Medieval Armenia

Today the world remembers the 100-year anniversary of the genocide of 1.5 million Armenians, who died as the result of a horrible massacre. We should also remember the awful cultural destruction, which followed in its wake

Not quite so awful as the genocide proper, but also of world-historical importance, was the accompanied destruction of the Armenian heritage: churches, manuscripts, art. Most of the properties formerly belonging to Armenians were confiscated by the Turkish government and turned into military posts, hospitals, schools and prisons. After the genocide at least 600 names of locations were changed into Turkish.

More specifically churches were given over to Muslim immigrants from the Balkans and Greece, and turned into Mosques. The legal justification for the seizures was the law of ‘Emval-i Metruke’ (Law of Abandoned Properties), which legalized the confiscation of Armenian property if the owner did not return. Thus, in 1914 the Armenian Patriarchate in Istanbul controlled 2549 religious sites, amongst which were 200 monasteries and 1600 churches. In 1974 it was estimated by UNESCO that of 913 registered monuments in Eastern Turkey only 21% were still in existence, although demanding repairs. The rest had either vanished or lay in ruins.

It has to be remembered that very many of these monuments were very ancient foundations from the earliest days of Christianity. Armenian Christianity traces its roots back to the apostolic endeavour of the apostles Bartholomew and Thaddeus. Whatever the actual truth in this: it is a fact that the Armenian Church was the first to be officially adopted as a State church. This happened in AD 301.

Churches and Monasteries

Here is a list of a few of the more famous of the destroyed sites:

The Holy Arakelots Monastery was founded in the 4^th century by one of the founding fathers of the ancient Armenian Church, Gregory the Illuminator. In 1915 the monastery was attacked and looted and the last inhabitants were murdered. In 1960 it was blown up by a local Turkish administrator.

 

 

 

The Saint Karapet Monastery in the Taron province, also founded by Gregory the Illuminator. It was blown up by the Turkish army and today nothing remains except a few shapeless ruins.

 

 

 

 

Varagavank Monastery, founded around in the early 11^th century is today in ruins; it ceased to function in 1915, but was not demolished until 1951. Today, the remains of the vast complex are used as a stable.

 

 

 

 

The Cathedral of Kars or the Holy Apostles Church was built in the 10^th century. After the genocide the church was confiscated by the Turkish State. In the 60s and 70s it was used as a museum. In 1998 however, it was turned into a mosque.

Manuscripts

At the beginning of WWI the largest collection of Armenian manuscripts was kept in the Cathedral of Holy Echmiadzin. In February 1915, 4.660 manuscripts plus other valuables were sent to Moscow. Others were saved during the next months. However, it is estimated that more than 10.000 medieval manuscripts were destroyed. The collection from Echmiadzin constitutes the core of the 11.000 Armenian manuscripts currently kept at the national museum in Yerevan at the Matanadaran. Some of the treasures in this collection dates to the 5^th century: Another treasure is the Homilies of Mush, which measures 55.3 x 70.5 cm and weighs 27.2 kilos. It was written in 1200 -1202. The Mashtots Matenadaran Ancient Manuscripts Collection  was inscribed on UNESCO’s Memory of the World Programme Register in 1997 in recognition of its world significance

FEATURED PHOTO:

Karamvank Monastery. The Monastery was located in the Vaspurakan region around the Lake Van. It was founded in 908 – 943. Today the monstery is heavily damaged and the dome is completely ruined. Source Wikipedia

READ MORE:

Armenians, The: From Kings and Priests to Merchants and Commissars 
by Razmik Panossian
Columbia University Press 2015
ISBN-10: 0231139268
ISBN-13: 978-0231139267

 

 

The Armenians in the Medieval Islamic World: Medieval Cosmopolitanism and Images of Islam
by Seta B Dadoyan
Transaction Publishers 2012
ISBN-10: 1412851890
ISBN-13: 978-1412851893

 

 

“They Can Live in the Desert but Nowhere Else”: A History of the Armenian Genocide
Series: Human Rights and Crimes against Humanity
by Ronald Grigor Suny
Princeton University Press 2015
ISBN-10: 0691147302
ISBN-13: 978-0691147307

 

Church and Culture in Early Medieval Armenia
by Nina G. Garsoian
Series: Variorum Collected Studies
Ashgate Publishing Limited 1999
ISBN-10: 0860787877
ISBN-13: 978-0860787877

 

Vigilant Powers: Three Churches of Early Medieval Armenia (Cover not posted yet)
Series: Studies in the Visual Cultures of the Middle Ages
by Christina Maranci
Brepols Publishers 2015
ISBN-10: 2503549004
ISBN-13: 978-2503549002

 

Armenian Churches Around The World( Christian Armenian Churches Built All Around the World)
Nver Antonyan (Author), Arman Antonyan (Editor)
Kindle Edition of a Google translated self-published guidebook from Armenia. However, it does present a very good overview of what to look for.

 

 

 

Treasures in Heaven: Armenian Illuminated Manuscripts: American Illuminated Manuscripts
by Thomas F. Mathews
Princeton University Press 1994
ISBN-10: 0691037515
ISBN-13: 978-0691037516