Church of St. Katoghike

Church Surb Katoghike has an enchanting charm of the ancient buildings, whose walls are composed of large hewn blocks, painted time in different shades of brown, close to the base covered with a thin layer of moisture, and create a wonderful feeling that the building rises straight from the depths of time. Is this building in the heart of the city, near restaurants and Armenia hotels. Church history is full of amazing and dramatic moments. The building is a relatively small church, an outer perimeter which is about seventeen to twenty-nine meters, was built in the late seventeenth century, a decade after the devastating and terrible earthquake of 1679. Inside the church it was surprisingly spacious, despite its modest size, and was considered one of the most spacious in Yerevan. The interior was decorated in modest and strict colors – of the ornaments of the temple there were only cross-stones, carved in the same period when the church was built. Church quietly existed for more than two centuries on the territory of the ancient district of Shaar, when in 1936 it suffered the same sad fate as many other churches in Yerevan, it was decided to destroy the wall. However, in the course of this work, it has been found more ancient cultural layers and the remains of an ancient temple built in approximately the 13th century. Past archaeological researches have proved the truth of this hypothesis. It has been found that the 17th-century building was erected on the site of an ancient temple Astvatsatsin (which most likely was destroyed during one of the earthquakes). The temple occupies a large area, and the Church of St. Katoghike was erected on the site of a small chapel adjoining the building Astvatsatsin. Found items – are the remnants of ancient walls, and medieval cross-stones and inscriptions that can be dated to 13th and 14th centuries.

 

Subsequently, the building was restored and renovated, and now he is a double name – Surb Astvatsatsin and Katoghike. It is a small building, which covers an area almost three times less than the structure, built in the seventeenth century. It remained in the period of Soviet rule, thanks to resourceful idea of one of the architects of Yerevan, which was to create a school project on this site. Author of the project built a school building around the temple, so that the latter was in the courtyard of modern facilities. The building looks surprisingly simple and at the same time fascinating, this square building which is crowned with a drum, ending with a pointed spire. The church combines many features of traditional Armenian architecture. It is too petite for her in church services, and because it often is used as a small chapel. It should definitely be included in the program of your tour of Armenia, if you are interested in such objects.