St. Hovhannes-Mkrtich Church of Agulis
Location: Yukhari Aylis (Az.) / Agulis (Arm.)
Destruction
St. Hovhannes-Mkrtich Church of Agulis was partially ruined in the late Soviet period. The church had a polygonal apse and two-storied vestries on either side (see plan below). An eight-windowed dome rested atop four octagonal pillars. There were Armenian inscriptions on the perimeter of the dome, but the frescoes on the church (added in 1686) were largely decayed. 1,2
Approximately 150 tombstones once existed along the northern and eastern sides of the church, within the perimeter wall. Beginning in the 1940s, the tombstones were gradually disturbed and broken. At the time of his visit, Ayvazyan noted that some of the inscribed 18th-20th century tombstones were stacked in a pile in front of the refectory. He also noted that the 1663 renovation of the church and its enclosure wall disturbed some of the earlier tombstones. 1
The church was destroyed by February 3, 2000, as seen in the IKONOS satellite image below. The outer enclosure wall is still visible but the church inside has been razed and the site is occupied by a pile of debris, indicating recent large-scale earthmoving.
Drag the swipe tool right to see the intact church in 1982; drag left to see the debris pile at the site after its destruction.
Geolocation
St. Hovhannes-Mkrtich Chuch was located in the lower district of Agulis, approximately 400-500m southwest of St. Shmavon Church (N.026). 1 The church's location is marked on the 1:50K scale Soviet topographic map of 1977. CHW confirmed the church's precise location using KH-9 Hexagon satellite imagery dated July 29, 1973.
Timeline
Construction
Renovated in 1663, according to literary sources and an Armenian inscription on the base of the cupola. 2
1977
The church is marked on the 1:50K scale Soviet topographic map of 1977. 3
1982
The church is visible on KH-9 Hexagon satellite imagery dated July 12, 1982. 4
2000
The church was destroyed by February 3, 2000, as seen in the IKONOS satellite image at right. The outer enclosure wall is still visible but the church inside has been razed and the site is covered by a debris pile suggesting recent large-scale earthmoving. 5
2012
The destruction of the church is published by Research on Armenian Architecture using a Google Earth satellite image of the vacant plot. 6
2021
The destruction of St. Hovhannes-Mkrtich is reported in Simon Maghakyan's special investigation in The Art Newspaper, using satellite imagery provided by CHW.
Image Gallery
Photograph © Research on Armenian Architecture, used with permission; plan © Argam Ayvazyan Archive, used with permission.
References
1 Ayvazyan, Argam. Nakhijevani ISSH haykakan hushardzannery. Hamahavak tsutsak. Yerevan: Hayastan, 1986, p. 28.
2 Ayvazyan, Argam. The Historical Monuments of Nakhichevan. Transl. Krikor H. Maksoudian. Detroit: Wayne State University Press, 1990, p. 20.
3 Generalnyi shtab, J-38-44-B (Dasta), 1:50,000, 1977.
4 KH-9 Hexagon, DSC1217-200631A018, July 12, 1982.
5 Maxar Technologies & East View Geospatial, February 3, 2000.
6 Research on Armenian Architecture, Nakhijevan Atlas. Yerevan: Tigran Metz Publishing House, 2012, p. 32.
