Parisos Monastery :: ARTSAKH HISTORICAL MONUMENTS

Parisos Monastery

Azerbaijan / Northern Artsakh / Getabek / Ghalakend

Location

The monastery of Parisos is situated in a wooded tableland 1.5 kilometres west of the village site of Tandzut, 6 kilometres south-east of the city site of Parisos: “The local inhabitants still remember the name of the mountain on which it stands, i.e. Kapank, or Darband, as the Turks call it. They also recall the names of various sites in the neighbourhood, such as Tandzut and the river Gardman...”

Lazariants, S. Parisos Monastery and the Armenian Kingdom of Parisos. In: “Meghu Hayastani,” 1859, No. 13, p. 99, in Armenian.
Karapetian, Samvel. Northern Artsakh, Yerevan, 2007, pp. 279-280.

Historical Introduction
10 c․

The earliest records mentioning the monastery date from the 10th century. It was known as a bishop residence, three of the spiritual leaders of Parisos Monastery later serving as Catholicoses of Aghvank. “...from the priorate of the monastery of P’ar.isos...” were David IV (923 to 929), David VI (965 to 971) and Movses II (987 to 993). The participants of a church meeting Catholicos of All Armenians Anania Mokatsy (946 to 968) convened in Khachen included Monk David from the monastery of Parisos.

Movses Dasxuranci: Appendix by Mkhitar Gosh. Yerevan, 1983, p. 231.
History of Armenia by Kirakos Gandzaketsy. Prepared for publication by Melik-Ohanjanian K. Yerevan, 1961, p. 199.
The Rebellion of Aghvank by His Holiness Anania Catholicos of Armenians. In: “Ararat,” 1897, p. 134.
Karapetian, Samvel. Northern Artsakh, Yerevan, 2007, p. 280.

1691 y․

It preserved its status of a bishop residence in the subsequent centuries as well: thus, in 1691 mention is made of “...the leader of Shamkor, Bishop Barsegh of Parisos...”

Topjian, H. A Catalogue compiled by Archimandrite Khachik Dadian, part 2, Vagharshapat, 1900, p. 18.
Karapetian, Samvel. Northern Artsakh, Yerevan, 2007, p. 280.

1764 y․

In 1764 Archbishop Hovhannes served as Father Superior of the monastery.

Barkhutariants, M. Artsakh. Baku, 1895, p. V.
Karapetian, Samvel. Northern Artsakh, Yerevan, 2007, p. 280.

Scriptoria
1657 y․

Parisos Monastery used to be a famous scriptorium, among the manuscripts copied there a Gospel of 1657 being particularly remarkable: “...it was called Karmir Avetaran and written by Sexton Harutiun in Kartman District under Catholicos of Gandzasar Petros, in 1657. Bound by Archimandrite Hakob in Parisus Monastery.”

“Echmiatzin,” 1970, No. 1, p. 46. Gh. Pirghalemian published another colophon of the same contents which does not mention Parisos and marks of omission are put instead. It is, however, evident that the colophons are identical. Republished in: Colophons of the Armenian Manuscripts of the 17th century, vol. 3. Compiled by Hakobian, V. Yerevan, 1984, p. 780.
Karapetian, Samvel. Northern Artsakh, Yerevan, 2007, p. 280.

Description
19 c․

By the late 19th century, the monastery, once enjoying the fame of a spiritual centre, had been reduced to an extremely inconsolable state. As attested by a visitor, “Taking advantage of its dereliction, the Turks have relegated it to a sheep-cote filled with dust and dirty water so that it is absolutely impossible to enter it.”

Smbat M. Antiquities in the Neighbourhood of Getabek. In: “Nor-Dar,” 1893, No. 36, p. 3.
Karapetian, Samvel. Northern Artsakh, Yerevan, 2007, p. 280.

Architectural Description

The monastic complex of Parisos used to comprise 3 churches, 2 gavits and a chapel built almost in a row and extending in an east-westerly direction: “...The second and third churches have vaulted gavits of three pillars in the south... The middle one is larger than the others, but all of them represent old buildings, with their entrances in the south. The eastern church has a small gavit, adjoined by a belfry built of finely-finished pumice, like all the arches and cornerstones of all the churches and halls (their other parts are built of undressed stone). The second and third churches are 25 metres long and 11 metres 70 centimetres wide. These sanctuaries are thoroughly preserved, unlike the monastic cells all of which are ruined. Many graves lie both inside and outside the ramparts, but we failed to find any epitaphs. A reservoir and the traces of some clay pipes can be seen near the monastery: they were once used to convey the water of a spring, running in the west, to the monastery.”

Barkhutariants, M. Artsakh. Baku, 1895, p. 306.
Karapetian, Samvel. Northern Artsakh, Yerevan, 2007, p. 280.

Description

The facade-bearing stone of the entrance of the western church is engraved with an inscription decorated with a cross relief.

Karapetian, Samvel. Northern Artsakh, Yerevan, 2007, p. 280.

Inscription, Armenian, Engraved, Commemoration 994 y․

“Carved on a stone placed above the door of the third church”:
994 Priest Muses.
The Armenian original published in: Smbat M. Antiquities in the Neighbourhood of Getabek. In: “Nor-Dar,” 1893, No. 36, p. 3.
Barkhutariants, M. Artsakh, Baku, 1895, p. 306.
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. 271.
Note: The first two researchers failed to write down the year of the inscription. Smbatiants mentions another inscribed cross-stone whose epigraph, however, was impossible to decipher: “...another khachkar bears something incised, but it is beyond reading, for smoke and ashes have blackened it...”