Hayravank Monastery
Encyclopedia
Hayravank Monastery is a 9th-12th century Armenian
monastery
located just northeast of the village of Hayravank
along the southwest shore of Lake Sevan
in the Gegharkunik Province of Armenia
. The monastic complex consists of a church, chapel, and gavit
.
Surrounding the monastery are numerous khachkars and gravestones that are part of a small cemetery. To the northwest a short distance from the site, are the remains of Bronze Age
through medieval fortification walls and foundations of a settlement. A polished black vessel of the Early Bronze Age was discovered during archaeological excavations in the area. Weapons of metal and stone, tools, clay idols, numerous vessels, fireplaces and two tombs, all from the Iron Age
were discovered in the vicinity as well.
cruciform
central-plan structure with four semi-circular apse
s that intersect to create pendentives for the octagonal
drum
and conical
dome
to stand above. The drum and dome had at one point collapsed completely, but were recently restored. A moderately sized chapel was added in the 10th century off of the southeastern walls of the church. Three portals lead into the church from the gavit, the exterior, and chapel. It is believed that the portal at the western wall to the gavit was added between the 12th and 13th centuries. Exterior walls of the structure differ from the construction of the rest of the complex in that rubble masonry has been incorporated into the façade.
with a worn inscription located above the lintel. Another portal leads into the gavit from the southern wall. Two thick columns situated at the western half of the building and two semi-columns at the eastern wall support large arches and a cupola
above. The cupola consists of a short octagonal drum (only seen from the interior) as well as a short octagonal conical dome above decorated with "Harlequin Patterned" stonemasonry. The pattern alternates with reddish and a lighter grayish colored tufa
. This example is considered to be one of the earliest examples of polychrome decorative masonry that was to become widespread in the following centuries in sacred buildings throughout Armenia. An oculus at the peak of the dome lets light into the room below.
Armenian Apostolic Church
The Armenian Apostolic Church is the world's oldest National Church, is part of Oriental Orthodoxy, and is one of the most ancient Christian communities. Armenia was the first country to adopt Christianity as its official religion in 301 AD, in establishing this church...
monastery
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
located just northeast of the village of Hayravank
Hayravank
Hayravank is a town in the Gegharkunik Province of Armenia. The village is the site of the Hayravank Monastery dating to the 9th century....
along the southwest shore of Lake Sevan
Lake Sevan
Lake Sevan is the largest lake in Armenia and the Caucasus region. It is one of the largest high-altitude lakes in the world.Lake Sevan is situated in the central part of the Republic of Armenia, inside the Gegharkunik Province, at the altitude of 1,900m above sea level...
in the Gegharkunik Province of Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
. The monastic complex consists of a church, chapel, and gavit
Gavit
A gavit or zhamatun is often contiguous to the west of a church in a Medieval Armenian monastery. It served as narthex , mausoleum and assembly room.-History:...
.
Surrounding the monastery are numerous khachkars and gravestones that are part of a small cemetery. To the northwest a short distance from the site, are the remains of Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
through medieval fortification walls and foundations of a settlement. A polished black vessel of the Early Bronze Age was discovered during archaeological excavations in the area. Weapons of metal and stone, tools, clay idols, numerous vessels, fireplaces and two tombs, all from the Iron Age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
were discovered in the vicinity as well.
Church
The church at Hayravank was built during the late 9th century. It is a quatrefoilQuatrefoil
The word quatrefoil etymologically means "four leaves", and applies to general four-lobed shapes in various contexts.-In heraldry:In heraldic terminology, a quatrefoil is a representation of a flower with four petals, or a leaf with four leaflets . It is sometimes shown "slipped", i.e. with an...
cruciform
Cruciform
Cruciform means having the shape of a cross or Christian cross.- Cruciform architectural plan :This is a common description of Christian churches. In Early Christian, Byzantine and other Eastern Orthodox forms of church architecture this is more likely to mean a tetraconch plan, a Greek cross,...
central-plan structure with four semi-circular apse
Apse
In architecture, the apse is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome...
s that intersect to create pendentives for the octagonal
Octagonal
Octagonal is a retired champion New Zealand-bred, Australian raced Thoroughbred racehorse, also known as 'The Big O' or 'Occy'. He was by the champion sire Zabeel, out of the champion broodmare Eight Carat, who also produced Group One winners Mouawad, Kaapstad, Diamond Lover and Marquise.Trained...
drum
Tholobate
A tholobate or drum, in architecture, is the upright part of a building on which a dome is raised. It is generally in the shape of a cylinder or a polygonal prism....
and conical
Cone (geometry)
A cone is an n-dimensional geometric shape that tapers smoothly from a base to a point called the apex or vertex. Formally, it is the solid figure formed by the locus of all straight line segments that join the apex to the base...
dome
Dome
A dome is a structural element of architecture that resembles the hollow upper half of a sphere. Dome structures made of various materials have a long architectural lineage extending into prehistory....
to stand above. The drum and dome had at one point collapsed completely, but were recently restored. A moderately sized chapel was added in the 10th century off of the southeastern walls of the church. Three portals lead into the church from the gavit, the exterior, and chapel. It is believed that the portal at the western wall to the gavit was added between the 12th and 13th centuries. Exterior walls of the structure differ from the construction of the rest of the complex in that rubble masonry has been incorporated into the façade.
Gavit
The gavit is located west of and adjacent to the church and was added in the 12th century. A main portal leads into the structure from the western wall, and has an arched tympanumTympanum (architecture)
In architecture, a tympanum is the semi-circular or triangular decorative wall surface over an entrance, bounded by a lintel and arch. It often contains sculpture or other imagery or ornaments. Most architectural styles include this element....
with a worn inscription located above the lintel. Another portal leads into the gavit from the southern wall. Two thick columns situated at the western half of the building and two semi-columns at the eastern wall support large arches and a cupola
Cupola
In architecture, a cupola is a small, most-often dome-like, structure on top of a building. Often used to provide a lookout or to admit light and air, it usually crowns a larger roof or dome....
above. The cupola consists of a short octagonal drum (only seen from the interior) as well as a short octagonal conical dome above decorated with "Harlequin Patterned" stonemasonry. The pattern alternates with reddish and a lighter grayish colored tufa
Tufa
Tufa is a variety of limestone, formed by the precipitation of carbonate minerals from ambient temperature water bodies. Geothermally heated hot-springs sometimes produce similar carbonate deposits known as travertine...
. This example is considered to be one of the earliest examples of polychrome decorative masonry that was to become widespread in the following centuries in sacred buildings throughout Armenia. An oculus at the peak of the dome lets light into the room below.