St. Sargis Monastery :: ARTSAKH HISTORICAL MONUMENTS

St. Sargis Monastery

Azerbaijan / Northern Artsakh / Getabek / Getabek

Description

The oldest available record on Getabak’s St. Sargis Monastery provides only a slim description of it: “A forest in the vicinity of Getabek retains a small monastery known by the name of St. Sargis. Its neighbourhood has preserved the remnants of many houses.”

Smbat M. Antiquities in the Neighbourhood of Getabek. In: “Nor-Dar,” 1893, No. 36, p. 3.
Karapetian, Samvel. Northern Artsakh, Yerevan, 2007, p. 250.

Repairs
1883 y․

Without consulting the proper bodies, in 1883 the aforementioned manager of the mines, W. Bolton, conducted some overhaul in the sanctuary and appropriated its building, turning it into a site of pastime: “A finely-built, cruciform, domed monastery can be seen standing in a small meadow, within an hour or two of the present-day copper mine, south of it. ...it has a large, fine entrance and a small wooden balcony, with its walls plastered and dome painted. The motive behind all this renovation becomes clear when you see the interior of the monument: it is plastered and painted like the exterior, but its altar, that was completely destroyed during the overhaul, has been replaced by a large, wooden table, covered with a clean cloth and surrounded with seats ...This major change is the handiwork of the German manager of the local copper mine: we saw him, accompanied by several ladies and young girls, arriving there in his own carriage after dinner. They started playing music and dancing inside the monastery... Let us complete the description of the monastery by adding that a wooden kitchen is annexed to its south-eastern corner. Common people refer to it as ‘The Director’s Monastery,’ totally indifferent to that shameless conduct... Foolish people! Perhaps, they might have learnt the true name of the sanctuary and its old age, had not its walls, probably bearing some inscriptions, been buried under plaster. These pivotal changes were made some 10 years ago...”

“Ardzagank,” 1893, No. 124, p. 2.
Karapetian, Samvel. Northern Artsakh, Yerevan, 2007, pp. 250-251.

Description

Another visitor who saw the monastery almost during the same period writes, “St. Sargis represents a small chapel and a pilgrimage site located in a fine, elevated plain on the right of the gorge, in the east of Hin Getabak. It has a wooden hall and is surrounded by a forest. Once this monastery provided shelter for Archimandrite Hovhan Mayragometsy the Sage.”

Barkhutariants, M. Artsakh. Baku, 1895, p. 313.
Karapetian, Samvel. Northern Artsakh, Yerevan, 2007, p. 252.

1900 y․

In the late 1900s, German archaeologist L. Haupt made passing reference to the monastery: “Getabek was permanently shrouded in thick smoke and vapour coming out of the furnaces that made breathing almost impossible. In its neighbourhood, however, you could find a place where you could enjoy pure mountain air, i.e. Anet’s Meadow, which was surrounded by woods and mountains and adjoined by an ancient Armenian chapel. Until recently, this meadow used to retain a huge oak held sacred among the nearby Armenians. When we reached Getabek, however, we found that big tree, once occupying an area of 4.26 metres, already lying on the ground. As we were later told, it had collapsed after having stood dried up and bare of foliage for three years. In front of it lay a stone completely blackened after so many candles had been lit on it. Evidently, it used to serve as a pagan altar which was later engraved with a cross and turned into a Christian sanctuary. As for the chapel, it was built in the neighbourhood of the aforementioned holy tree so that heathen people would come and worship it. This Christian sanctuary, however, never became an object of pious veneration like the pagan tree.”

Lehmann-Haupt C. F. Armenien Einst und Jetzt, Berlin, 1910, pp. 130-131.
Karapetian, Samvel. Northern Artsakh, Yerevan, 2007, p. 252.

Historical Introduction
7 c․

Sharing S. Jalaliants’ and M. Barkhutariants’ viewpoints, H. Voskian identifies the monument with Khertin Monastery, which is supposed to have provided refuge for Hovhan Mayravanetsy in the 7th century.

Jalaliants, S. A Travel to Great Armenia, part 2, Tpghis, 1858, p. 360.
Voskian, H. The Monasteries of Artsakh. In: “Handes Amsorea,” July to September 1952, p. 424, in Armenian.
Barkhutariants, M. Artsakh. Baku, 1895, p. 313.
Lalayan, Yer. Gandzak District. In: “Azgagrakan Handes,” vol. 5, Tiflis, 1899, No. 1, pp. 347-348.
Karapetian, Samvel. Northern Artsakh, Yerevan, 2007, p. 252.

Description

Travelling in the territory of Northern Artsakh in 1980, we came across a corroded cruciform, domed church standing in a small plain surrounded by wooded mountains and located on the slope of a gorge lying on the right bank of the tributary Getabak, a kilometre south-east of the district centre of Getabek. Comparing it with the monument described by M. Smbatiants, M. Barkhutariants and “Ardzagank” correspondent Nuto, we come to the conclusion that they are identical. The church represents a uni-apse, domed structure cruciform both inwardly and outwardly, with its inner walls plastered. Its dome-bearing square is connected with the concha through pendentives, a technique applied in Armenian architecture since the 7th century. All the facades of the monument, built of undressed stone and mortar, have narrow, extended windows. It is bare of inscriptions.

Karapetian, Samvel. Northern Artsakh, Yerevan, 2007, p. 252.

Destruction
1982 y․

When we visited St. Sargis Church for the second and, unfortunately, last time in 1982, we found its octahedral tambour partly demolished.

“Gardmank,” 1996, No. 1, p. 8.
Karapetian, Samvel. Northern Artsakh, Yerevan, 2007, p. 252.

Type Photo
Direction From the north-west
Author Samvel Karapetyan
Source Colour Negative
Date 1980 y․

Type Photo
View Exterior
Direction From the north-west
Author Samvel Karapetyan
Source Colour Negative
Date 1980 — 1982 yy․

Type Graphical Drawing
View General
Author Lehman Haupt
Source Graphical Drawing
Date 1910 y․

St. Sargis Monastery in the early 20th cent. (reprined from: Lehman Haupt, C. F. Armenien Einst und Jetzt, Berlin, 1910)

Type Photo
Direction From the west
Author Samvel Karapetyan
Source Black-and-white negative
Date 1980 y․

Type Photo
View Exterior
Direction From the west
Author Samvel Karapetyan
Source Black-and-white negative
Date 1980 — 1982 yy․

During destruction

Type Photo
View General
Direction From the north
Author Samvel Karapetyan
Source Black-and-white negative
Date 1980 — 1982 yy․

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

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

Type Measurement
View Non-Specified
Author Samvel Karapetyan
Source Sketch

The plan

Direction From the west
Author Samvel Karapetyan
Date 1985 y․

Author Samvel Karapetyan