Nor Haykajur:

The Archaeological Museum of Tigranakert

History The Tigranakert Archaeological Museum is located in the Askeran region of the Republic of Artsakh, on the left side of the Askeran-Martakert highway. The museum showcases the history and discoveries of the ancient city of Tigranakert, founded in Artsakh by the Armenian king Tigranes II the Great (95-55 BC). The artifacts and materials unearthed during the excavations, conducted by the Artsakh expedition of the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia since 2005, are displayed in the museum. The museum was established at the initiative of the Tourism Department of the Republic of Artsakh. To accommodate the museum, the 18th-century fortress on the site was renovated. Part of the rooms lining the perimeter of the courtyard were converted into museum exhibition halls (Fig. 1). The ceremonial opening of the museum took place on May 30, 2010. In addition to official guests, thousands of people from various parts of Armenia and Artsakh attended the event. It was a true folk festival featuring performances and concerts, exhibitions and sales of folk crafts, and tastings of delicious Artsakh snacks and drinks (Petrosyan, Kirakosyan 2010, 131-132; Fig. 2). The collection In the Tigranakert Museum, some of the finest artifacts discovered since the excavations began in 2005 are displayed. The museum consists of a lobby and two exhibition halls. The lobby is equipped for screening films related to Tigranakert and also hosts temporary exhibitions. The main materials from the excavations of the tombs at Nor Haykajur and Nor Karmiravan, two monuments related to the Bronze Iron Age culture around Tigranakert, are presented in the exhibition halls. The main exhibition dedicated to Tigranakert unfolds in two connected halls. The first hall serves as an introduction. It features displays about the discovery of the city and the excavations of the Fortified Quarter and the ancient mausoleum, with the information presented on stands hanging from horizontal poles (Fig. 3). In niches built into the walls, some of the most remarkable complete antique and medieval vessels are showcased. Archaeological materials found in the immediate surroundings of the city are displayed on a glazed table, while publications about the excavations are housed in cabinets (Petrosyan, Kirakosyan 2010, 131-132; Fig. 4).

Gyavurkala Early Christian settlement and the church

Location The archaeological site of Gyavurkala (literally, “Fortress of the Unbelievers”) is located east of Nor Haykajur village in Martakert region of the Artsakh Republic (Sofulu in Aghdam region in Soviet times). Gyavurkala settlement was partially studied by Azerbaijani archaeologists in the 50-70s of the last century, who emphasized the Christian affiliation of the settlement (Vahidov 1965, 167-183). The ruins of an unearthed early medieval church (they were covered again with soil after the end of the Soviet period excavations), the necropolis with sarcophagi, and the pillar of an early medieval cruciform obelisk can still be seen here (Fig. 1). Historical overview There is no available data from historical sources on the settlement and the church.  Architectural-compositional examination In 2013, the Artsakh Tigranakert expedition team (H. Petrosyan, N. Yeranyan, L. Kirakosyan, L. Minasyan) carried out excavations of the ancient church of the archaeological site. These excavations provided an opportunity to make preliminary observations about the Gyavurkala settlement and the single-nave church located there (Fig. 2). The settlement stretches over a hill, which is 6.0 m elevated from the surrounding plain. The upper flat surface is 160.0 m long from east to west and 120.0 m from north to south orientation, occupying an area of about 2.0 ha. Preliminary observations bring to light the remains of a group of architectural complexes. The ruins of an early medieval church can be observed in the southern part of the settlement․ South and south-east of the hill, about 100 m from the center, there is a necropolis with early Christian slabs and sarcophagi (Fig. 3). Fragments of early medieval architectural details – cross-shaped ornaments, column bases, obelisks, their pedestals and other fragments can be found everywhere.