Karhan (Karkhan) Monastery :: ARTSAKH HISTORICAL MONUMENTS

Karhan (Karkhan) Monastery 16 — 17 cc․

Azerbaijan / Northern Artsakh / Khanlar / Mirzik

Location

This village site boasts the monastery of Karhan (Karkhan) also known as Astvatzamor Vank, i.e. the Armenian equivalent for Monastery of the Holy Virgin: “This church is called Mirzik Cloister due to its closeness to the village, and ‘Karkhan Monastery’ after a copper mine located nearby...”

A dialectal word meaning ‘quarry.’ “Ardzagank,” 1886, No. 20, p. 295.
Karapetian, Samvel. Northern Artsakh, Yerevan, 2007, p. 426.

Foundation
16 — 17 cc․

The monastery, that was founded between the 16th and 17th centuries, used to have a large community.

Karapetian, Samvel. Northern Artsakh, Yerevan, 2007, p. 426.

Historical Introduction
19 c․

It functioned until the 1870s and possessed some estates of which it was stripped after the mid-19th century.

Karapetian, Samvel. Northern Artsakh, Yerevan, 2007, p. 426.

1853 y․

The following document made up in 1853 is of great value to the study of the history of the sanctuary: “In times bygone, this cloister boasted high fame and magnificence, with a great number of monks and priors, including Bishops Yeghiazar and Sargis as well as Archimandrites Hovsep, Mkrtich and Poghos. Now they repose in the gavit of the church, together with some other people. At present the monastic buildings, its ramparts and monks’ dwellings are in a state of dilapidation. Only a stone church and a chapel are preserved there, the latter serving as a pilgrimage site. This monastery rises on a lofty mountain called Novan, with a rock named Tzil Kertz, or Jgnavori Kertz, i.e. the Armenian equivalent for ‘Hermit’s Rock,’ in the west. It lies between two gorges... with two streams running on the left and right of the cloister, at a distance of about two versts of each other. Descending eastward for about three versts, they merge together...”

National Archives of Armenia, fund 53, list 1, file 2742, p. 16.
Karapetian, Samvel. Northern Artsakh, Yerevan, 2007, p. 426.

Estates

The area between the aforementioned two tributaries comprised “fine land of several oravars” once belonging to Karhan Monastery.

Barkhutariants, M. Artsakh. Baku, 1895, p. 277.
Karapetian, Samvel. Northern Artsakh, Yerevan, 2007, p. 426.

1886 y․

In 1886 the monastic domains included a wood and some arable land.

National Archives of Armenia, fund 56, list 18, file 138, pp. 100-101.
Karapetian, Samvel. Northern Artsakh, Yerevan, 2007, p. 426.

Architectural Description

The monastic complex of Karhan consists of a church, a small gavit adjoining it in the west, and some monks’ rooms, all of them representing structures of undressed stone and mortar. It used to be fortified by an enclosure which was in a semi-ruined state in the late 19th century.

Karapetian, Samvel. Northern Artsakh, Yerevan, 2007, p. 426.

Priors

Putting together the available data, we can make up the following chronological list of the priors of Karhan Monastery: Bishop Yeghiazar (died in 1713); Archimandrite Hovsep; Bishop Sargis (mentioned between 1770 and 1773); Archimandrite Mkrtich; Archimandrite Poghos; An unknown friar (mentioned in 1857); An unknown archimandrite (mentioned in 1862).

Topjian, H. A Catalogue compiled by Archimandrite Khachik Dadian, part 2, Vagharshapat, 1900, p. 21.
As attested by his epitaph; National Archives of Armenia, fund 53, list 1, file 3830, p. 78; file 3836, p. 56.
Karapetian, Samvel. Northern Artsakh, Yerevan, 2007, p. 427.

Type Photo
View Partial view
Author Samvel Karapetyan
Source Black-and-white negative
Date 1984 — 1985 yy․

Type Photo
View Partial view
Author Samvel Karapetyan
Source Colour Negative
Date 1984 — 1985 yy․

Type Photo
View Detail
Author Samvel Karapetyan
Source Colour Negative
Date 1984 — 1985 yy․

Type Measurement
Author Samvel Karapetyan
Source Sketch

Its plan

Name	Year/Century	Etymology
Astvatzamor
Mirziki Anapat