St. Gr. Lusavorich/Mesrop Mashtots Monastery of Mesropavan
Location: Nasirvas (Az.) / Mesropavan (Arm.)
Destruction
When historian Argam Ayvazyan documented St. Grigor Lusavorich/Mesrop Mashtots Monastary of Mesropavan during his fieldwork (1964-1987), the church was still standing, although in a dilapidated condition. The monastery's outer walls, porch, and subsidiary buildings were no longer extant. 1,2 Famous in Armenian tradition as a place where Mesrop Mashtots', inventor of the Armenian alphabet, once lived, this small domed structure consisted of a hall, main apse, and two vestries, with Armenian inscriptions on the interior (see plan in the image gallery below). Four pillars supported a large cupola with eight windows, adjacent to which was a small bell tower. Judging by the QuickBird-2 satellite image below, the monastery was fully destroyed by June 5, 2006, at which time signs of earthmoving were still clearly visible, including grading scars and piles of debris.
Drag the swipe tool right to see St. Gr. Lusavorich Monastery of Mesropavan before its destruction; drag left to see the vacant plot in 2006 with clear signs of recent earthmoving.
Geolocation
St. Gr. Lusavorich Monastery was located in the western district of Mesropavan. 1,2 The monastery's location is marked on Soviet topographic maps of 1936 (1:50K scale), 1955 (1:25K scale), and 1974 (1:50K scale). CHW confirmed the monastery's precise location using KH-9 Hexagon satellite imagery dated July 29, 1973.
Timeline
Construction
According to tradition, founded in 456 by Prince Shabit of Goght'n. Armenian inscriptions in the walls of the church attested to renovations in the 15th and 17th centuries. Additional renovations were made in the late 19th century. 1,2
1936
The monastery is marked on the 1:50K scale Soviet topographic map of 1936. 3
1955
The monastery is marked on the 1:25K scale Soviet topographic map of 1955. 4
1973
The monastery is visible on KH-9 Hexagon satellite imagery dated July 29, 1973. 5
1974
The monastery is marked on the 1:50K scale Soviet topographic map of 1974. 6
2006
The monastery was destroyed by June 15, 2006. The QuickBird-2 satellite image at right shows the now vacant plot with signs of earthmoving still visible. 7
Image Gallery
Images © Argam Ayvazyan Archive, used with permission.
References
1 Ayvazian, Argam. The Historical Monuments of Nakhichevan. Transl. Krikor H. Maksoudian. Detroit: Wayne State University Press, 1990, p. 24-26.
2 Ayvazyan Argam. Nakhijevani ISSH haykakan hushardzannery. Hamahavak tsutsak. Yerevan: Hayastan, 1986, p. 54.
3 Upravlenie voennykh topografov RKKA, J-38-32-B (Arafsa), 1:50,000, 1936.
4 Generalnyi shtab, J-38-32-B-g (Alagi), 1:25,000, 1955.
5 KH-9 Hexagon, D3C1206-100170A020, July 29, 1973.
6 Generalnyi shtab, J-38-32-B (Arafsa), 1:50,000, 1974.
7 Maxar Technologies & East View Geospatial June 15, 2006.
