St. Sahak-Mesrop Church :: ARTSAKH HISTORICAL MONUMENTS

St. Sahak-Mesrop Church

Azerbaijan / Northern Artsakh / Dashkesan / Khachakap

Architectural Description

Originally, St. Sahak-Mesrop Church represented a single-nave, vaulted basilica of rectangular plan, with a semi-circular bema in the east and two vestries jutting out of its main structure. One of the most essential composition peculiarities of the monument consists in the existence of an open apse in the exterior west-facing wall of its northern sacristy. Its counterparts can be found in a number of early medieval religious monuments in Odzun (in Lori Marz of the Republic of Armenia), Yereruyk, Talin, Artik (Shirak Marz of the Republic of Armenia), etc. Interestingly enough, the section adjoining the aforementioned open bema has preserved its original stonework, despite the fact that the monastery often underwent overhaul. The existence of this open bema and its comparison with other similar structures suggest that Targmanchats Monastery dates back to the early Middle Ages.

Karapetian, Samvel. Northern Artsakh, Yerevan, 2007, p. 185.

Repairs
989 y․

The walls of St. Sahak-Mesrop Church, which repeatedly underwent repairs, bear stones dated 989, undoubtedly, in commemoration of some renovation carried out there.

Karapetian, Samvel. Northern Artsakh, Yerevan, 2007, p. 185.

Architectural Description

The monument was entirely built of finely-cut stones, this being attested by the remnants of an older church which were widely used in its eastern facade during further repairs. During the overhaul implemented between the 17th and 18th centuries, a great number of cross-stones, dating from the 10th to 17th centuries and, probably, removed from the monastery's medieval cemetery, were used in the masonry of the building. At the same time, a dome was added to it. The church, whose entrance is in the west, is illuminated through three small, narrow windows opening into the eastern facade, and four others set in the drum.

Karapetian, Samvel. Northern Artsakh, Yerevan, 2007, pp. 185-186.

Repairs
1917 y․

In 1917 the church roof was in bad need of repairs, the amount necessary for the fulfillment of the work coming up to 13, 472 rubles. However, selling the unnecessary woodwork and iron articles of the sanctuary by auction, its trustees managed to raise only 277 rubles by 1919. Thus, the monument was actually in rather a poor state of preservation on the eve of the Soviet takeover.

National Archives of Armenia, fund 56, list 6, file 1174, p. 11, list 5, file 250, p. 94.
Karapetian, Samvel. Northern Artsakh, Yerevan, 2007, p. 184.

Inscription, Armenian, Engraved, Commemoration 989 y․

Incised into a finely-dressed stone lying in the southern wall of the church:
989.
The Armenian original published in: “Ardzagank,” 1886, No. 21, p. 308; Lalayan, Yer. Gandzak District. In: “Azgagrakan Handes,” vol. 5, Tiflis, 1899, No. 1, p. 340; Corpus Inscriptionum Armenicarum, part 5. Compiled by Barkhudarian, S. Yerevan, 1982, p. 252.
Note: S. Barkhudarian found another two stones dated 989 on the northern and southern walls of the gavit (Corpus..., ibid).

Karapetian, Samvel. Northern Artsakh, Yerevan, 2007, p. 186.

Inscription, Armenian, Engraved, Construction 1872 y․

Carved on the entrance facade of the church:
This holy cloister, that dates from the 7th century and was in a ruined state, was repaired through the assistance of the pious sons of the Armenian Church in the days of Catholicos of All Armenians Gevorg IV, Archbishop Gabriel Ayvazian, Bishop Aristakes Sedrakian and Father Superior Theodoros S
The Armenian original published in: “Ardzagank,” 1886, No. 21, p. 309.

Karapetian, Samvel. Northern Artsakh, Yerevan, 2007, pp. 186-187.

Inscription, Armenian, Engraved, Repairs 1875 y․

Engraved on a stone placed in front of the bema like a reading-stand:
This pillar was erected in Targmanchats Monastery in commemoration of the repairs carried out in the holy church and its spiritual school in the years 1875 and 1880 through the donations made by Caucasia’s pious Armenian believers in the days of Catholicos Gevorg IV and Father Superior Gabriel Ayvazian the Archbishop.
The Armenian original published in: “Ardzagank,” 1886, No. 21, p. 309.

Karapetian, Samvel. Northern Artsakh, Yerevan, 2007, pp. 187-188.

Type Photo
View Interior
Author Samvel Karapetyan
Source Black-and-white negative
Date 1980 — 1982 yy․

Grave-stone

Khachkar