St. Astvatsatsin Church of Aliapat
Location: Aliabad (Az.) / Aliapat (Arm.)
Destruction & Reuse
When historian Argam Ayvazyan conducted his surveys of Nakhchivan (1964-1987), he noted that the St. Astvatsatsin Church was still standing in the center of Aliapat village. The basilica had doorways in the northern and southern facades and a delicate polygonal dome that sat atop the cruciform roof. Armenian inscriptions could be found on the southern facade. 1,2
The church is clearly visible in KH-9 Hexagon satellite imagery from July 29, 1973 (swipe below, left). By March 12, 2005, the church had been erased. In its place, construction had begun on an Alley of Martyrs. Based on Google Earth imagery, construction on the Alley of Martyrs appears to have been completed by June 2016 (see timeline below).
Drag the swipe tool right to see the church in 1973; drag left to see the site after the its destruction in 2005, by which time construction had begun on the new Alley of Martyrs.
Geolocation
St. Astvatsatsin Church was located in the central part of Aliapat village. 1,2 The church's location is marked on the 1:10K and 1:50K scale Soviet topographic maps of 1977 and 1990, respectively. CHW confirmed the church's precise location using KH-9 Hexagon satellite imagery dated July 29, 1973.
Timeline
Construction
Built in the 17th century; renovated in 1887. 1
1973
The church is visible on KH-9 Hexagon satellite imagery dated July 29, 1973. 3
1977
The church is marked on the 1:50K scale Soviet topographic map of 1977. 4
1990
The church is marked on the 1:10K scale Soviet topographic map of 1990. 5
2005
The church had been destroyed by March 12, 2005, by which time construction had begun on an Alley of Martyrs, as seen in the IKONOS image at right. 6
2012
The destruction of the church is published by Research on Armenian Architecture using Google Earth satellite imagery. 7
2016
GoogleEarth imagery indicates that construction on the Alley of Martyrs was complete by June of 2016.
2021
The WorldView-2 image at right shows the site of the former church on September 7, 2021. 8
Image Gallery
Images © Research on Armenian Architecture (first two) and Argam Ayvazyan Archive, used with permission.
References
1 Ayvazyan, Argam. Nakhijevani ISSH haykakan hushardzannery. Hamahavak tsutsak. Yerevan: Hayastan, 1986, p. 115.
2 Ayvazian, Argam. The Historical Monuments of Nakhichevan. Transl. by Krikor H. Maksoudian. Detroit: Wayne State University Press, 1990, 96-97.
3 KH-9 Hexagon, D3C1206-100170A020, July 29, 1973.
4 Generalnyi shtab, J-38-31-B (Nakchichevan), 1:50,000, 1977.
5 Generalnyi shtab, J-38-31 (Nakchichevan), 1:10,000, 1990.
6 Maxar Technologies & East View Geospatial, March 12, 2005.
7 Research on Armenian Architecture, Nakhijevan Atlas. Yerevan: Tigran Metz Publishing House, 2012, p. 34.
8 Maxar Technologies & ESRI, September 7, 2021.
