Saint Gevorg Monastery of Mughni
Encyclopedia
The monastery of Saint George (Armenian
: Սուրբ Գեւորգ Եկեղեցի or Սուրբ Գեւորգ Վանք ; pronounced Surb Gevorg) is located just off of the main road that runs through the town of Mughni
in the Aragatsotn
province of Armenia
. The church sits within the city limits of the larger city of Ashtarak
. It was built to house some of the remains of Saint George
who was known as the "Slayer of Dragons".
. It has a single cylindrical drum
notable for the horizontal alternating striped pattern that surrounds it, and a conical
umbrella type dome
above. The striped pattern repeats some within the interior portion of the dome. The front façade is made up of a triple-arch
ed walkway with an arch on either side adjacent that leads underneath a belfry
. The belfry consists of sixteen equally spaced columns with an equal amount of smaller arches that support the weight of the cupola
above.
A main portal leads into the church decorated by an intricately carved arched lintel and door frame. Another smaller doorway is located on the façade to the right of the front of the church. It is almost as intricately carved as the main entry door.
Many portions of the stonework on the church of S. Gevorg use two colors of stone; a darker grey tuff
and an apricot colored tuff. In particular the doorways, the drum, the peaks of the façades, and the capitals
of the rectangular columns of the triple-archway in front are accentuated by the alternating stone colors.
In the interior of the church there are numerous religious fresco
es around the apse
and on the left wall leading to the tomb of S. George of whom the church is named after. They were most likely painted in the 17th c. by Nagash Ovnatan whose other works include decoration of the Etchmiadzin Cathedral and other churches near Yerevan
and Akulis. A single marble
tomb sits in a room adjacent to the apse with semi-circular stone of green marble on top worn down from the many people who have touched it. It is said to come from Jerusalem. A chapel built in the 6th c. had at one point served to house the remains of S. George, but was later replaced by the church of S. Gevorg.
Armenian language
The Armenian language is an Indo-European language spoken by the Armenian people. It is the official language of the Republic of Armenia as well as in the region of Nagorno-Karabakh. The language is also widely spoken by Armenian communities in the Armenian diaspora...
: Սուրբ Գեւորգ Եկեղեցի or Սուրբ Գեւորգ Վանք ; pronounced Surb Gevorg) is located just off of the main road that runs through the town of Mughni
Mughni
Mughni is a village in the Aragatsotn Province of Armenia. It is located within the city limits of and just north of the city of Ashtarak. Until the Russian conquest, it was the southernmost town in the district of Aparan. Mughni has a recently restored 14th century monastery of S. Gevorg, which...
in the Aragatsotn
Aragatsotn
Aragatsotn is a province of Armenia. It is in the west of the country, and its capital is Ashtarak. The name means "a foot of Aragats" . During the Arsacid Dynasty of the Kingdom of Armenia, the region was part of the Ayrarat province...
province of Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
. The church sits within the city limits of the larger city of Ashtarak
Ashtarak
Ashtarak is an industrial city in Armenia, on the left bank of Kasagh River along the gorge, approximately 20 km north-west of the capital Yerevan, at a height of 1110 meters above sea level. It is the administrative capital of Aragatsotn province...
. It was built to house some of the remains of Saint George
Saint George
Saint George was, according to tradition, a Roman soldier from Syria Palaestina and a priest in the Guard of Diocletian, who is venerated as a Christian martyr. In hagiography Saint George is one of the most venerated saints in the Catholic , Anglican, Eastern Orthodox, and the Oriental Orthodox...
who was known as the "Slayer of Dragons".
Architecture
The church of S. Gevorg sits within a rectangular walled monasteryMonastery
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...
. It has a single cylindrical 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....
notable for the horizontal alternating striped pattern that surrounds it, and a 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...
umbrella type 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....
above. The striped pattern repeats some within the interior portion of the dome. The front façade is made up of a triple-arch
Arch
An arch is a structure that spans a space and supports a load. Arches appeared as early as the 2nd millennium BC in Mesopotamian brick architecture and their systematic use started with the Ancient Romans who were the first to apply the technique to a wide range of structures.-Technical aspects:The...
ed walkway with an arch on either side adjacent that leads underneath a belfry
Bell tower
A bell tower is a tower which contains one or more bells, or which is designed to hold bells, even if it has none. In the European tradition, such a tower most commonly serves as part of a church and contains church bells. When attached to a city hall or other civic building, especially in...
. The belfry consists of sixteen equally spaced columns with an equal amount of smaller arches that support the weight of the 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.
A main portal leads into the church decorated by an intricately carved arched lintel and door frame. Another smaller doorway is located on the façade to the right of the front of the church. It is almost as intricately carved as the main entry door.
Many portions of the stonework on the church of S. Gevorg use two colors of stone; a darker grey tuff
Tuff
Tuff is a type of rock consisting of consolidated volcanic ash ejected from vents during a volcanic eruption. Tuff is sometimes called tufa, particularly when used as construction material, although tufa also refers to a quite different rock. Rock that contains greater than 50% tuff is considered...
and an apricot colored tuff. In particular the doorways, the drum, the peaks of the façades, and the capitals
Capital (architecture)
In architecture the capital forms the topmost member of a column . It mediates between the column and the load thrusting down upon it, broadening the area of the column's supporting surface...
of the rectangular columns of the triple-archway in front are accentuated by the alternating stone colors.
In the interior of the church there are numerous religious fresco
Fresco
Fresco is any of several related mural painting types, executed on plaster on walls or ceilings. The word fresco comes from the Greek word affresca which derives from the Latin word for "fresh". Frescoes first developed in the ancient world and continued to be popular through the Renaissance...
es around the apse
Apse
In architecture, the apse is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome...
and on the left wall leading to the tomb of S. George of whom the church is named after. They were most likely painted in the 17th c. by Nagash Ovnatan whose other works include decoration of the Etchmiadzin Cathedral and other churches near Yerevan
Yerevan
Yerevan is the capital and largest city of Armenia and one of the world's oldest continuously-inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Yerevan is the administrative, cultural, and industrial center of the country...
and Akulis. A single marble
Marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite.Geologists use the term "marble" to refer to metamorphosed limestone; however stonemasons use the term more broadly to encompass unmetamorphosed limestone.Marble is commonly used for...
tomb sits in a room adjacent to the apse with semi-circular stone of green marble on top worn down from the many people who have touched it. It is said to come from Jerusalem. A chapel built in the 6th c. had at one point served to house the remains of S. George, but was later replaced by the church of S. Gevorg.