Surb Astvatsatsin Church of Tsamdzor

Historical overview

Tsamdzor village is about 15 kilometers southwest of Hadrut city. As a result of Operation Ring, Armenians were evacuated from the village for the first time in 1991. It was liberated in 1992.

The village has been occupied by Azerbaijan since October 2020.

Architectural-compositional examination

The monument 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 tabernacle is attached to southern and northern sacristies (Fig. 2).The only entrance is on the south side and is lit by five small windows (Fig. 3).

It measures 14.6 meters in length, 10 meters in width, and 7.5 meters in height. The roof is vaulted inwardly and is covered in tinplate outwardly.

The date of the church's construction (1696) is engraved on one of the two stones enchased in the upper part of the church entrance, while the other is 1818, which is most likely the date of the church's renovation (Fig. 4). Khachkars and a tombstone with an inscription are enchased into the walls (Fig. 5).

The church was used for economic purposes during the Soviet era.

The condition before, during and after the war

The church was in good condition prior to the war. It was not damaged during the first and second Artsakh wars' military operations. There is no information available regarding the post-war situation.