Avag Sourb Nshan Church :: ARTSAKH HISTORICAL MONUMENTS

Avag Sourb Nshan Church

Azerbaijan / Northern Artsakh / Khanlar / Getashen

Historical Introduction

The oldest of the three churches preserved in the centre of the village is Avag Sourb Nshan (Sourb Nahatak, i.e. ‘Holy Martyr’), also mentioned by the name of Karmir Nahatak, i.e. the Armenian equivalent for ‘Red Martyr.’

Karapetian, Samvel. Northern Artsakh, Yerevan, 2007, p. 363.

Architectural Description

It represents a small, uni-nave, vaulted building (exterior dimensions: 7.95 x 5.50 metres) of gable roof. It is built of undressed stone and mortar, but the cornerstones of its only entrance opening from the western facade are finely-finished.

Karapetian, Samvel. Northern Artsakh, Yerevan, 2007, p. 363.

Other Names

Relics

Avag Sourb Nshan Church was famous for the sacred relics it retained: they were known to possess divine power and that made it a renowned pilgrimage site.

Karapetian, Samvel. Northern Artsakh, Yerevan, 2007, p. 370.

1839 y․

At first all these relics were kept with the local inhabitants: thus, in 1839 Youzbashi Movses Arakelian kept a silver cross called Avag Sourb Nshan in his house; Khachatur Harutiunian had a Red Gospel, and Grigor Sahakian a White Gospel. Another local resident possessed a gilded silver shrine representing St. Elisha the Apostle’s right hand.

National Archives of Armenia, fund 53, list 1, file 44, p. 1.
Karapetian, Samvel. Northern Artsakh, Yerevan, 2007, p. 370.

1869 y․

On the order of the spiritual powers, by 1869 all these relics had been collected and handed over to Avag Sourb Nshan Church. They included a cross called Avag Sourb Nshan; a Red (Sultan’s) Gospel; St. Elisha the Apostle’s right hand; another Gospel called Kensaber (i.e. Vivifying), and some relics of three martyred children.

National Archives of Armenia, fund 56, list 1, file 4850, p. 16.
Karapetian, Samvel. Northern Artsakh, Yerevan, 2007, p. 370.

1890 y․

In c1890 Bishop Barkhutariants saw the following relics in the sanctuary:

A Gospel (1661);
A parchment Gospel (1223);
A paper Gospel (1356);
Another paper Gospel (1673);
Part of the Holy Cross fitted into a silver cross;
Part of the Holy Apostle’s arm fitted into a gilded silver cross;
Some relic belonging to an unknown saint fitted into a cross adorned with precious stones.

Barkhutariants, M. Artsakh. Baku, 1895, pp. 259-264.
Karapetian, Samvel. Northern Artsakh, Yerevan, 2007, p. 370.

These relics were kept in the sanctuary until the 1920s: “Between 1927 and ‘28, the leaders of the local collective farm took the Gospel and other relics to Baku and handed them to a museum, being given a radio set and other devices necessary for the village in exchange for them. Several years later, president of the Village Council Abgar saw them in Baku’s Armenian church. There is no further information on our Gospel.”

Karapetian, B. A Hundred-Year-Long Dialogue. Yerevan, 1990, p. 20, in Armenian.
Karapetian, Samvel. Northern Artsakh, Yerevan, 2007, p. 370.

Inscription, Armenian, Engraved, Construction 1677 y․

11 lines in the Armenian original carved on the tympanum of the church:
In the year 1677 by the will of Almighty God, Sourb Nahatak was built in memory of Par by Si... and ... Kamal Bey with the support of the villagers under Persian Shah Suleyman [and] Supreme Pontiff Simeon.
Note: The first scholar to publish the inscription was Kajikian (“Ardzagank,” 1886, No. 19, p. 281), who was followed by M. Barkhutariants (Artsakh, Baku, 1895, p. 259) and Yer. Lalayan (Gandzak District. In: “Azgagrakan Handes,” vol. 5, Tiflis, 1899, No. 1, pp. 318-319), the last of these decipherments being somewhat more comprehensive. S. Barkhudarian republished it without further decipherment and verification (Corpus Inscriptionum Armenicarum, part 5. Compiled by Barkhudarian, S. Yerevan, 1982, p. 237). During our visit to the monument in 1989, we scraped away the plaster covering the inscription, which made it possible to get a comparatively thorough decipherment. All the publications of the inscription contain some errors and omissions.

Karapetian, Samvel. Northern Artsakh, Yerevan, 2007, pp. 363-364.

Inscription, Armenian, Engraved, Commemoration 17 c․

2 lines in the Armenian original engraved on the facade of the niche retaining the font (in the northern wall):
May this Holy Cross protect Tankerghul.
Note: The style of writing is typical of the 17th century.

Karapetian, Samvel. Northern Artsakh, Yerevan, 2007, p. 364.

Inscription, Armenian, Engraved, Repairs 1618 y․

“A gilded silver shrine retaining part of Yeghishe the Apostle’s arm is engraved with the following inscription”:
This is the right hand of St. Yeghishe the Apostle. Bishop Ignatios brought this holy relic from Kafa ... Bishop Voskan. By the will of God, I, Bishop Karapet, repaired it. May you pray for the repose of my soul. By the will of God, I, son of Niaz Murad, made this holy shrine under Bishop Voskan in 1618. May you pray for the repose of my soul.
The Armenian original published in: Lalayan, Yer. Gandzak District. In: “Azgagrakan Handes,” vol. 5, Tiflis, 1899, No. 1, p. 318.

Karapetian, Samvel. Northern Artsakh, Yerevan, 2007, p. 365.

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

Type Photo
View `
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․

View Interior
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
Direction From the south-east
Author Samvel Karapetyan
Source Colour Negative
Date 1980 — 1982 yy․

Type Photo
View Exterior
Direction From the west
Author Samvel Karapetyan
Source Colour Negative

Name	Year/Century	Etymology
Nahatak
Karmir Nahatak