Kecharis Monastery in Tsakhkadzor, Armenia
Kecharis Monastery, is a medieval Armenian monastic complex dating back to the 11th to 13th centuries, located 60 km from Yerevan, in the ski resort town of Tsakhkadzor in Armenia. Nestled in the Pambak mountains, Kecharis was founded by a Pahlavuni prince in the 11th century, and construction continued until the middle of the 13th century. In the 12th and 13th centuries, Kecharis was a major religious center of Armenia and a place of higher education. Today, the monastery has been fully restored and is clearly visible from the ski slopes.
The domes of the two main churches were heavily damaged in an earthquake in 1927. The buildings were conserved during the period of the Armenian SSR, and rebuilding work started in the 1980s. A series of nationwide problems led to a halt in the rebuilding for about a decade as the 1988 Armenian earthquake hit, the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, the Nagorno-Karabakh War broke out, and Armenia was blockaded by its two allied Turkic neighbors. Rebuilding work resumed at Kecharis in 1998 and finished in 2000. The restarted work was paid for by an Armenian donor from Vienna, Vladimir Harutyunian, in memory of his parents Harutyun and Arsenik.
The main group of the complex consists of three churches, two chapels and a gavit, to the west of which, a few dozen meters away, there is another church with its own vestry at the side of a road leading to the forest. There still are many tombstones around these monuments.
Saint Grigor Church
The main temple, the church of Saint Grigor, is the monastery's first structure erected by Grigor Magistros Pahlavuni in 1013. Being of a domed hall type, it is one of the typical church structures of the period of developed feudalism in Armenia. The interior of the temple is divided into three spaces by two pairs of wall-attached abutments. The central (and largest) space of the church is crowned by a broad cupola resting on spherical pendentives. The cupola and pendentives were destroyed by an earthquake in 1927, and reconstructed in 2000.
The semicircular altar apse has two-storey vestries on either side. Three triangular niches behind the altar provide openings for light. The sole of the altar has carved geometrical ornament, alternating with rosettes in places.
Surp Nshan Church
The church of Surp Nshan (Armenian: Սուրբ Նշան, Holy Sign of Cross in Armenian), situated south of the church of Grigor, is a small cross-winged domed structure built, judging by the type of the building and by architectural details, in the 11th century, probably soon after the church of S. Grigor.
Katoghike Church
The Katoghike (Cathedral) church stands south of S. Nshan, with a narrow passage dividing them. Judging by an inscription, it was built under Prince Vasak Khakhpakyan of the Proshyan clan (in the first quarter of the 13th century) by the architect Vetsik, in whose memory a khachkar, ornamented with highly artistic carving, was put up a little south of the church.
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Kecharis Monastery, Tsakhkadzor, Kotayk Province, Armenia, Eurasia
Kecharis is a 11-13th-century monastery, located 60 km from Yerevan, in the ski resort town of Tsakhkadzor in Armenia. Nestled in the Bambak mountains, Kecharis was founded by a Pahlavuni prince in the 11th century, and construction continued until the middle of the 13th century. In the 12th and 13th centuries, Kecharis was a major religious center of Armenia and a place of higher education. Today, the monastery has been fully restored and is clearly visible from the ski slopes. Badly damaged in an earthquake of 1927, reconstruction was not begun by the Armenian SSR until the 1980s. A series of nationwide problems led to a halt in reconstruction for about a decade as the 1988 Leninakan Earthquake hit, the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, the Nagorno-Karabakh War broke out, and Armenia was blockaded by its two Turkic neighbors. As Armenia recovered slowly from these catastrophes, the reconstruction of Kecharis finally resumed in 1998 and finished in 2000 thanks to a donation by an Armenian benefactor from Vienna named Vladimir Harutyunian, in memory of his parents Harutyun and Arsenik. The main group of the complex consists of three churches, two chapels and a gavit, to the west of which, a few dozen meters away, there is another church with its own vestry at the side of a road leading to the forest. There still are many tombstones around these monuments. The main temple, the church of Saint Grigor, is the monastery's first structure erected by Grigor Magistros Pahlavuni in 1003. Being of a domed hall type, it is one of the typical church structures of the period of developed feudalism in Armenia. The interior of the temple is divided into three spaces by two pairs of wall-attached abutments. The central (and largest) space of the church is crowned by a broad cupola resting on spherical pendentives. The cupola and pendentives were destroyed by an earthquake in 1927, and reconstructed in 2000. The semicircular altar apse has two-storey vestries on either side. Three triangular niches behind the altar provide openings for light. The sole of the altar has carved geometrical ornament, alternating with rosettes in places. The church of Surb Nshan, situated south of the church of Grigor, is a small cross-winged domed structure built, judging by the type of the building and by architectural details, in the 11th century, probably soon after the church of S. Grigor. The Katoghike (Cathedral) church stands south of S. Nshan, with a narrow passage dividing them. Judging by an inscription, it was built under Prince Vasak Khakhpakyan of the Proshyan clan (in the first quarter of the 13th century) by the architect Vetsik, in whose memory a khachkar, ornamented with highly artistic carving, was put up a little south of the church. The Katoghike church belongs to the cross-winged domed type and has two-story annexes in all the four corners of the prayer hall. The entrances to the upper eastern annexes are from the side of the altar apse. Stone cantilever stairs lead to the western annexes of the first floor. The character of Katoghike church's decoration is connected with the artistic traditions of the time when it was built. The round cupola drum was destroyed by earthquake in 1927 (also rebuilt in by 2000), and is decorated with a 12-arch arcature. The front wall of the altar has carved khachkar-type crosses, and there are rosettes on the walls and on the spherical pendentives of the cupola where they alternate with flat arch motives. The gavit, built in the second half of the 12th century and attached to the western facade of S. Grigor church, is an early structure of this type. The rectangular hall is divided into nine sections by four heavy free-standing columns. The eastern corners of the interior are taken up by small two-storey annexes which first appeared in this form in this gavit. The architectural details of the building are rather modest. The small windows are topped by profiled edges above which there are, in the middle window of the southern facade, octafoil rosettes and sun dials, widespread in Armenia and, on the western facade, jugs. As distinct from the portals of the churches, the only western entrance is built as a rectangular opening with a niche framed with bunches of small columns and an arch. In the interior, the fine geometrical ornaments on the capitals of the columns and on the cornice of the tent base immediately catch the eye. The chapels situated between the churches of Grigor and Surb Nshan were small rectangular ones, with an altar apse and vaulted ceilings. The chapel adjacent to the church of Gregory served as the burial vault of Grigor Magistros Pahlavuni, which means that it was built in the early 11th century. The chapels were united by a small vaulted premise in which classes were probably conducted for the school's students.
Цахкадзор 11.01.2015 - 13.01.2015 Армения 8б
ՎԱՐՇԱՄ ՍԱՖՐԱԶՅԱՆ 13.01.2015
VARSHAM SAFRAZYAN
ВАРШАМ САФРАЗЯН
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Цахкадзо́р (арм. Ծաղկաձոր, буквально: «ущелье цветов»; историческое название — Кечарис) — город в Котайкской области Армении, популярный горнолыжный и климатический курорт; расположен в 50 км к северо-востоку от Еревана и в 5 км от районного центра, города Раздан.
Город расположен в живописной долине на юго-восточной части Цахкунийских гор на высоте около 1800 метров над уровнем моря. К северу и к югу от Цахкадзора простираются пологие горные гряды, частично покрытые лесом. Преобладающие высоты в окрестностях города — горы Техенис (2851 метров) и Цахкунятц (2820 метров). С запада на восток город Цахкадзор пересекает одноимённая река, впадающая в реку Мармарик (приток Раздана)
Зима в долине мягкая, число солнечных дней составляет 270. При этом снегопады довольно значительны, что обеспечивает прочный снежный покров толщиной до 1,40 м. Лыжный сезон длится с середины ноября до середины апреля. Средняя январская температура — −6 °C. Среднее количество годовых осадков составляет 600—700 мм
Экология
В Цахкадзоре распространён экологический туризм, в советские времена этот город был на пике своей популярности. При пребывании человека в Цахкадзоре уровень гемоглобина в крови резко увеличивается, что положительно влияет на здоровье человека. Резкая выработка гемоглобина объясняется сильно разряжённым воздухом Цахкадзора, высоким расположением местности относительно уровня моря, относительно низким содержанием кислорода, лесной местностью и свежим воздухом.
В советские времена Цахкадзор был признан одним из лучших курортных мест страны.
Историческое название поселения — Кечарис — на армянском языке означает «берёзовая роща». В раннем средневековье район нынешнего Цахкадзора принадлежал семейному клану Варажнуни, представители которого управляли поместьями армянских царей династии Аршакуни в IV и V веках. В VI веке территория перешла во владение княжеского рода Камсаракан. Начиная с X века этот клан породнился с родом Пахлавуни, родственным армянским Аршакидам. Григорий Магистр, предводитель клана Пахлавуни и впоследствии князь Кечаруйкского княжества (с 1045 года), в 1033 году решает начать строительство монастыря Кечарис. Монастырь назван в честь Святого Григория Просветителя. В 1051 году Григорий Пахлавуни строит здесь также церковь Святого Ншана.
Позже Цахкадзор последовательно переходит во владение семей Закарянов, Хагбакянов и Прошянов. Васак Хагбакян рекоструирует церковь Святого Ншана и строит церковь Святой Катогике в 1203—1214 годах.
Начиная с XVII века регион завоевывают кочующие турецкие и курдские племена. Завоеватели переименовывают Цахкадзор в Карачичек[источник не указан 2612 дней]. В течение большей части XVIII века область постоянно являлась ареной турецко-персидских войн. В 1828 году согласно Туркманчайскому договору, область входит в состав Российской империи и присоединяется к Ереванскому округу. В 1877—1878 годах после очередной русско-турецкой войны тысячи переселенцев перебираются в Дарачичаг из городов Хнус, Базен и Багреванд.
В прошлом селение называлось также Дарачичаг — тюрк. «ущелье цветов» (дара «ущелье», чичак «цветок»)[5]. В 1947 году Совет Министров Армянской ССР своим постановлением переименовал город в Цахкадзор, имеющим то же значение.
Главной достопримечательностью города является старинный монастырь Кечарис, построенный в XI веке.
В Цахкадзоре расположен музей братьев Орбели, местных уроженцев.
С 1846 года по настоящее время в Цахкадзоре существовует община молокан, имеется дом молитвы. С момента поселения молокан по распоряжению графа Воронцова поселок назывался Константиновкой, в честь великого князя Константина. После прихода советской власти в Армению, поселок был переименован в Дарачичаг.
В 1930 году Цахкадзор посетил Осип Мандельштам. Сохранился деревянный дом, в котором останавливался поэт, и в котором он написал некоторые из своих армянских стихов.
В 1962 году в Цахкадзоре останавливался писатель Василий Гроссман. Свои впечатления о Цахкадзоре он оставил в книге «Барев дзес, или Добро пожаловать».
В Цахкадзоре расположен санаторий Дома писателей Армении, где регулярно проводятся разнообразные семинары, конференции и т. п.
connections: Christmas Boxes for Armenia
Bishop Ward encourages us to help prepare Christmas boxes for the children in Armenia or to go to the MERCI center and help package them for shipping.
മഞ്ഞു വീണ വഴികളിലൂടെ ഒരു യാത്ര | Armenia Malayalam Vlog| Kecharis Monastery Armenia Travel Guide
Kecharis Monastery is a medieval Armenian monastic complex dating back to the 11th to 13th centuries, located 60 km from Yerevan, in the ski resort town of Tsakhkadzor in Armenia. Nestled in the Pambak mountains, Kecharis was founded by a Pahlavuni prince in the 11th century, and construction continued until the middle of the 13th century. In the 12th and 13th centuries, Kecharis was a major religious center of Armenia and a place of higher education. Today, the monastery has been fully restored and is clearly visible from the ski slopes.