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Thursday, December 8, 2011

Historic Ashtarak; Image Gallery


The church of Saint Sargis (Armenian: Սուրբ Սարգիս եկեղեցի; pronounced Surb Sarkis) is located at the edge of a gorge opposite the town of Ashtarak in the Aragatsotn Province of Armenia. It is situated at an attractive point at a promontory overlooking the gorge and offers a fine view to the three churches of Tsiranavor, Spitakavor, and Karmravor. Located in the center of town nearby is also the church of S. Mariane. Directly below Saint Sargis in the gorge is a unique bridge built in 1664. A path leads down from the church into the gorge and across the bridge which leads to the town.


This bridge dates back to 1706 and it crosses over the Kasagh River.




It is located directly below the church of S. Sarkis, at the point where the Karmravor road crosses the Kasagh River). The reddish stone arch bridge was built in 1664, and features two equal sized smaller pointed arches on either side of a larger central pointed arch.









Karmravor (Armenian: Կարմրաւոր եկեղեցի; meaning "Reddish" because of the color of its dome) or Surb Astvatsatsin (Armenian: Սուրբ Աստուածածին; meaning "Holy Mother of God") is a 7th century Armenian Church built by priests Gregory and Manas. The church is located on the northeast side of the town of Ashtarak in the Aragatsotn Province of Armenia.

According to a legend, three sisters lived in Ashtarak, all of whom fell in love with the same man, prince Sargis. The elder two sisters decided to commit suicide in favor of the youngest one. One wearing an apricot-orange dress and the other wearing a red dress, they threw themselves into the gorge. When the youngest sister found out, she put on a white dress and also threw herself into the gorge. Sargis then became a hermit and three small churches appeared at the edge of the gorge, named after the sisters' dress colors.


This church dates back to 17th century



The church of Saint Mariane (Armenian: Սուրբ Մարիանէ եկեղեցի; pronounced Surb Mariane) is centrally located in the town of Ashtarak in the Aragatsotn province of Armenia. Nearby are the churches of Karmravor (located southeast of the S. Mariane), Spitakavor, Tsiranavor, and Surb Sarkis. There is also a unique bridge of 1664 in the gorge nearby. S. Mariane may be clearly seen from across the gorge at S. Sargis church. The church sits adjacent to Smbat Shahaziz road, between Perch Proshyan and Parpetsi roads though it is easiest reached via a vacant lot southeast of the complex.


Nerses Ashtaraketsi (13the Feb, 1770- 13th Feb, 1857) is one of the outstanding personalities of the national-liberation movement, Armenian Catholicos since 1843.He was one of the supporters of the Armenians’ pro-Russian orientation in the area of liberation movement. He founded Nersisyan School in Tiflis in 1824. In 1826 during the Russian-Persian war he formed Armenian voluntary groups and personally participated in the liberation of Yerevan, Echmiadzin and Sardarapat. He was awarded Order of St. Alexander Nevsky.

His wish to found a self-governing Armenian state under the patronage of the Russian Empire raised the discontent of Tsar and he left South Caucasus in the result of an intrigue by Paskevich and was appointed the Armenian See Leader in Besarabia. 

Being elected Catholicos, he returned to Echmiadzin and was then occupied in educational and building activities.




The church of Spitakavor (Armenian: Սպիտակավոր եկեղեցի; meaning “Whitish” because of the whitewashed exterior façade) is located at the edge of a gorge in the town of Ashtarak in the Aragatsotn Province of Armenia. It may be seen across the gorge from the church of Surb Sarkis, but is easiest reached via the streets of the neighborhood that it sits within. Very close (just down the street 3 houses) and also sitting along the gorge is the church of Tsiranavor (literally meaning apricotish because of its color), built between the 13th-14th centuries. (Note: Some confusion about the name of the churches of Spitakavor and Tsiranavor has seemed to have occurred due to the misplacement of the Russian markers located inside the two structures. Anyone that lives in the city around the area will tell you that Spitakavor is the white church, and Tsiranavor is the apricot colored church.) Nearby are also the churches of Karmravor, S. Mariane, and S. Sarkis. In the gorge is a unique bridge built in 1664.

The church of Tsiranavor (Armenian: Ծիրանավոր եկեղեցի; meaning "Apricotish" because of the color of the tufa used as a building material for the walls) is located at the edge of a gorge in the town of Ashtarak in the Aragatsotn Province of Armenia. It may be seen across the gorge from the church of Surb Sarkis, but is easiest reached via the streets of the neighborhood that it sits within. Very close (down the street 3 houses) and also sitting along the gorge is the church of Spitakavor (literally meaning whitish because of its color), built between the 5th-6th centuries. (Note: Some confusion about the name of the churches of Spitakavor and Tsiranavor has seemed to have occurred due to the misplacement of the Russian markers located inside the two structures. Anyone that lives in the city around the area will tell you that Spitakavor is the white church, and Tsiranavor is the apricot colored church.) Nearby are also the churches of Karmravor, S. Mariane, and S. Sarkis.



The monastery of Saint George (Armenian: Սուրբ Գեւորգ Եկեղեցի or Սուրբ Գեւորգ Վանք ; pronounced Surb Gevorg) is located just off of the main road that runs through the town of Mughni in the Aragatsotn province of Armenia. The church sits within the city limits of the larger city of Ashtarak. It was built to house some of the remains of Saint George who was known as the "Slayer of Dragons".


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