SISIAN / Vllth century
The church of St. John (formerly St. Gregory) was also called the «Black Church», Kara Kilise, during the Turkish occupation because of the dark color of the basalt of which it is built. It is a tetraconch structure altogether similar in its interior space and exterior volumes to the church of St. Hripsime at Vałarshapat. (A tetraconch ground plan flanked by semi-circular niches). Some local archaeologists tend to push back the building date of Sisian, but it seems more likely that it is a copy of the famous church of St. Hripsime.
We should note the dodecagonal drum subdivided by large flattened arches resting on small double engaged columns with cubic capitals having blunted edges (Rivoira's pre-Lombard type). The insertion of sculptured elements in the frieze of the drum and the corner niches is also noteworthy.
The triangular tympana of the east and west façades have dissimilar pitches as well as cornices of different thickness.

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