Karmravor Church: Architecture
The design of the structure is very simple and pretty. It’s a single cruciform building with the dome in the center of it. The roof of the dome is covered with red tiles. This is an example of Byzantine style churches. The simplicity of planning creates an illusion of one unitary piece, combining the dome and the rest of the church.
It is noticeable that the tendency of simple architecture cannot be seen in major Armenian Monasteries and Cathedrals. Karmravor Church was one of the first soldiers of this movement, which later found its expression in a number of other small churches like Lmbatavank, St. Marine of Artik, and so on. By the way, St. Marine of Artik can be seen from Karmravor Church, if you have an eagle’s eye.
Karmravor Church: Peculiarities
Unlike a huge number of churches that were built in the Middle Ages, this one hasn’t endured the destructive force of natural calamities or foreign invasions. It has been preserved so well, that some of the tiles on the dome are original. Despite this, restoration projects were held here in 1950s. In fact, Karmravor has joined the list of exclusive churches by being the only Armenian church with the original roof.
On the contrary, the process of building the church was not too smooth. One of the walls bears an inscription telling about the process of construction. According to it, villagers donated from their own pockets to build St. Astvatsatsin.
Karmravor Church: Possible Ruins
It is supposed that a pagan temple of Astghik (goddess of love) or Anahit (goddess of fertility and wisdom) occupied the site on which Karmravor Church was built. But this theory is not proven yet. Serious excavations might reveal the secrets of this church in future (as they did in case of other Christian churches), but guessing is all that is left for now.
Karmravor Church: Khatchkars
There are a few cross-stones outside the church. The most famous one of them is called Tsak-Qar (meaning “a stone with a hole). It dates back to 1268. Just underneath the cross-stone lies the grave of priest Ter-Harutyun. Upon his death the son of the priest His Holiness Nerses Ashtarakeci vowed to free the Armenian nation from the Persian rule.
They are quite big and suit the overall scene with their reddish color. It seems that everything here has been planned as a whole.
Karmravor Church: Relics
Some of the must-sees in this church are the Shukhonts handwritten Bible, which was gifted to the monastery by the Shukhyants family in 1873, and the splendid Indian curtain dating back to 1790s.
The grave of the famous Armenian writer Gevorg Emin is also located here.
Karmravor Church: Legends
The name of this church seems to be quite popular, as there is also a very sad legend connected to the origins of the church. According to that legend, three very beautiful girls, who were sisters, lived in Ashtarak. All three of them shared incredible beauty.
Unfortunately, three of them shared something else too, the lover. The lover happened to be a prince called Sargis. The sisters could not take the situation and decided that only one can be happy with their beloved one. This is why the elder sisters decided to commit suicide to give up Sargis to their little sister. One of the elder sisters was dressed in apricot color, the other one in red, two of them threw themselves off the cliff to free the happiness of their sister. But, as usual, there was one big “but.” The little sister had no idea about her sisters’ plan. When she found out about it, she was very devastated and decided to follow the sisters. After all three of them were gone, it was Sargis’ time to lose the spirit. But the boy didn’t end his life, instead, he became a hermit and lived his life all alone.
So the main point of this legend is that there were three churches built in the area, each one bearing the names of the colors the sisters wore when jumping off the cliff. Logically, Karmravor Church has to be dedicated to one of the elder sisters. The other two churches that were built on the gorge of Qasagh River, were named Tsiranavor and Spitakavor.
The legend might have a close connection with the fact that Karmravor church was once a convent. This has probably given rise to a number of unspoken traditions. First, the church, because of its unusual structure and rare symmetry, can be separated from the stock of the Armenian monasteries. The small size encourages people to travel here for the purpose of staying in solitude for a while. The visitors enter silently, pray, take some time with their own hopes and thoughts, and leave. In this regard, the church is more of a private corner, than a big spiritual center.
Karmravor Church is one of the most beautiful sacred sites of Armenia, and is very suitable for those who are looking for some peace and solitude. The church is simple but don’t underestimate it. It has endured centuries and managed to keep itself standing, while other medieval churches were tested in their firmness.
