Norashen Holy Mother of God Church or Norashen Sourb Astvatzatzin Church is a 15th century Armenian church in Old Tbilisi

Old Tbilisi

Old Tbilisi is an administrative district in Tbilisi, capital of Georgia. Although the term "Old Tbilisi" has long been used to denote a historical part of the city, it was only in 2007 that it became a distinct administrative entity to incorporate several historical neighborhoods formerly...

, Georgia

Georgia (country)

Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...

. It was founded in 1467 and renovated in 1650. It also underwent renovations later in 1795, 1808, and 1875. "Norashen" means "newly constructed" in Armenian.

Recently it has been the subject of dispute between Armenians and the Georgian Orthodox Church which has sought to convert it into a Georgian Church. Among the actions taken by the Georgian church is the enclosing of the church with a concrete fence, the defacing of Armenian inscriptions on tombstones, and the bringing in of Georgian tombstones.

Georgian appropriation

Beginning in 1983, Georgian authorities began the systematic removal of Armenian characteristics from the church. Among the changes were:

• The destruction of the portal (in front of the northern door) in 1983
• The removal and disappearance of Armenian tombstones in 1983
• The development of a construction site only a few meters south from the church in 1995
• The removal and disappearance in 1995 from the high altar of the 17th century khachkar
  Khachkar
  A khachkar or khatchkar is a carved, cross-bearing, memorial stele covered with rosettes and other botanical motifs. Khachkars are characteristic of Medieval Christian Armenian art found in Armenia.-Description:...
  
  (cross stone) with an inscription
• The destruction of the Armenian baptistry situated in the internal northern wall in 1995
• The closing of the church doors while in the process of destruction and alteration works progressed in 1995
• The replacement of the old doors with doors decorated with a "Georgian cross"
• The removal and destruction in 1995 of another khachkar from 1650 that was set in the wall inside the church
• The covering with asphalt of a tombstone situated near the northern entrance of the church

External links

• A Flickr photo set of Norashen (summer 2008)
• 3D model of the Norashen Church
• Photos of Norashen being "Georganized"