|
HARICHAVANK'
/ Xlllth century
The
monastery located near a small village in the region of Artik stands on
a vast plateau bordering on a steep valley. It is composed of two
churches and a gavit.
The main church built by the princes Zakare and Ivane in 1201 is a domed
hall with a gallery reached by steep stairs on the upper part of the
eastern end. The exterior is richly decorated with reliefs which
encircle the windows and form large crosses, arcades and frames; a
bas-relief on the east wall depicts the donors presenting a model of
the church. The surface of the drum is articulated by a narrow blind
arcading. A second small scale stone model faithfully reproducing the
church stands as an akroterion at the peak of the west façade.
The gavit of four free-standing column type was built in the Xlllth
century under prince Vahram Hechup.
Near the south-western corner of the gavit stands the church of St.
Gregory. This is a tetraconch with apses which are semi-circular on the
interior and polygonal on the exterior. Its volume is not clearly
distinguishable, however, since one of its apses lies within the gavit,
a second one is preceded by a small entrance porch and the other two are
surmounted by two subsequently added rectangular chapels.
close
|