St. Astvatsatsin Church, Areni
Located on a mountain slope, St. Astvatsatsin church in Areni overlooks the left bank of the Arpa River. Inscriptions on the church’s western entrance show that Bishop Hovhannes Orbel of Syunik commissioned the construction of this church in 1321 and employed the famous architect, sculptor, and miniature painter, Momik, to build the structure. Momik received acclaim throughout the Vayots Dzor region for constructing several iconic churches, including structures in the Noravank monastic complex.
The church features a characteristic rectangular plan with a central dome. However, you’ll notice the narrow and tall construction of the church, which is unique for church architecture in Armenia. The proportionality and height of the church draw your eyes toward the sky. The relief of the Virgin Mary with Baby Jesus on the western entrance tympanum and the carving of four Evangelists on the four interior pendentives that
support the drum of the dome strike an interesting comparison to Momik’s carvings at Noravank.
Momik switched to focusing on
architecture and sculpting after
his eyesight began to worsen,
since he could no longer paint
miniatures in manuscripts. An
earthquake destroyed the dome
in 1840, and the building was
later reconstructed from
1967-1972 and once again in
1998.
St. Astvatsatsin tucked into mountainous terrain (Photo by Ara and Sossi Madzounian, My Armenia Program, Smithsonian Institution and USAID
St. Astvatsatsin Church (Panorama by 360° Stories)
Historical Attractions