The Church of the “Tleni” Rural Settlement

The Church of the “Tleni” Rural Settlement

Location

The church of the “Tleni” rural settlement is located in the occupied Martakert Region of Artsakh, 900 m south-west of Vaghuhas village, in the area known as “Tleni,” on the highest part of the former settlement site (Balayan 2020, 374) (Fig. 1). The settlement is discernible in the form of depressions marking the remains of former dwellings.

Fig. 1. General view of the church. Photo by G. Sargsyan.

Historical overview

No historical information about the church has survived. According to the certificate issued by the Monument Protection Service of the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of Artsakh, the ruins of the “Tleni” church and the surrounding cemetery date to the 11th–12th centuries.

Architectural and compositional description

The northern wall of the church survives. The church was constructed frombuilt of small and medium-sized unworked and semi-worked stones, bonded with lime mortar (Figs. 2-5). Near the church extends a large cemetery (Fig. 6), occupying an area of 0.5 hectares. A considerable number of the grave markers are semi-worked and roughly hewn tombstones, although khachkars are also present (Figs. 7, 8).

Fig. 2. The church ruins. Photo by G. Sargsyan.

Fig. 3. The church ruins. Photo by G. Sargsyan.

Fig. 5. The church ruins. Photo by G. Sargsyan.

Fig. 7. Tombstones near the “Tleni” church. Photo by G. Sargsyan.

Fig. 4. The church ruins. Photo by G. Sargsyan.

Fig. 6. General view of the cemetery near the “Tleni” church. Photo by G. Sargsyan.

Fig. 8. Tombstones near the “Tleni” church. Photo by G. Sargsyan.

of the church and its standing walls are covered with dense vegetation and trees, which pose a threat to the monument.

The Condition before and after the war

The church site did not suffer during the Artsakh wars; at present, however, the fate of the ruins and the surrounding area is unknown.

Bibliography

  1. Our information about the church is based on the monument certificate prepared by the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture, and Sports of Artsakh.
  2. Balayan V., Outlines of the History of the Settlements of the Republic of Artsakh, Yerevan, 2020.
The Church of the “Tleni” Rural Settlement
The Church of the “Tleni” Rural Settlement
The Church of the “Tleni” Rural Settlement
Artsakh