Church > Surb Astvatsatsin church of Haterk

Surb Astvatsatsin church of Haterk

Location

The church is located in the center of Haterk village in the Martakert region of the Republic of Artsakh.

Historical overview

There is no historical information available about the church, but it can be dated to the 17th century based on its construction and technical architecture.

Architectural-compositional examination

Makar Barkhudaryants, describing Haterk village, notes:  "...the church is Surb Astvatsatsin, constructed from stone, built on four arches without central pillars, quite old and completely unadorned, length 22 meters 75 centimeters, width 9 meters 85 centimeters..." (Barkhutareants 1895, 201).

Barkhudaryants describes a dilapidated church constructed from semi-finished stones and lime mortar (Figs. 1, 2). It is a single-nave hall on the inside. The cylindrical vault rests on the arches rising from the pillars (Figs. 3, 4). The arches' stones and pillars are polished. Simple crosses adorn the arches near the walls. The church's only entrance is located on the south side, with plastered walls inside. The tabernacle used to be horseshoe-shaped (Fig. 5).

Fig. 1 The general view of the church, photo by N. Manukyan.

Fig. 2 The western facade of the church, photo by N. Manukyan.

Fig. 3 The interior of the church, photo by H. Petrosyan.

Fig. 4 The interior of the church, photo by H. Petrosyan.

Fig. 5 The eastern facade of the church, photo by H. Petrosyan.

Fig. 6 A khachkar encased at the entrance of the church, photo by H. Petrosyan.

The khachkar built into the wall (Fig. 6) and the sculpture depicting the Virgin Mary with the child (Fig. 7) at the southern entrance are the only decorations of the Surb Astvatsatsin Church. According to H. Petrosyan, the complete khachkar built into the church's wall dates from the late 13th century. It stands out for its delicate and symmetrical ornamental pattern. The composition of the Virgin and Child catches the eye of the cornice's lavishly sculpted base (or background).

Fig. 7 The sculpture encased on the wall of the church, photo by H. Petrosyan.

The cross's bisected cornice is crowned with a circular protrusion, attempting to depict a church structure (Petrosyan, Yeranyan 2022, 34, fig. 172-173). According to H. Petrosyan, the sculpture depicting the Virgin Mary with the Child dates from the 16th to the 17th centuries, based on the inscription around it, which is quoted in greater detail by M. Barkhudaryants: "On the outer edge of the church door, there is a female icon on a stone, surrounded by a circular sculpture and an inscription that says: By the will of God, I, Lord Tateos, my brother Markos built the Church of the Surb Astvatsatsin, Rstakes is the senior priest. God, have mercy "(Barkhutareants 1895, 201). The inscription is currently incomplete and weather-beaten. "For God's sake, I T[e]r Ta......akes Priest...T[e]r Akup" (H. Petrosyan read and decoded this inscription). The mentioned inscription is presented as read by Barkhudaryants in the volume dedicated to Artsakh in the Corpus of Armenian Lithography (CAE 1982, 131). Fragments of khachkar stones with inscriptions (Fig. 8) , complete cross compositions, and slabs were encased in the walls of the church as construction stones (Fig. 9, 10).

Fig. 8 A fragment of an inscription bearing khachkar, photo by H. Petrosyan.

Fig. 9 A fragment of the khachkar, photo by H. Petrosyan.

Fig. 10 A fragment of the khachkar, photo by H. Petrosyan.

The condition before and after the war

The church remained undamaged during the Artsakh wars, however, it is now partially ruined and requires restoration. The tabernacle has been damaged, the walls are cracked, and part of the roof has caved in. The building was used for economic purposes during the Soviet era. A rectangular window was opened on the western facade at that time.

Bibliography

  1. Barkhutareants 1895- Barkhutareants M., Artsakh, Baku.
  2. Petrosyan, Yeranyan 2022-Petrosyan H., Yeranyan N., Monumental Culture of Artsakh, Yerevan.
  3. CAE 1982- Corpus of Armenian lithography, book V, compiled by S. G. Barkhudaryan, Yerevan.
Surb Astvatsatsin church of Haterk
Surb Astvatsatsin church of Haterk
Surb Astvatsatsin church of Haterk
Artsakh