Zvartnots Cathedral description and photos - Armenia: Yerevan (Topic)

Zvartnots Cathedral description and photos - Armenia: Yerevan. Detailed information about the attraction. Description, photographs and a map showing the nearest significant objects. The name in English is Zvartnots Cathedral.

Photo and description

Zvartnots Temple is the brightest monument of Armenian architecture of the Middle Ages, located 5 km from Echmiadzin and about 10 km west of the city of Yerevan. This magnificent temple was erected in the VII century. Like most of the ancient temples of Armenia, Zvartnots has survived only in ruins. But still it gives a vivid idea of its majestic beauty.

The construction of the temple took 20 years. Its construction was initiated by Catholicos Nerses III the Builder. The construction of the church was carried out by craftsmen from the ancient city of Dvin, who were invited by Nerses III himself.

The temple stood for about 300 years and in about 930 it was destroyed by a powerful earthquake. Over time, on the site of the Zvartnots temple, a large hill was formed, where the remains of four pylons could be seen. In the twentieth century. archaeological excavations began at this site. In 1901-1907. under the leadership of architect T. Toramanyan, the ruins of an ancient temple were removed from under the age-old layer of earth, after which its project was presented.

The Zvartnots Temple was a three-tiered temple round at the base. The height of the building of the temple was 49 m. The church rose on a platform surrounded by a partially preserved stepped pedestal. The church was supported by four powerful 20-meter columns. The second tier of the temple was through on three sides, and its walls rested on six large columns. The entire composition was completed by a tall multifaceted dome. The church had five entrances.

The walls of the church were decorated with rich mosaics and stone carvings depicting a grapevine, branches of pomegranate and geometric patterns of the finest work. Among the works of stone-carving masters, the portrait gallery of sculptural half-length images of people deserves special attention.

Today, an archaeological museum and a reserve has been opened on the territory of the Zvartnots temple, where you can see models-variants of the reconstruction of the church, fragments of an ancient structure, as well as well-preserved massive stone slabs on which various figures, sundials, bunches of grapes are carved and pomegranate fruits.

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Topic: Zvartnots Cathedral description and photos - Armenia: Yerevan.