Ani - The Church Of Saint Gregory Of Tigran Honents

Thu, 15 May 2008 17:29:42 GMT

Our next stop is The Church Of Saint Gregory Of Tigran Honents

Structure: Marr-Orbeli site 82.
Other designations: Nakışlı Kilise; Şırlı Kilise; "Greek Church".

History

"In the year 664 (A.D. 1215), by the grace of God, when the lord of this city of Ani was the strong and powerful Zakaria ... I, Tigran, servant of God, son of Sulem Smbatorents, of the Honents family, for the long life of my lords and of their children, built this monastery of St. Grigor, which was on the edge of an escarpment and in a place full of underbrush, and I bought it with my legitimate wealth from the owners and with great fatigue and expense, I provided it with defense all around; I built this church in the name of St. Grigor Lusavoritch and I embelished it with many decorations..."

- Inscription on the eastern wall of this church

The inscription quoted above reveals that this church was commissioned by a wealthy merchant named Tigran Honents, and completed in the year 1215. As well as paying for its construction he provided it with many precious objects, including crosses, lamps, gold and silver vessels, and religious relics. At that time Ani was under Georgian control - and this church is believed to have been devoted to the Georgian Orthodox Rite (and the frescoes within are thought to have been painted by Georgian artisans).

The Frescoes

The interior is entirely covered with frescoes of the same date as the church. They have two main themes - the Life of Christ and the Life of Saint Gregory the Illuminator (to whom the church was dedicated). The dome contains a damaged depiction of the Ascension in the form of a bust of Christ carried by four angels, underneath which are shown Mary and the twelve Apostles. The eastern half of the church contains scenes from the life of Christ - including the Annunciation; the Nativity; the entrance to Jerusalem; the raising of Lazarus; etc. In the semidome of the apse is a figure of Christ, below this is a depiction of Christ in Communion with his Apostles, below this again is a row of bishops or prophets (these have been recently destroyed by whitewash). The western chamber of the church contains 16 scenes from the life of Saint Gregory the Illuminator - including his trial before king Trdat; the various tortures inflicted upon him (including his imprisonment in a pit); the martyrdom of St. Hripsime; the baptism of King Trdat and the kings of Georgia, Abkhazia, and Caucasian Albania; etc. Above the door to the chapel south of the apse is an unusual panel containing motifs that evoke silk textile designs of that time. Four linked medallions each enclose a simurgh, a mythical lion-headed bird from Persian legend. As mentioned earlier, the narthex also contained frescoes - these are mostly now destroyed or badly damaged due to weathering. They are from a slightly later period than those in the church, and are different in style, having a finer and more Byzantine character to them. On the exterior wall of the church, above and to the right of the entrance, is a depiction of the Crucifixion. The Lamentation of Mary is depicted on the other side. On the north wall of the narthex is a now very faded image of Paradise, with Isaac, Jacob, Abraham, Mary, Adam, and a Tetramorph creature guarding the Gate of Heaven. There are also figures of saints or prophets on the underside of the arches.

Recent Damage to the Frescoes

The defacing of faces in the frescoes by Muslims objecting to the depiction of images is predictable. The more accessible paintings have also been heavily damaged in recent years by tourist graffiti (both Turkish and foreign). However the most serious damage is of a bizarre sort. In an effort to hide the graffiti damage, large areas of the frescoes have been covered in whitewash! The frescoes on the northern wall of the church were particularly badly damaged by graffiti (including a large CND symbol hacked into the plaster). To "tidy" this section up the entire lower registry of paintings has simply been chipped off. This damage occurred in the early 1990s - during the period of professor Beyhan Karamağaralı's excavations - and must have taken a considerable amount of time and effort to accomplish. It could not have been done without the use of scaffolding or ladders, and must have been officially sanctioned.

Ani - The Church Of Saint Gregory Of The Abughamrents

Wed, 14 May 2008 17:30:58 GMT

A thousand years ago Ani was the capital of an Armenian kingdom that covered much of present day Armenia and eastern Turkey. Ani had a population of at least 100,000 and its wealth and renown was such that it was known as the "City of 1001 Churches". Built on a spectacular site - a plateau encircled by deep ravines - Ani's many churches, palaces, and fortifications were amongst the most technically and artistically advanced structures in the world at that period. Ani is now a ghost city, uninhabited for over three centuries and marooned inside a Turkish military zone on Turkey's border with modern Armenia. Ani's recent history has been one of continuous and always increasing destruction. Neglect, earthquakes, cultural cleansing, vandalism, quarrying, amateurish restorations and excavations - all these and more have taken a heavy toll on Ani's monuments. Yet still Ani survives.

Our first stop in Ani is The Church Of Saint Gregory Of The Abughamrents

Structure: Marr-Orbeli site 53.
Other designations: Church of the Abughamrents; Chapel of Shushan Pahlavuni; Polatoğlu Kilisesi.

History

"In the year 489 (AD 1040), I, Ablgharib, marzipan of the Armenians, son of Grigor and grandson of Abughamir, although I was neglected by my father because of the fact that I was the younger son, was nonetheless moved by love for my parents to restore this place of repose for my father Grigor and my brother Hamza and my sister Seda and built two chapels, St. Stephanos and St. Kristapor. And the condition for the priests is this: that every Friday in St. Stephanos they hold a religious function for my mother Shushan and every Saturday for my father Grigor, and in St. Kristapor every Friday for my sister Seda ..."

- Part of an inscription on
the walls of this church

This small church stands at the edge of a steep slope overlooking the Tsaghkotsadzor (Alaca çay) valley. It is interesting that almost all the churches in Ani have been constructed very close to the edge of the plateau, as if they were designed to be seen best from outside the city.

It is thought to date from the late tenth century - many of the building's features are typical of this period - and to have been commissioned by Prince Grigor Pahlavuni as a private chapel for the Pahlavuni family. This family rose to great importance during the final years of Ani's independence; the most famous was Vahram Pahlavuni, the leader of the faction that opposed Ani's incorporation into the Byzantine empire.

Vahram is mentioned in an inscription carved on the tympanum over the doorway telling that he set aside money to pay for masses for the soul of his son Abughamir (hence the name of this church).

(From virtualani.org)

Historical Armenia: Occupied Lands

Ani - The Church Of Saint Gregory Of Tigran Honents

History

The Frescoes

Recent Damage to the Frescoes

Ani - The Church Of Saint Gregory Of The Abughamrents

History