St. Targmanchats Monastery of Norakert
Location: Norgyut (Az.) / Norakert (Arm.)
Destruction
The main church of St. Targmanchats Monastery of Norakert was largely preserved when historian Argam Ayvazyan documented the structure in the course of his fieldwork (1964-1987), with only minor damage to the southern roof and the roofs of the vestries. Nestled in the center of the village, the basilica had a nave, two aisles, an apse and two vestries (see plan below). 1,2 A QuickBird-2 satellite image confirms its destruction at some point before June 15, 2006, with signs of earthmoving still visible as well as signs of debris.
Drag the swipe tool right to see the St. Targmanchats Monastery before its destruction; drag left to see the site in 2006 after it was destroyed.
Geolocation
The St. Targmanchats Monastery is not marked as such on any of the available topographic maps. But CHW was able to geolocate it using Ayvazyan's description of its location in the center of the village, along with two historic images of the church and the KH-9 Hexagon of 1973.
Timeline
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. 45-46.
2 Ayvazyan, Argam. Nakhijevani ISSH haykakan hushardzannery. Hamahavak tsutsak. Yerevan: Hayastan, 1986, p. 51.
3 Research on Armenian Architecture, Nakhijevan: Atlas. Yerevan: Tigran Metz Publishing House, 2012.
3 KH-9 Hexagon, D3C1206-100170A020, July 29, 1973.
4 Ayvazyan, Argam. Nakhijevani kotvoghayin hushardzannern u patkerakandaknery. Yerevan: Hayastan. 198.
5 Maxar Technologies & East View Geospatial, June 15, 2006.
