The Surb Matte Sanctuary of Kghartsi

The Surb Matte Sanctuary of Kghartsi

Location

The monument is situated 2 km west of the village of Kghartsi in the Martuni Region of the Republic of Artsakh. Since 2023, it has been under Azerbaijani occupation.

Historical Overview

Priest Matte is first mentioned by Movses Kaghankatvatsi (Movses Kaghankatuatsi). He reports that Priest Matte brought to Daraoj the relics of Saint Gregory and the virgins Hripsime and Gayane (Kaghankatvatsi 1983, 67). According to the historian, he also took part in the Council of Aghuen (Kaghankatvatsi 1983, 70).

Barkhudaryants describes the Chapel of Matte in the village of Kghartsi as follows: "On a picturesque hill to the north of this village, amid venerable trees, stands an old chapel. According to tradition, beneath the cross lies buried a priest named Matte, who in ancient times met a martyr's death at the hands of the infidels" (Barkhudaryants 1895, 112).

Presenting the antiquities of Kghartsi, Sh. Mkrtchyan notes "the chapel of Matek (Matte) between the villages of Mirushen and Kghartsi, on a mountain of the same name, with cemeteries on all four sides" (Mkrtchyan 1980, 120), and adds: "Another well-known monument of Kghartsi lies to the north of the village, on a picturesque hill surrounded by old trees, and is called the sanctuary of Matte. Here, a semi-ruined chapel has been preserved" (Mkrtchyan 1989, 129).

Architectural–Compositional Examination

Field investigations within the sacred precinct indicate that this location once (at least from the 9th century onward) constituted a notable religious center, now in ruins.

Within the sanctuary are the remains of a former church measuring 6 × 5 m. On the site are preserved khachkars and cross fragments dating to the 12th–13th centuries (Figs. 1–4). The monument's foundations survive (per the Certificate of the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture, and Sports of the Republic of Artsakh).

Fig. 1. The khachkar at the Matte sanctuary. Photo by G. Sargsyan.

Fig. 3. The Matte sanctuary, inscribed tombstone. Photo by G. Sargsyan.

Fig. 2. The khachkar at the Matte sanctuary. Photo by G. Sargsyan.

Fig. 4. The Matte sanctuary, inscribed tombstone. Photo by G. Sargsyan.

The Condition Before and After the War

The monument did not sustain damage during the Artsakh wars. No reliable information is currently available regarding its present condition.

Bibliography

  1. Kaghankatvatsi 1983 - Kaghankatvatsi M., History of the Land of Aghuank (Caucasian Albania) (original text and introduction by V. Arakelyan; edited by S. Avagyan), Yerevan.
  2. Barkhutareants 1895 - Barkhutareants M., Artsakh, Baku.
  3. Mkrtchyan 1980 - Mkrtchyan Sh., Historical-Architectural Monuments of Nagorno-Karabakh, Yerevan.
  4. Mkrtchyan 1989 - Mkrtchyan Sh., Historical-Architectural Monuments of Nagorno-Karabakh, Yerevan.
  5. Certificate of the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture, and Sport of the Republic of Artsakh.
The Surb Matte Sanctuary of Kghartsi
The Surb Matte Sanctuary of Kghartsi
The Surb Matte Sanctuary of Kghartsi
Artsakh