inscriptions, the monastery was renovated in 921 and 1347. The latter functioned until the XVII century.

At the end of the Seljuk reign, Father Petros Akanates became famous in the monastery of Kosh. According to the inscription on the walled khachkar plinth erected on the side of the road to the village of Kosh, Father Petros built it on the occasion of the Aragatsotn province liberation and reported that 20 years ago in the year of the solar eclipse (1175), he saw a vision of how Zakare and Ivane brothers liberated Armenia. 20 years later, Zakare and Ivane recorded the fact of the liberation of Aragatsotn in the inscription on the eastern wall of Koshavank confirming that they did what Father Petros once saw.

On the plateau above St. Stepanos, the cemetery is spread with cross stones and gravestones. Some of the tombs are destroyed by treasure theft. Almost in the center of the plateau there is a dilapidated chapel called “Blue Cross”, which has a power to cure a cough.

500 m south of the church, a half-destroyed reservoir of the 10th century has been preserved, which is a unique above-ground reservoir among medieval engineering structures. It is a walled, internally three-bay rectangular structure lined with hewn stones. The water in the reservoir was purified by emptying the water through square holes opened at the base, the clogs of which were once seen by T. Toramanian.

Architecture
St. Stepanos is a small cruciform church with a pair of vaults on the eastern side. The western wing leans on the rock. It is built with large stones of yellowish-red and brown tuff with several types of inscriptions on it. The main entrance is from the southern transept. The south-eastern depository is covered by a cylindrical and the north-eastern one – by a cross vault. The crowns of the main volume and windows are decorated with different decorative motifs. The single portico is formed by an arch resting on half-cylindrical moldings, ending in a double-sided gable. In the center of the barrow is a unique composition of a floral cross, and the sloping cornice below is decorated with a row of lilies and arches. Traces of plaster have been preserved on the inside of all cross-arms. In the Upper Tabernacle, a unique version of the “Ascension” scene is depicted, where Christ holds out a scroll instead of a cup of wine or communion bread: the latter is a unique version of “Christ the Lawgiver”. The church was repaired intermittently in the 1970s and 2007. (architect: R. Davtyan).

The medieval castle is a structure with a quadrangular plan with semi-circular towers at the four corners, rising on a pre-cultivated rocky hill. The only walled entrance opens on the southern facade. The lower rows of the castle walls are built with rough basalt stones, and the upper part – with rough reddish tuff. The arrangement with different stones provided the basis for the researchers to date the castle to the early Middle Ages, and the major repairs to the XIII-XIV centuries. As the castle has not been subjected to archaeological research, it is impossible to make certain judgments about the date and the layout of the internal structures.

Significance

Kosh settlement is rich in medieval monuments, which played an important role in different periods of the Armenian history.

📜 Traditional legends

According to the tradition, Armenian Arsacid king Tiran spent the last years of his life in Kosh castle after he was blinded.

Sources

Literature

Yeghishe 1958, The history of Vardanants (with translation and annotations by E. Ter-Minasyan), Yerevan, “Haypethrat”, 224 pages.
Toramanian T. 1948, Materials of the Armenian architecture history, vol. 2, (comp. and ed. K.G. Ghafadaryan), Yerevan, Academy of Sciences USSR ed., 307 pages.
Kirakosyan L. 1991, the early medieval castle of Kosh, scientific session dedicated to the results of archaeological field work in the Republic of Armenia in 1989-1990, Yerevan, pp. 107-108.
History of Armenian architecture (edited by: M.M. Hasratyan) 2004, volume 3, Yerevan, “Science”, 346 pages.
Manucharyan A. 2015, Koshavank, Yerevan, “Lusabats publishing house”, 68 pages.
Shahinyan A. 1968, The Kosh Monument and its inscription, Journal of History, 2, pp. 197-202.

List of monuments

Aragatsotn 2.61/12
2.61/11
2.61/11.4
2.61/9.1