The spring of Zardanashen village

The spring of Zardanashen village

Location

The spring is situated on the northeastern outskirts of Zardanashen village, in the Martuni region of the Republic of Artsakh, to the left side of the road that leads to the cemetery (Fig. 1).

Fig. 1 The general appearance of the spring, photo by A. Shahramanyan.

Historical overview

The construction of the spring is documented in the construction inscription, indicating that it was built in 1894 in memory of a fellow villager who passed away abroad. The inscription reads: "The spring was constructed in memory of Melikset Aliksanyan Arakeliants, a resident of Zardanashen, who died in a foreign land, who is Babalunts. 1894" (Fig. 2). The construction inscription is positioned on the frontal wall of the nave, nestled in the corner. Adjacent to the inscription, there is a slab adorned with a double cross (Fig. 3). Residents commonly refer to the spring as the Yeghunik (Aghunik) spring (Karapetyan 2023, 41).

Architectural-compositional examination

The spring is crafted from local limestone, bound together with lime mortar. Its structure is rectangular, featuring a slender and elongated nave constructed from polished stones.

Fig. 2 The construction inscription of the spring, photo by A. Shahramanyan.

Fig. 3 Detail of the spring, photo by A. Shahramanyan.

The condition before and after the war

The spring remains undamaged despite the military operations and is currently situated within the occupied territory claimed by Azerbaijan.

Bibliography

  1. Karapetyan 2023 - Karapetyan S., Armenian springs, Yerevan.
The spring of Zardanashen village
The spring of Zardanashen village
The spring of Zardanashen village
Artsakh