Odzun Church
Encyclopedia
Odzun Church is an Armenian
basilica constructed around the 5th-7th century in the Odzun
village of the Lori Province of Armenia
.
basilica with three naves
, the two side naves being narrow. At the
northern (not preserved anymore) and southern side there are unusual
arcaded cloister
s and the west cloister has a blind wall with an arched entrance in the middle. The roof
is barrel vault
ed. Four column
s support the rib vaulted tambour
and there are two more columns at the western part of the church. At
the eastern façade above the central window one can observe a carving
of Christ
with the gospel
of St. John
and two angel
s
below. At the southern façade, at each side of the central window there
are two angels and traces of another figure, probably Christ. Much
later, in the 19th century two small belltowers were added.
There are numerous gravestones of the clergy
around the church and a funerary monument. Its stepped platform
supports two carved stelae between double arches. The east and west
sides of the monument are carved with scenes from the Bible
and introduction of Christianity
in Armenia
.
Its north and south side are carved with geometrical motifs and floral
shapes. It is suggested that this monument commemorates Hovhannes
Odznetsi, but its style suggests that it was probably erected earlier,
in the 6th century.
This is one of only two such funerary monuments in Armenia
.
The one located in Odzun was given as a gift to Armenia from an Indian
King around the 8th century. The other one is situated in Aghudi in southern Armenian province of Syunik
.
Armenian architecture
Armenian architecture is an architectural style developed over the last 4,500 years of human habitation in the Armenian Highland and used principally by the Armenian people.- Common characteristics of Armenian architecture:...
basilica constructed around the 5th-7th century in the Odzun
Odzun
Odzun ; is a historical town in the Armenian province of Lori. It is situated on a plateau above the left bank of the Debed river gorge, a few kilometres south of the town of Alaverdi. It is famous for the 5-7th century Odzun Church, one of the finest Armenian basilicas with a cupola....
village of the Lori Province of Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
.
History
The first church appeared here in the 6th century. In the 8th century it was reconstructed by Hovhannes III Odznetsi (Armenian: Հովհաննես Գ Օձնեցի) who served as the katholikos between 717 and 728 and was, as his name suggests, from Odzun. This is the time the church got its current form of a pink felsiteFelsite
Felsite is a very fine grained volcanic rock that may or may not contain larger crystals. Felsite is a field term for a light colored rock that typically requires petrographic examination or chemical analysis for more precise definition...
basilica with three naves
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
, the two side naves being narrow. At the
northern (not preserved anymore) and southern side there are unusual
arcaded cloister
Cloister
A cloister is a rectangular open space surrounded by covered walks or open galleries, with open arcades on the inner side, running along the walls of buildings and forming a quadrangle or garth...
s and the west cloister has a blind wall with an arched entrance in the middle. The roof
Roof
A roof is the covering on the uppermost part of a building. A roof protects the building and its contents from the effects of weather. Structures that require roofs range from a letter box to a cathedral or stadium, dwellings being the most numerous....
is barrel vault
Barrel vault
A barrel vault, also known as a tunnel vault or a wagon vault, is an architectural element formed by the extrusion of a single curve along a given distance. The curves are typically circular in shape, lending a semi-cylindrical appearance to the total design...
ed. Four column
Column
A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a vertical structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. For the purpose of wind or earthquake engineering, columns may be designed to resist lateral forces...
s support the rib vaulted tambour
Tambour
In classical architecture, a tambour is the inverted bell of the Corinthian capital around which are carved acanthus leaves for decoration....
and there are two more columns at the western part of the church. At
the eastern façade above the central window one can observe a carving
of Christ
Christ
Christ is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...
with the gospel
Gospel
A gospel is an account, often written, that describes the life of Jesus of Nazareth. In a more general sense the term "gospel" may refer to the good news message of the New Testament. It is primarily used in reference to the four canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John...
of St. John
Gospel of John
The Gospel According to John , commonly referred to as the Gospel of John or simply John, and often referred to in New Testament scholarship as the Fourth Gospel, is an account of the public ministry of Jesus...
and two angel
Angel
Angels are mythical beings often depicted as messengers of God in the Hebrew and Christian Bibles along with the Quran. The English word angel is derived from the Greek ἄγγελος, a translation of in the Hebrew Bible ; a similar term, ملائكة , is used in the Qur'an...
s
below. At the southern façade, at each side of the central window there
are two angels and traces of another figure, probably Christ. Much
later, in the 19th century two small belltowers were added.
There are numerous gravestones of the clergy
Clergy
Clergy is the generic term used to describe the formal religious leadership within a given religion. A clergyman, churchman or cleric is a member of the clergy, especially one who is a priest, preacher, pastor, or other religious professional....
around the church and a funerary monument. Its stepped platform
supports two carved stelae between double arches. The east and west
sides of the monument are carved with scenes from the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
and introduction of Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
in Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
.
Its north and south side are carved with geometrical motifs and floral
shapes. It is suggested that this monument commemorates Hovhannes
Odznetsi, but its style suggests that it was probably erected earlier,
in the 6th century.
This is one of only two such funerary monuments in Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
.
The one located in Odzun was given as a gift to Armenia from an Indian
King around the 8th century. The other one is situated in Aghudi in southern Armenian province of Syunik
Syunik
Syunik is the southernmost province of Armenia. It borders the Vayots Dzor marz to the north, Azerbaijan's Nakhchivan exclave to the west, Karabakh to the east, and Iran to the south. Its capital is Kapan. Other important cities and towns include Goris, Sisian, Meghri, Agarak, and Dastakert...
.
See also
- Cathedral of MrenCathedral of MrenThe Cathedral of Mren is a 7th century Armenian church now in the Kars region of Turkey near the border with Armenia, about 1.5 km west of the Akhurian River.The church of Mren is a domed triple-nave basilica.- See also :...
, a similar and contemporaneous three-nave basilica with dome in historical Armenia (in TurkeyTurkeyTurkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
)