Norashen Church, Tbilisi
The neutrality of this article is disputed. (January 2014) |
Norashen Surb Astvatsatsin Church Նորաշեն Սուրբ Աստվածածին եկեղեցի |
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Norashen Church, March 2007
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Basic information | |
Location | Leselidze Street, Old Tbilisi, Georgia |
Affiliation | Armenian Apostolic Church |
Architectural description | |
Architectural style | Armenian |
Completed | 1467 |
Norashen Holy Mother of God Church or Norashen Surb Astvatsatsin Church (Georgian: ნორაშენი, Armenian: Նորաշեն Սուրբ Աստվածածին եկեղեցի ; Norashen meaning "newly constructed" in Armenian) is a 15th-century Armenian church located in Old Tbilisi, Georgia. It was founded in 1467 and renovated in 1650. It also underwent renovations later in 1795, 1808, and 1875.
Contents
Architecture[edit]
The church of Norashen is cruciform in plan with a single dodecagonal drum above, and twelve long windows located under a conical umbrella style dome. A small cupola sits at the peak of a gable on the roof. It has six slender columns that hold up a decorative arched hexagonal drum and small conical dome.
Public Controversy[edit]
Recently the church has been the subject of dispute between Armenians and the Georgian Orthodox Church which has sought to convert it into a Georgian Church. Among the actions taken by the Georgian church is the enclosing of the church with a concrete fence, the defacing of Armenian inscriptions on tombstones, and the bringing in of Georgian tombstones.[1]
Georgian appropriation[edit]
It was claimed that beginning in 1983, Georgian authorities began the systematic removal of Armenian characteristics from the church. Among the changes were:[2]
- The destruction of the portal (in front of the northern door) in 1983
- The removal and disappearance of Armenian tombstones in 1983
- The development of a construction site only a few meters south from the church in 1995
- The removal and disappearance in 1995 from the high altar of the 17th century khachkar (cross stone) with an inscription
- The destruction of the Armenian baptistry situated in the internal northern wall in 1995
- The closing of the church doors while in the process of destruction and alteration works progressed in 1995
- The replacement of the old doors with doors decorated with a "Georgian cross"
- The removal and destruction in 1995 of another khachkar from 1650 that was set in the wall inside the church
- The covering with asphalt of a tombstone situated near the northern entrance of the church
Gallery[edit]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ Ghazinyan, Aris. "Crisis of Faith: Armenian identity threatened in Tbilisi". ArmeniaNow. Retrieved 6 July 2009.
- ^ Karapetyan, Samvel (1998), The State Policy of Georgia and the Monuments of Armenian Culture (1988-1998) (in Armenian) (1st ed.), Yerevan: Research on Armenian Architecture, pp. VI–VII, ISBN 5-8080-0144-7
Bibliography[edit]
- Kristine Aghalaryan (8 December 2008). "An Historical Overview of the Norashen Sourb Astvatzatzin Church". Hetq. Retrieved 8 July 2009.
- Karapetyan, Samvel (1998), The State Policy of Georgia and the Monuments of Armenian Culture (1988-1998) (in Armenian) (1st ed.), Yerevan: Research on Armenian Architecture, pp. VI–VII, ISBN 5-8080-0144-7 (before-and-after photographic documentation, newspaper articles)
External links[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Norashen Church, Tbilisi. |
- A Flickr photo set of Norashen (summer 2008)
- 3D model of the Norashen Church
- Photos of Norashen being "Georganized"
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