遗产数据库

Monastery of St. Amenaprkich (New Julfa Vank)

摘要: Comparison with other similar propertiesThe monastery of St. Amenaprkich in new Julfa use different types of Architectural elements and construction materials depending on the region where it is locat

Comparison with other similar properties

The monastery of St. Amenaprkich in new Julfa use different types of Architectural elements and construction materials depending on the region where it is located. It has been considerably influenced by traditional Iranian architecture which uses mud-brick and baked brick extensively; this is the case for most of the Armenian churches and monastic ensembles in Isfahan. The proposed monastery for the nomination has the exceptional advantage of being built on typical plan of Armenian churches; it is, moreover, use the traditional construction materials of the region. Therefore, the comparative analysis of the properties will be presented in the form of an architectural survey of the monuments in question and their artistic aspects in comparison with other similar monuments.

  All of the Armenian churches on the north west of Iran, Armenia and north east of Turkey in question use the traditional stone as the basic construction material. But the main structure of Vank Cathedral on Isfahan was made by bricks. The use of tufa and sandstone is common in most of the Armenian constructions in that regions. In this regard, all of the Armenian churches on the north west of Iran (St. Thaddeus, St. Stepanos, and Dzordzor) have same architectural type with Armenia and north east of Turky and they are comparable with other ancient monuments in Armenia (Etchmiadzin, Khor Virap, Naravank, Tatev, Geghard and others) and eastern Anatolia (Aghtamar, Anni, saint Bartholomew and others).

  The domical method of construction governs most of the Armenian churches in north-western Iran, Armenia, and eastern Turkey. The nominated church also has its own dome, which is different from the dome of other Armenian churches and is more like a dome of Islamic mosques in the central plateau of Iran.

  As a matter of fact, the shape of buildings and construction materials used by Armenians in Armenia proper and in Iran was quite different in accordance with the local terrain. Stone was the main construction material used in Armenia and northwestern Iran but its absence in New Julfa region made the Armenian architects to look for alternatives which occasionally led to the imitation of their Safavid counterparts. As an example among the gilded decorations beneath the dome of St. Amenaprkich, arabesque and floral patterns are seen which have been borrowed from the decorative art of Iranian mosques and palaces.

  By adapting their architectural art with the circumstances of the time, Armenian architects of New Julfa managed to create peerless masterpieces because they built churches similar to those in Armenia and Old Julfa regarding plan and religious aspects but externally quite different from the Armenian architectural style and more like an Iranian style. The combination of these two factors generated exceptional buildings such as the monastery of St. Amenaprkich (New Julfa Vank). Unparalleled in other parts of the world. It is evident that Armenian architects not only succeeded in overcoming existing problems but also created an innovative architectural style which lasted until early Qajar times and was imitated by nearby regions.

  Another characteristic of Isfahan churches is the shape of their roof cover and their domes which are double-shelled in contrast to Armenian churches which they have single-shelled domes with equal external and internal sizes. Another interesting point is that Iranian architects have managed to mount Iranian-styled domes upon plans conforming to Armenian-styled domes in such a manner that they have remained stable even after 400 years. As mentioned before, external façade of the monastery of St. Amenaprkich . It is very different from its counterparts in Old Julfa or the Armenian region in Caucasia because it is plain and only has panels similar to those in Isfahan homes.

  The basilica type is used in most of the chapels, and at the St. Mary chapel (Dzordzor). This is the earliest type of plan ever known in Armenia for the construction of churches. The old church of St. Thaddeus or the Black Church had been built on an inserted Greek cross plan, which consisted of a Greek cross surmounted by a cupola. This kind of plan is typical of the early churches, but retained its popularity all over the early and late medieval period. The Main Church or the White Church at St. Thaddeus has been inspired by the plan of the cathedral at Etchmiadzin. It consists of a central plan surmounted by a cupola, but it has three apses instead of the usual four. The central plan, using again an inscribed Greek cross, was typical of the regions of the Byzantine Empire. The Armenian architects seem to take advantage of such a plan, which can be constructed as a block, to solve the stability problem of the massive stone structures of the building, notably the charge of stone domes. From an aesthetical point of view, the grouping of the mass of buildings around a central dome gives a vertical impression; for the eye is gradually drawn upwards towards the central culminating dome.

  In general, the form of the big church at St. Stepanos follows narrowly the Armenian tradition used in the region of Julfa and eastern Anatolia. The plan of the church at Varak near Van, built in 981, represents an early type of the triple-apse plan inserted into a rectangular building. The church at Vorodno, in Siyunik region of Armenia, built in the 11th century, displays a similar plan. The form of the tambour of the big church can be compared with the domes built at St. Heripsimeh and Aghtamar in Armenia. Other comparable constructions are at the church of St. Gevorg, in Mughni, in Cilicia, and at Agulis or ancient Ghoghtan, in Nakhjavan. All of these buildings were equally inspired by the Persian system of barrel vaulting used in Sasanian constructions. It is true that the main church at St. Thaddeus was greatly enlarged and remodelled after the Cathedral of Etchmiadzin in Armenia (the seat of the Armenian See and a site which is currently on UNESCO's World Heritage List).

  Another characteristic of Vank ensemble is the presence of beautiful wall paintings on its interior. This kind of decoration has had a great effect on the architecture of Armenian churches after 17th century. Previously no church in the northwestern Iran boasted any decorations on its internal walls and only had stone-carvings on their external walls. The most comprehensive collection of wall paintings in the New Julfa of Isfahan belongs to the monastery ensemble of the monastery of St. Amenaprkich (New Julfa Vank). Here artists belonging to the Armenian community drew fine paintings adopted from biblical accounts and inspired by European styles in particular Italian. Reputation of some of these artists even spread out of the borders of Iran, for example a painter by the name of Astvatsadour was invited to Moscow in 1667 CE and stayed there for thirty years decorating the walls of the Kremlin Palace.

  The St. Amenaprkich interior is completely different from the other monasteries in northwestern Iran. In fact, the interior of the Cathedral is generally covered with astonishing paintings that can be described as the masterpiece of Armenian art. The interior is covered with fine frescos and gilded carvings and includes a wainscot of rich tile work. The delicately blue and gold painted central dome depicts the Biblical story of the creation of the world and man's expulsion from Eden. Pendentives throughout the church are painted with a distinctly Armenian motif of a cherub's head surrounded by folded wings. The ceiling above the entrance is painted with delicate floral motifs in the style of Persian miniature. Two sections, or bands, of murals run around the interior walls: the top section depicts events from the life of Jesus, while the bottom section depicts tortures inflicted upon Armenian martyrs by the Ottoman Empire.

  Another difference between Isfahan churches and churches located in Old Julfa and Armenia is the usage of Koochnak in them. Initially these churches had no bell house because no bell was available; instead the sound of strokes on a large stick called Koochnak actually invited local people into the church for prayers. At present a fine specimen of the stick is held at Saint Catarnieh church. The first church equipped with a bell was Saint Toma which later became known as the chiming church. Subsequently all Isfahan churches including St. Amenaprkich monastery was equipped with bell houses in the style of Armenian architecture.

  Instead of using stone, Iranian and Armenian artisans and architects used bricks and mud bricks in the construction of New Julfa churches including the monastery of St. Amenaprkich creating a new style in the religious architecture of Armenians. In the New Julfa, architecture besides painting, fresco, visual arts and manuscript illumination laid the foundation of a new school. The monastery of St. Amenaprkich is a specimen in which Armenian church-building characteristics have been preserved (particularly concerning the designing of plans) but simultaneously it is in sharp contrast to other Armenian churches located in northwestern Iran regarding the façade so that with its oblong cubic shape and its elliptical domes, Vank bears a striking resemblance to mosques from an external point of view. All the churches of Armenia have been constructed with stone and naturally their decorations have also been executed in stone but in the New Julfa district of Isfahan particularly in the monastery of St. Amenaprkich (New Julfa Vank) ensemble excellent decorations of stucco and plasterworks are seen. Therefore, it can be concluded that following the arrival of Armenians to Isfahan, they embarked on building and decorating churches under the inspiration of Iranian art. But their painting was substantially rooted in Old Julfa traditions and has excelled by following a European artistic trend although with an Iranian trace. As a result, Armenian artistic paintings dating from the 17th and 8th centuries incline towards European styles especially those belonging to Italy and Holland while keeping their own identity. Indeed, their shading and coloring is a mixture of Iranian, Armenian and European methods.

  The monastery of St. Amenaprkich (New Julfa Vank) and other churches standing in New Julfa serve as a testimony to the fact that Armenians were certainly talented and artistically gifted craftsmen because for the former residents of Old Julfa in northwestern Iran replacing bricks with stone should have been no easy task but they managed to build their churches with the help of Iranian builders sent by Shah Abbas for guiding them. Gradually they excelled at the art and produced splendid gilded stuccoworks and ceramic inscriptions, even it can be claimed that ceramic inscriptions of New Julfa churches especially the monastery of St. Amenaprkich (New Julfa Vank) are among the best examples of their kind dating from the Safavid period. It is noteworthy that the combination of Armenian and Iranian arts has reached a climax in the construction and decoration of New Julfa churches.


分类: 中文 相关遗产点 遗产数据库
关键词:

最新评论


img

地址:陕西省西安市碑林区友谊西路68号小雁塔历史文化公园
邮件:secretariat#iicc.org.cn
电话:(+86)029-85246378