St. Hakob-Hayrapet Church of Shorot
Location: Shurud (Az.) / Shorot (Arm.)
Destruction
When historian Argam Ayvazyan surveyed the monuments of Shorot village during his fieldwork (1964-1987). St. Hakob-Hayrapet was one of the three medieval structures of the village still standing (out of six). Shorot was an important cultural center, and St. Hakob-Hayrapet one of its most striking architectural features, with its cruciform basilican plan and notably high-domed cupola. The interior consisted of a nave with two aisles, large apse, and two vestries (see plan below). Bands of relief sculpture decorated the door. A pillared porch at the western facade was destroyed by an earthquake in 1841. Armenian inscriptions were placed in the interior, on the western facade, and on the exterior of the dome, while wall paintings added in the 1680s by the Armenian poet and painter, Naghash Hovnatan, adorned the dome. 1,2
The church is visible on KH-9 Hexagon imagery of July 23, 1973 (swipe below, left) and March 29, 1978. QuickBird-2 satellite imagery (swipe below, right) shows that the monastery was destroyed sometime before June 15, 2006.
Drag the swipe tool right to see the intact church in 1973; drag left to see the site in 2006 after its destruction.
Geolocation
St. Hakob-Hayrapet Church was located in the central part of Shorot village. 1,2 The church's location is marked on Soviet topographic maps of 1931 (1:42K scale), 1933 (1:50K scale), and 1974 (1:50K scale). CHW confirmed the church's precise location using KH-9 Hexagon satellite imagery dated July 29, 1973.
Timeline
Construction
Founded in the 12th century; renovated in the mid-17th century, according to an Armenian-language building inscription. 1,2
1931
St. Hakob-Hayrapet is marked on the 1:42K scale Soviet topographic map of 1931. 3
1933
The church is marked on the 1:50K scale Soviet topographic map of 1933. 4
1973
The church is visible on KH-9 Hexagon satellite imagery dated July 29, 1973. 5
1974
The church is marked on the 1:50K scale Soviet topographic map of 1974. 6
2006
The church was destroyed by June 15, 2006, as seen in a QuickBird-2 satellite image. 7
Image Gallery
Images © Argam Ayvazyan Archive, used with permission.
References
1 Ayvazyan, Argam. The Historical Monuments of Nakhichevan. Transl. Krikor H. Maksoudian. Detroit: Wayne State University Press, 1990, p. 78-79.
2 Ayvazyan, Argam. Nakhijevani ISSH haykakan hushardzannery. Hamahavak tsutsak. Yerevan: Hayastan, 1986, p. 89.
3 Voenno-topograficheskoe upravlenie, XL-38 (Paradasht), 1:42,000, 1931.
4 Upravlenie voennykh topografov RKKA, J-38-32-G (Paraga), 1:50,000, 1933.
5 KH-9 Hexagon, D3C1206-100170A020, July 29, 1973.
6 Generalnyi shtab, J-38-32-G (Tivi), 1:50,000, 1974.
7 Maxar Technologies & East View Geospatial June 15, 2006.
