DOME BASILIC CHURCH OF OZUNI

Lori marz c. Snake

Odzun is one of the ancient settlements of the Tashir province of the Armenian Gugarats world, established on the high plateau on the left bank of Debedi gorge, 8 km southwest of the present city of Alaverdi. The village and its surroundings are rich in medieval architectural monuments. In the center of the village is the V-VI century. domed basilica church. It has a marked design commonality with early medieval three-nave basilicas. The construction of the church has traditionally been attributed to Hovhan Odznets, which researchers rightly do not consider reliable. With an architectural composition and an artistic style of decoration, around the 6th century. is an end structure. The church was named after St. Astvatsatsin, St. Nshan, S. Hovhannes, Khachgond, Khachgund. The latter is connected with Khachgundkahana, buried in the church yard, in whose memory in 1291 A carved khachkar with an inscription was erected. Near the church is a monument from the early Christian period, which is a magnificent monument marking the victory of Christianity in Armenia.

The domed basilica church is located in the central elevated part of the village. It is a domed basilica (20.71×31.62 m external dimensions) with a rectangular plan stretching from east to west, with two-story vaults adjacent to the semicircular altar, and an external arched hall. The prayer hall is a rectangular hall divided into three naves by two rows of gables. The outer hall borders the prayer hall on three sides (north, west and east).

The church is one of the unique structures of the early Middle Ages, where the outer hall has been relatively completely preserved, thanks to which the total volume of the church has increased. The prayer hall and the outer vaulted hall are synchronous structures. The basilica is built of hewn stones of basalt and light brown felsite. The VI-VII c. With the variety of iconography and ornamentation typical of early Christian art, applied with an exceptional sense of scale. There are many Armenian inscriptions on the outer and inner walls of the church

The church has been renovated many times, which is mentioned on the tombstones in the church yard (801, 1888). XIX century at the end, brothers Zakaria and Baghdasar Abovyan from Tiflis repaired the church and the surrounding wall with their material resources, which is evidenced by the inscription on the slab fixed on the western side of the northeast dome-bearing facade of the church and on the tombstone of their mother Yeghisabet.

Bell towers - just above the eastern front plane of the church, 19th century. Two symmetrical bell towers were built. Master builder of Oznets

The art nouveau towers built by Nalband Sergo, being late additions, do not detract from the overall appearance of the temple.

The cemetery - is located around the church, there are XIII-XX centuries. Large basalt tombstones, khachkars.

During the Soviet years, repair and improvement works of the monument were carried out in 1938, 1949-1950s, and 1977.

Basic literature

Jalaleants S., Journey to Great Armenia, Tpkhis, 1842, no. 1:

Lalayan E., Borchalu province, "Ethnological Journal", Tiflis, 1901, book 7-8.

Hasratyan, M., The Halled One-nave Monuments of Tashir, "Social Sciences News", Yer., 1974, N 3.

G. Shakkhyan, Odzuni Church, Yer., 1983.