St. Gregory Illuminator
church in Sisian
 |
|
St. Gregory Illuminator church in Sisian
is an Armenian early mediaeval architectural monument. It is on
the east hillside of the town. It was built in the end of the
6th c. in the former place of the pagan church. In
the 7th c. Kohazat prince of Syunik with support of
the clergyman Hovsep A did a lot of construction works in the
territory of the monastery. The dome was restored on which his
name was carved. Not far from the monastery there were the capital
of Syunik Shaghat and Syunik fortress owing to which the church
got the name of Syuni. It was a famous religious and cultural center
of Syunik region. Syuni
monastery with its architectural composition is a domed structure.
The drum is octahedral from inside with four windows. The external
facades have wide sided, triangle-form, symmetrical niches. It
differs from Avan-Hripsime style churches with a square cupola
part, absids are equal with three windows. There are square rooms
in four corners of the church. The two entries are from the south
and the west. The 12 regular edges of the dome rise from the cross-wings
and are decorated with fine arches leaned on two columns. All
the decorative articles of the church are harmonious with the
7th centuary Armenian architectural relief ornaments.
The most significant in this respect is the many-sided decorated
cornice of the drum, the main four sides of which are decorated
with biblical sculpture-portraits. The church was thoroughly reconstructed
in 1959-61.
|
|