Historical overview
Banadzor village is located in the Hadrut region, approximately 22 kilometers south-east of Hadrut city. According to Makar Barkhudaryan, "the residents of Banadzor are native and indigenious to that land." (Barkhutareants, 1895, 65).
Banadzor was completely evacuated of Armenians in May 1991, and then set on fire as a result of Operation Ring, which was carried out by Special Forces of the Soviet army and Azerbaijan's Special Purpose Police Unit (OMON). The village was liberated in the summer of 1993, and the residents of Banadzor returned to rebuild the village. It was taken over and occupied by the Azerbaijani army in October 2020.
Architectural-compositional examination
It is a three-nave hall with a rectangular architectural plan and two pairs of pylons that end in the east with a semicircular tabernacle. The two sacristies are located on the right and left sides of the tabernacle. On the northern wall, the baptismal font has been preserved. The church is made of unpolished local stone and lime mortar, and the arches are polished. It measures 18 meters long and 11 meters wide.
The church's entrance had a lintel with an inscription that stated the church was built in 1639. However, the lintel was destroyed when the southern wall and the entrance collapsed. The church was used for economic purposes during the Soviet era.
The condition before, during and after the war
The church was partially destroyed prior to the war (Figs. 4, 5). It was not damaged during military operations in 2020. There is no information available regarding the post-war situation.
