The monastery of Mesis
Location The monastery is located in the Martakert region of the Republic of Artsakh, approximately 8 kilometers northeast of Haterk village, on the high part of a wooded mountain range that runs along the right bank of the Trghi River (Karapetyan 1986, 86). Historical overview There is no precise information available about the church. The information on several inscriptions on the monastery’s walls and grounds is incomplete due to their partial preservation. The etymology of the monastery’s name is also unknown. Makar Barkhudaryants refers to it as Masis or Msis, which is a popular folk name (Barkhudaryants 1895, 202). Haterk residents refer to it as Mesis. Architectural-compositional examination The monument group comprises a church, gavit, two-story chapel, and walls, next to which the ruins of rooms have been preserved (Fig. 1). Early khachkars and cross-sculptured slabs used as construction stones are visible along the complex’s walls. It was a phenomenon that was particularly popular in the 13th century. The church is a single-nave vaulted structure with two entrances: one from the west, which leads into the gavit, and one from the north, which leads into the chapel (Fig. 2). The church’s tabernacle has a subtle curvature in the section and no sacristies (Fig. 3). The only window is on the east facade of the building (Fig. 4). The church is entirely made of rough and unpolished stones, as well as lime mortar (Fig. 5). The complex was most likely constructed between the 12th and 13th centuries. It was internally plastered, and the traces can be seen near the high altar. The western entrance porch was built with several stones that were engraved with the four-line construction inscription. Unfortunately, the only thing that can be deduced from the preserved sections is that it refers to the church’s construction (Karapetyan 1986, 87).
