Tsiranavor Church

地区

阿拉加措特恩

距埃里温

21.9 km

类型

Monastery/Church

In the part of Ashtarak that was once known as the fortress district, stands the city’s oldest church, Tsiranavor. It was built in the 5th–6th centuries by Catholicos Nerses II Bagrevandtsi. The Tsiranavor Church (also known as St. Astvatsatsin) is built on a rectangular plan with a horseshoe-shaped apse, and sacristies on both the right and left sides. The structure belongs to the three-nave basilica type with vaulted roofing. Over the centuries, several architectural changes were made: the northern and western walls were reinforced with additional layers, and arrow slits were added on the southern side, giving the church a fortress-like appearance. To this day, parts of the walls, the apse with its adjacent rooms, and the southern nave remain standing. Inside, the pair of windows on the western side are still noticeable. On the eastern façade, remnants of a toothed cornice can be seen.