Усадьба меликов в Тохе

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Локализация

Усадьба расположена в центре села Тох Гадрутского района.

 Исторический обзор

Согласно надписи, на портале входа в залу второго этажа в особняке, дом был построен  Мелик-Еганом, основателем княжества Дизак, который был одним из самых видных политических деятелей в жизни Армении в первой половине 18 века (рис. 1). В  надписи также сообщаются важные сведения о политических событиях того времени, о деятельности Мелика Егана и о предоставленных ему правах на меликство (Папазян 1985, 76-77).

		<img src="https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Melik-Yegan-1.jpg?v=1620751744" width="1350" height="1351" srcset="https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Melik-Yegan-1.jpg?v=1620751744 1350w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Melik-Yegan-1-300x300.jpg?v=1620751744 300w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Melik-Yegan-1-1024x1024.jpg?v=1620751744 1024w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Melik-Yegan-1-150x150.jpg?v=1620751744 150w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Melik-Yegan-1-768x769.jpg?v=1620751744 768w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Melik-Yegan-1-370x370.jpg?v=1620751744 370w" sizes="(max-width: 1350px) 100vw, 1350px" title="Melik-Yegan" alt="" loading="lazy" 		class="so-widget-image"/>

		<img src="https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/001-10-scaled.jpg?v=1620416768" width="1707" height="2560" srcset="https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/001-10-scaled.jpg?v=1620416768 1707w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/001-10-200x300.jpg?v=1620416768 200w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/001-10-683x1024.jpg?v=1620416768 683w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/001-10-768x1152.jpg?v=1620416768 768w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/001-10-1024x1536.jpg?v=1620416768 1024w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/001-10-1365x2048.jpg?v=1620416768 1365w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/001-10-247x370.jpg?v=1620416768 247w" sizes="(max-width: 1707px) 100vw, 1707px" title="рис. 1 Надпись над входом в приемную, фото. С. Даниелян." alt="" loading="lazy" 		class="so-widget-image"/>

рис. 1 Надпись над входом в приемную, фото. С. Даниелян.

Анализ архитектурной композиции

Усадьба меликов в Тохе является одной из из самых ранних среди подобных архитектурных памятников в Арцахе.

В целом усадьба хорошо сохранилась. Есть главный вход, две сводчатые комнаты, двухэтажная приемная, стены особняка, конюшня и другие помещения хозяйственного значения; частично сохранилась ограда, окружающая усадьбу (рис. 2).

		<img src="https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/002-12.jpg?v=1620416950" width="1861" height="1301" srcset="https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/002-12.jpg?v=1620416950 1861w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/002-12-300x210.jpg?v=1620416950 300w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/002-12-1024x716.jpg?v=1620416950 1024w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/002-12-768x537.jpg?v=1620416950 768w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/002-12-1536x1074.jpg?v=1620416950 1536w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/002-12-370x259.jpg?v=1620416950 370w" sizes="(max-width: 1861px) 100vw, 1861px" title="рис. 2 Размеры усадьбы, Гулян А., Усадьбы меликов в Арцахе и Сюнике, издательство "Гитутюн", Ереван, 2001 г., стр. 31, рис. 6:" alt="" loading="lazy" 		class="so-widget-image"/>

рис. 2 Размеры усадьбы, Гулян А., Усадьбы меликов в Арцахе и Сюнике, издательство "Гитутюн", Ереван, 2001 г., стр. 31, рис. 6:

С исследовательской точки зрения особенно интересно здание приемной мелика, которое уникально не только строительными надписями с упоминанием о функции этого здания («թանապա» (танапа)» - гостевая, приемная), но и с точки зрения его архитектурной композиции. Это сводчатой, прямоугольный в плане зал, покрытый двухскатной крышей. Продолжением этого зала является добавленный позднее сводчатый вестибюль с уже упомянутой обширной надписью (рис. 3).

		<img src="https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/003-13-scaled.jpg?v=1620416952" width="2560" height="1714" srcset="https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/003-13-scaled.jpg?v=1620416952 2560w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/003-13-300x201.jpg?v=1620416952 300w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/003-13-1024x685.jpg?v=1620416952 1024w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/003-13-768x514.jpg?v=1620416952 768w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/003-13-1536x1028.jpg?v=1620416952 1536w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/003-13-2048x1371.jpg?v=1620416952 2048w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/003-13-370x248.jpg?v=1620416952 370w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/003-13-272x182.jpg?v=1620416952 272w" sizes="(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px" title="рис. 3 Приемная Мелик Еган,  фото С. Даниелян." alt="" loading="lazy" 		class="so-widget-image"/>

рис. 3 Приемная Мелик Еган,  фото С. Даниелян.

Территория усадьбы в 2009-2011 гг была расчищена археологическими раскопками, которые открыли полуразрушенные строения, в том числе зал, конюшню, некоторые хозяйственные помещения и ценные артефакты, в том числе простую, глазурованную и фаянсовую посуду, масляные лампы, металлические предметы и прочее (Жамкочян, Бабаян, 2015, 152-162). Эти не многочисленные предметы представляют собой важные сведения о повседневной жизни населения, производстве и ремесле этого региона (рис. 4, 5).

		<img src="https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/004-11.jpg?v=1620416953" width="1860" height="1859" srcset="https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/004-11.jpg?v=1620416953 1860w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/004-11-300x300.jpg?v=1620416953 300w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/004-11-1024x1024.jpg?v=1620416953 1024w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/004-11-150x150.jpg?v=1620416953 150w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/004-11-768x768.jpg?v=1620416953 768w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/004-11-1536x1536.jpg?v=1620416953 1536w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/004-11-370x370.jpg?v=1620416953 370w" sizes="(max-width: 1860px) 100vw, 1860px" title=" Рис. 4 Находки из раскопок усадьбы, отчет археологической экспедиции Тох за 2011 год." alt="" loading="lazy" 		class="so-widget-image"/>

 Рис. 4 Находки из раскопок усадьбы, отчет археологической экспедиции Тох за 2011 год.

		<img src="https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/005-11.jpg?v=1620416954" width="1609" height="1541" srcset="https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/005-11.jpg?v=1620416954 1609w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/005-11-300x287.jpg?v=1620416954 300w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/005-11-1024x981.jpg?v=1620416954 1024w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/005-11-768x736.jpg?v=1620416954 768w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/005-11-1536x1471.jpg?v=1620416954 1536w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/005-11-370x354.jpg?v=1620416954 370w" sizes="(max-width: 1609px) 100vw, 1609px" title=" Рис. 5 Находки из раскопок усадьбы, отчет археологической экспедиции Тох за 2011 год." alt="" loading="lazy" 		class="so-widget-image"/>

 Рис. 5 Находки из раскопок усадьбы, отчет археологической экспедиции Тох за 2011 год.

После раскопок особняк был частично отреставрирован и укреплен. Усадьба представляет собой государственный историко-культурный заповедник и музей под открытым небом «Усадьба меликов в Тохе» (рис. 6).

		<img src="https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/006-7-scaled.jpg?v=1620416955" width="2560" height="1920" srcset="https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/006-7-scaled.jpg?v=1620416955 2560w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/006-7-300x225.jpg?v=1620416955 300w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/006-7-1024x768.jpg?v=1620416955 1024w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/006-7-768x576.jpg?v=1620416955 768w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/006-7-1536x1152.jpg?v=1620416955 1536w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/006-7-2048x1536.jpg?v=1620416955 2048w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/006-7-370x278.jpg?v=1620416955 370w" sizes="(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px" title="рис. 6 Аэрофотоснимок заповедника «Усадьба меликов в Тохи», 2017 г., сделанный А. Мкртчяном." alt="" loading="lazy" 		class="so-widget-image"/>

рис. 6 Аэрофотоснимок заповедника «Усадьба меликов в Тохи», 2017 г., сделанный А. Мкртчяном.

Состояние памятника до, во время и после войны

Перед войной усадьбы была частично восстановлена, а остальные постройки  находились в полуразрушенном, но укрепленном состоянии. Здание приемной, превращенное в музей, было полностью восстановлена. Во время войны, население покинуло село, а экспонаты остались в музее. Судя по распространенным видео, во время войны и после нее, внешний вид памятника не изменился.

 Анализ письменных источников

Первые письменные сведения об этой усадьбе мы находим у архиепископа Саркиса Джалалянца, побывавшего здесь в середине 19 века (Джалалянц 1858, 259–260) и в конце того же века епископа Макар Бархударянца (Бархутарянц 1895, 77-84). Очень ценые сведения об исторической среде в период постройки здания, а также вопросы о его предназначении представлены в статье Папазяна «Эпиграфическая надпись над входом в приемную Мелик Егана» (Папазян 1985, 75-78). Результаты исследований по поводу архитектурного своеобразия усадьбы подробно представлены А. Гуляном и М. Саргсяном (Гулян 2001, 30-35, Саргсян 1987, 132-140). Краткий отчет об археологических раскопок представлены А. Жамкочян и Ф. Бабаяна в статье «Основные результаты раскопок особняка Тох Мелик Егана» (Жамкочян, Бабаян 2015, 152-178).

Литература

Жамкочян, Бабаян 2015 - Жамкочян А., Бабаян Ф., Основные результаты раскопок в Тохе в усадьбе Мелик Егана, Археологические исследования в Арцахе в 2011-2012 гг., Дизак Плюс, Степанакерт, с. 152-177 (на арм яз).

Гулян 2001 - Гулян А., Усадьбы меликов в Арцахе и Сюнике, Ереван (на арм яз).

Бархутарянц 1895 - Макар Бархутарянц, Арцах, Баку (на арм яз).

Джалалянц 1858 - Путешествие в Великую Армению, архиепископ С. Джалаланца, Епархия Армянской Апостольской Церкви в Грузии, Имерети и т.д., Часть B, Тифлис (на арм яз).

Архиепископ Саркис Джалалянц, Путешествие в Великую Армению, часть A и B, работа С. Григоряна, Ереван, 2016 (на арм яз).

Саргсян 1987 - Саргсян М., Жилой комплекс «Меликов» в поселке Тох, Историко-филологический журнал № 3, с. 132-140 (на арм яз).

Папазян 1985 - Папазян А., Эпиграфическая надпись над входом в приемную Мелик Егана, Вестник социальных наук, № 5, с. 75-78 (на арм яз).

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Усадьба меликов в Тохе - Monument Watch

Усадьба меликов в Тохе - Monument Watch


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Location

Tsitsernavank is located on the northwestern edge of the namesake village in Kashatagh region of the Artsakh Republic (presently the Lachin region of Azerbaijan), in the historical Aghahejk canton of Syunik (Figs. 1, 2).

		<img src="https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Tsitsernavank-1.jpg?v=1620907666" width="1351" height="1354" srcset="https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Tsitsernavank-1.jpg?v=1620907666 1351w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Tsitsernavank-1-300x300.jpg?v=1620907666 300w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Tsitsernavank-1-1022x1024.jpg?v=1620907666 1022w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Tsitsernavank-1-150x150.jpg?v=1620907666 150w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Tsitsernavank-1-768x770.jpg?v=1620907666 768w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Tsitsernavank-1-370x370.jpg?v=1620907666 370w" sizes="(max-width: 1351px) 100vw, 1351px" title="Tsitsernavank" alt="" loading="lazy" 		class="so-widget-image"/>

		<img src="https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/001-4.jpg?v=1620416854" width="800" height="532" srcset="https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/001-4.jpg?v=1620416854 800w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/001-4-300x200.jpg?v=1620416854 300w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/001-4-768x511.jpg?v=1620416854 768w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/001-4-370x246.jpg?v=1620416854 370w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/001-4-272x182.jpg?v=1620416854 272w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" title="Fig. 1 The general view of Tsitsernavank, photo by S. Karapetyan." alt="" loading="lazy" 		class="so-widget-image"/>

Fig. 1 The general view of Tsitsernavank, photo by S. Karapetyan.

		<img src="https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/002-4-scaled.jpg?v=1620416855" width="2560" height="1440" srcset="https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/002-4-scaled.jpg?v=1620416855 2560w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/002-4-300x169.jpg?v=1620416855 300w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/002-4-1024x576.jpg?v=1620416855 1024w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/002-4-768x432.jpg?v=1620416855 768w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/002-4-1536x864.jpg?v=1620416855 1536w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/002-4-2048x1152.jpg?v=1620416855 2048w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/002-4-370x208.jpg?v=1620416855 370w" sizes="(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px" title="Fig. 2 Tsitsernavank from the south-west, photo by H․ Abrahamyan." alt="" loading="lazy" 		class="so-widget-image"/>

Fig. 2 Tsitsernavank from the south-west, photo by H․ Abrahamyan.

Historical overview

In the sources Tsitsernavank is first mentioned by the 13th century historian Stepanos Orbelyan in three different parts of his book: “Stepanos – monk of ‘Tsitsarnay’” (mid-9th century), “‘Tsitsarnoy’ Monastery” (11-12th centuries), “Saint ‘Tsitsernaku’ Monastery” (13th century, Orbelian, 1910, 208, 249, 365), without details. It may be supposed that Stepanos living in the 9th century was the abbot of the monastery. The list of the tax-paying villages of Tatev Monastery, which presents the last chapter of the historian’s book, mentions the village of “Tsitsarnovank”, which apparently took its name from the monastery (Orbelian, 1910, 375). The next mention belongs to the 13th century historian Vardan Areveltsi – “Tsitsarnay Monastery” (Vardan 1960, 12). There is no information about the monastery or its separate structures in the abovementioned references.

The importance of Tsitsernavank in the following centuries is evidenced by the dithyramb of Archimandrite Tovma Vanandetsi (17th century), a number of other references and inscriptions. Ghevond Alishan referred to the monastery in his “Sisak” work, where he clarified the location of the monastery and presented the myths related to it (Alishan, 1893, 268). Yervand Lalayan in his work entitled “Zangezur” describes in detail the church and mentions the tradition according to which the little finger (in Arm: tsitsernae) of the Apostle Peter is enshrined in front of the northern vestry of the building (Lalayan 1898, 48) (Fig. 3).

		<img src="https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/003-5.jpg?v=1620416857" width="411" height="274" srcset="https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/003-5.jpg?v=1620416857 411w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/003-5-300x200.jpg?v=1620416857 300w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/003-5-370x247.jpg?v=1620416857 370w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/003-5-272x182.jpg?v=1620416857 272w" sizes="(max-width: 411px) 100vw, 411px" title="Fig. 3 The first photo of Tsitsernavank, the photo from “Zangezur” book by Ye. Lalayan (negative picture: HMA)." alt="" loading="lazy" 		class="so-widget-image"/>

Fig. 3 The first photo of Tsitsernavank, the photo from “Zangezur” book by Ye. Lalayan (negative picture: HMA).

Architectural-compositional examination

There is no written information about the time of construction of Tsitsernavank church. It is likely that it was built in several stages and received its present appearance in the 6th century (Figs. 4, 5).

Fig. 4 The plan of the church from the book “Armenian cultural monuments in the region of Karabakh” by S. Karapetyan, page 147.

		<img src="https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/005-5.jpg?v=1620416858" width="800" height="783" srcset="https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/005-5.jpg?v=1620416858 800w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/005-5-300x294.jpg?v=1620416858 300w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/005-5-768x752.jpg?v=1620416858 768w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/005-5-370x362.jpg?v=1620416858 370w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" title="Fig. 5 Tsitsernavank before the restoration, photo by S. Karapetyan." alt="" loading="lazy" 		class="so-widget-image"/>

Fig. 5 Tsitsernavank before the restoration, photo by S. Karapetyan.

The structure with its plan and volumetric-spatial compositions corresponds to the type of early medieval three-nave basilica churches in Armenia. The external dimensions of the church are: 25.6 meters long and 12.5 meters wide (Karapetyan, 2001, 143). Tsitsernavank has a rectangular plan, four pairs of pillars, and an externally emphasized medium-sized nave. Three of the four entrances are on the southern side and one on the northern side. The absence of the western entrance, as the excavations revealed, was conditioned with the presence of a large rock there, which was included in the volume of the western wall. Tsitsernavank bears on itself the effect of several construction stages. Two types of building materials are observed here: the lower rows of the outer walls are made of basalt, and the upper part is made of felsite. The pillars are decorated with chequered and double rows of dentils, wavy and woven sculptures, rosettes and other motifs. One of the peculiarities of the building is the balcony on the eastern altar, which is separated from the hall by a tripartite arch divided by two columns. The general territory of the monastery is walled, there are remains of several buildings, from which the refectory has been restored. A number of early Christian cross compositions and sculptures are preserved on the walls of the church (Figs. 6, 7, 8). There are a number of khachkars and tombstones of different periods in the area.

		<img src="https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/006-3.jpg?v=1620416860" width="1880" height="1250" srcset="https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/006-3.jpg?v=1620416860 1880w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/006-3-300x199.jpg?v=1620416860 300w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/006-3-1024x681.jpg?v=1620416860 1024w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/006-3-768x511.jpg?v=1620416860 768w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/006-3-1536x1021.jpg?v=1620416860 1536w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/006-3-370x246.jpg?v=1620416860 370w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/006-3-272x182.jpg?v=1620416860 272w" sizes="(max-width: 1880px) 100vw, 1880px" title="Fig. 6 Tsitsernavank from inside, photo by H. Petrosyan." alt="" loading="lazy" 		class="so-widget-image"/>

Fig. 6 Tsitsernavank from inside, photo by H. Petrosyan.

		<img src="https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/007.jpg?v=1620416861" width="1880" height="1250" srcset="https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/007.jpg?v=1620416861 1880w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/007-300x199.jpg?v=1620416861 300w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/007-1024x681.jpg?v=1620416861 1024w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/007-768x511.jpg?v=1620416861 768w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/007-1536x1021.jpg?v=1620416861 1536w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/007-370x246.jpg?v=1620416861 370w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/007-272x182.jpg?v=1620416861 272w" sizes="(max-width: 1880px) 100vw, 1880px" title="Fig. 7 From the early medieval cross images of Tsitsernavank, photo by H. Petrosyan." alt="" loading="lazy" 		class="so-widget-image"/>

Fig. 7 From the early medieval cross images of Tsitsernavank, photo by H. Petrosyan.

		<img src="https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/008.jpg?v=1620416863" width="1978" height="1408" srcset="https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/008.jpg?v=1620416863 1978w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/008-300x214.jpg?v=1620416863 300w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/008-1024x729.jpg?v=1620416863 1024w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/008-768x547.jpg?v=1620416863 768w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/008-1536x1093.jpg?v=1620416863 1536w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/008-370x263.jpg?v=1620416863 370w" sizes="(max-width: 1978px) 100vw, 1978px" title="Fig. 8 From the early medieval cross images of Tsitsernavank, photo by H. Petrosyan." alt="" loading="lazy" 		class="so-widget-image"/>

Fig. 8 From the early medieval cross images of Tsitsernavank, photo by H. Petrosyan.

There are also a number of inscriptions, 8 of which are presented in the 5th issue of the “Divan of Armenian epigraphy” (CAI 1982, 192). M․ Hasratyan completed and presented 16, and S. Karapetyan 26 inscriptions. Two of the inscriptions (1613, 1779) are related to the construction activities. Traces of frescoes and red paint have been preserved on the walls of the building.

The condition before, during and after the war

Tsitsernavank was restored within the NKR in 2001. In addition to the church, the wall and the refectory were reinforced, the latter was turned into an exhibition hall-museum. New khachkars have been erected in the area.

Bibliographic examination

A number of legends about the monastery have been preserved in the bibliographic materials. Alishan presents a narrative according to which the crow warns the builders about the food poisoned by the snake, but at first they kill the bird without realizing it, then they bury it, calling the place “Crow’s grave”. Lalayan calls this place west of the church “Agravakhach” (Crow’s Cross). The church was a famous place of pilgrimage especially on the feasts of the Ascension and the Holy Cross. The monastery has also been a place of pilgrimage for the Muslims, who called it “Agh oghlan” (white child), meaning that it was built of white felsite (Lalayan 1898, 49).

In the Soviet and post-Soviet periods Tsitsernavank underwent professional study by M. Hasratyan and A. Sahinyan with the participation of Italian architects P. Cuneo and F. Gandonfo. In 1997 the structure was studied and measured by S. Karapetyan, and in 1997-2001 Tsitsernavank was subjected to archaeological research (H. Simonyan, H. Sanamyan), then restored.

Bibliography

1․ Alishan 1893 – Alishan Gh․, Sisakan, Venice.

2․ CAI – Corpus of Armenian Inscriptions, Release 5, Yerevan.

3․ Lalayan 1898 – Lalayan Ye., Zangezur, Ethnographic magazine, book 4, issue 2.

4․ Karapetyan 2001 – Karapetyan S., Armenian cultural monuments in the region of Karabakh, Yerevan.

5․ Hakobyan 2009 – Hakobyan A., The name of Tsitsernavank, the grave of the martyr and the construction stages – Hakobyan A., Historical-geographical and epigraphic researches (Artsakh, Utik). Mkhitaryan Publishing House, Vienna-Yerevan.

6. Harutyunyan 1992 – Harutyunyan V., History of Armenian Architecture, Yerevan.

7․ Hasratyan 1980 – Hasratyan M., Tsitsernavank, Historical-Philological Journal, Issue 2.

8․ Simonyan 2005 – Simonyan H., Reconsecrated Tsitsernavank, Monument, Issue 3, Yerevan.

9. Orbelian 1910 – S. Orbelian, History of the Province of Syunik, Tiflis.

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Tsitsernavank - Monument Watch


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						<img width="800" height="505" src="https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Նկ․004Կավաքավանք.jpg?v=1620416747" class="sow-slider-background-image skip-lazy" alt="" decoding="async" style="" loading="eager" srcset="https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Նկ․004Կավաքավանք.jpg?v=1620416747 800w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Նկ․004Կավաքավանք-300x189.jpg?v=1620416747 300w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Նկ․004Կավաքավանք-768x485.jpg?v=1620416747 768w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Նկ․004Կավաքավանք-370x234.jpg?v=1620416747 370w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" />

						<img width="2560" height="1920" src="https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Նկ․010Կավաքավանք-scaled.jpg?v=1620416750" class="sow-slider-background-image skip-lazy" alt="" decoding="async" style="" loading="eager" srcset="https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Նկ․010Կավաքավանք-scaled.jpg?v=1620416750 2560w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Նկ․010Կավաքավանք-300x225.jpg?v=1620416750 300w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Նկ․010Կավաքավանք-1024x768.jpg?v=1620416750 1024w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Նկ․010Կավաքավանք-768x576.jpg?v=1620416750 768w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Նկ․010Կավաքավանք-1536x1152.jpg?v=1620416750 1536w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Նկ․010Կավաքավանք-2048x1536.jpg?v=1620416750 2048w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Նկ․010Կավաքավանք-370x278.jpg?v=1620416750 370w" sizes="(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px" />

Location

The monastery is located in Hadrut region, in the valley of the Ishkhanaget River, left to the road leading from Togh to Varanda (Fizuli), on a hill separated from the plain. It is located near the villages of Jrakus, Hogher and Kyuratagh.

Historical overview

There are no accurate records preserved in historical literature on the foundation and activities of the monastery.

The fact that there used to be a monastic complex is evidenced by the remains of the foundations of the surrounding walls, cells of the congregation, pilgrim rooms still preserved on the hill.

The present church (Figs․ 1, 2, 3) is the only structure left standing from the former monastic complex, which was rebuilt in 1742 by the order of Melik Yegan of Dizak and his father – Archimandrite Ghukas, and the residents of the surrounding Gyumush, Chima and Hogher villages (Mkrtchyan 1985, 112).

		<img src="https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Kavakavank-1-1.jpg?v=1620747038" width="1354" height="1355" srcset="https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Kavakavank-1-1.jpg?v=1620747038 1354w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Kavakavank-1-1-300x300.jpg?v=1620747038 300w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Kavakavank-1-1-1024x1024.jpg?v=1620747038 1024w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Kavakavank-1-1-150x150.jpg?v=1620747038 150w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Kavakavank-1-1-768x769.jpg?v=1620747038 768w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Kavakavank-1-1-370x370.jpg?v=1620747038 370w" sizes="(max-width: 1354px) 100vw, 1354px" title="Kavakavank-1" alt="" loading="lazy" 		class="so-widget-image"/>

		<img src="https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Նկ․001Կավաքավանք-scaled.jpg?v=1620416744" width="2560" height="1920" srcset="https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Նկ․001Կավաքավանք-scaled.jpg?v=1620416744 2560w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Նկ․001Կավաքավանք-300x225.jpg?v=1620416744 300w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Նկ․001Կավաքավանք-1024x768.jpg?v=1620416744 1024w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Նկ․001Կավաքավանք-768x576.jpg?v=1620416744 768w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Նկ․001Կավաքավանք-1536x1152.jpg?v=1620416744 1536w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Նկ․001Կավաքավանք-2048x1536.jpg?v=1620416744 2048w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Նկ․001Կավաքավանք-370x278.jpg?v=1620416744 370w" sizes="(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px" title="Fig․ 1 Kavakavank from the west, 2015, photo by G. Budaghyan." alt="" loading="lazy" 		class="so-widget-image"/>

Fig․ 1 Kavakavank from the west, 2015, photo by G. Budaghyan.

		<img src="https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Նկ․009Կավաքավանք-scaled.jpg?v=1620416749" width="2560" height="1920" srcset="https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Նկ․009Կավաքավանք-scaled.jpg?v=1620416749 2560w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Նկ․009Կավաքավանք-300x225.jpg?v=1620416749 300w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Նկ․009Կավաքավանք-1024x768.jpg?v=1620416749 1024w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Նկ․009Կավաքավանք-768x576.jpg?v=1620416749 768w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Նկ․009Կավաքավանք-1536x1152.jpg?v=1620416749 1536w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Նկ․009Կավաքավանք-2048x1536.jpg?v=1620416749 2048w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Նկ․009Կավաքավանք-370x278.jpg?v=1620416749 370w" sizes="(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px" title="Fig․ 2 The view of the monastery from the north-east, 2015, photo by G. Budaghyan." alt="" loading="lazy" 		class="so-widget-image"/>

Fig․ 2 The view of the monastery from the north-east, 2015, photo by G. Budaghyan.

		<img src="https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Նկ․010Կավաքավանք-scaled.jpg?v=1620416750" width="2560" height="1920" srcset="https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Նկ․010Կավաքավանք-scaled.jpg?v=1620416750 2560w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Նկ․010Կավաքավանք-300x225.jpg?v=1620416750 300w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Նկ․010Կավաքավանք-1024x768.jpg?v=1620416750 1024w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Նկ․010Կավաքավանք-768x576.jpg?v=1620416750 768w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Նկ․010Կավաքավանք-1536x1152.jpg?v=1620416750 1536w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Նկ․010Կավաքավանք-2048x1536.jpg?v=1620416750 2048w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Նկ․010Կավաքավանք-370x278.jpg?v=1620416750 370w" sizes="(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px" title="Fig. 3 The view of the monastery from the south-east, 2015, photo by G. Budaghyan." alt="" loading="lazy" 		class="so-widget-image"/>

Fig. 3 The view of the monastery from the south-east, 2015, photo by G. Budaghyan.

The fact that the monastery enjoyed the care of the Dizak meliks is confirmed by the coat of arms of the Dizak meliks depicted on the lintel of the southern vestry of the church (Fig․ 4).

		<img src="https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Նկ․002Կավաքավաքն.jpg?v=1620416745" width="800" height="516" srcset="https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Նկ․002Կավաքավաքն.jpg?v=1620416745 800w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Նկ․002Կավաքավաքն-300x194.jpg?v=1620416745 300w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Նկ․002Կավաքավաքն-768x495.jpg?v=1620416745 768w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Նկ․002Կավաքավաքն-370x239.jpg?v=1620416745 370w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" title="Fig. 4 The coat of arms of the Dizak meliks on the entrance lintel of the vestry, 1987, photo by S. Karapetyan." alt="" loading="lazy" 		class="so-widget-image"/>

Fig. 4 The coat of arms of the Dizak meliks on the entrance lintel of the vestry, 1987, photo by S. Karapetyan.

Architectural-compositional examination

The church is a three-nave basilica (Fig․ 5), its length is 12,8 m, the width is 9,8 m, the height is 5 m. The roof is vaulted, externally a gable roof.  The entrance opens from the west, both windows are in the eastern and western walls. It stands out with the entrance built of hewn stones which is decorated with delicate stalactite ornaments (Fig․ 6). The stage bema of the main altar is also sculpted.

		<img src="https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/011-3-scaled.jpg?v=1620416752" width="2560" height="1990" srcset="https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/011-3-scaled.jpg?v=1620416752 2560w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/011-3-300x233.jpg?v=1620416752 300w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/011-3-1024x796.jpg?v=1620416752 1024w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/011-3-768x597.jpg?v=1620416752 768w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/011-3-1536x1194.jpg?v=1620416752 1536w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/011-3-2048x1592.jpg?v=1620416752 2048w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/011-3-370x288.jpg?v=1620416752 370w" sizes="(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px" title="Fig. 5 The plan and measurement of Kavakavank by Sh. Mkrtchyan, Sh. Mkrtchyan, The historical-architectural monuments of Nagorno Karabakh, p. 113." alt="" loading="lazy" 		class="so-widget-image"/>

Fig. 5 The plan and measurement of Kavakavank by Sh. Mkrtchyan, Sh. Mkrtchyan, The historical-architectural monuments of Nagorno Karabakh, p. 113.

		<img src="https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Նկ․003Կավաքավանք-scaled.jpg?v=1620416746" width="1920" height="2560" srcset="https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Նկ․003Կավաքավանք-scaled.jpg?v=1620416746 1920w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Նկ․003Կավաքավանք-225x300.jpg?v=1620416746 225w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Նկ․003Կավաքավանք-768x1024.jpg?v=1620416746 768w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Նկ․003Կավաքավանք-1152x1536.jpg?v=1620416746 1152w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Նկ․003Կավաքավանք-1536x2048.jpg?v=1620416746 1536w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Նկ․003Կավաքավանք-278x370.jpg?v=1620416746 278w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" title="Fig․ 6 The entrance of the monastery, 2015, photo by G. Budaghyan." alt="" loading="lazy" 		class="so-widget-image"/>

Fig․ 6 The entrance of the monastery, 2015, photo by G. Budaghyan.

In time, there used to exist an inscription on the entrance lintel: “In the year of 1742/ to the memory of Isu - /the son of Sarkis,/mother Zulal,/to Heriknaz – the spouse of his brother,/sons and daughters. God have mercy” (CAI 1982, 179) (Fig․ 7).

		<img src="https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Նկ․004Կավաքավանք.jpg?v=1620416747" width="800" height="505" srcset="https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Նկ․004Կավաքավանք.jpg?v=1620416747 800w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Նկ․004Կավաքավանք-300x189.jpg?v=1620416747 300w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Նկ․004Կավաքավանք-768x485.jpg?v=1620416747 768w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Նկ․004Կավաքավանք-370x234.jpg?v=1620416747 370w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" title="Fig․ 7 The entrance lintel of the monastery, 1987,  photo by S. Karapetyan." alt="" loading="lazy" 		class="so-widget-image"/>

Fig․ 7 The entrance lintel of the monastery, 1987,  photo by S. Karapetyan.

On the lintel there is also the name Grigor, who is probably the scribe.

In the southern altar there is an inscribed gravestone: “This is the gravestone of Saint Yakovika” (CAI 1982, 179) (Fig․ 8).

		<img src="https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Նկ․005Կավաքավանք.jpg?v=1620416755" width="1152" height="2048" srcset="https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Նկ․005Կավաքավանք.jpg?v=1620416755 1152w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Նկ․005Կավաքավանք-169x300.jpg?v=1620416755 169w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Նկ․005Կավաքավանք-576x1024.jpg?v=1620416755 576w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Նկ․005Կավաքավանք-768x1365.jpg?v=1620416755 768w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Նկ․005Կավաքավանք-864x1536.jpg?v=1620416755 864w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Նկ․005Կավաքավանք-208x370.jpg?v=1620416755 208w" sizes="(max-width: 1152px) 100vw, 1152px" title="Fig․ 8 The gravestone of St. Hakob, 2015, photo by G. Budaghyan." alt="" loading="lazy" 		class="so-widget-image"/>

Fig․ 8 The gravestone of St. Hakob, 2015, photo by G. Budaghyan.

A gravestone has been preserved in the churchyard, some of which have an effaced inscription: “This is the gravestone of Petros Pap who…/in the year of 1649 (CAI 1982, 179):

Inside the monastery there is also a well-preserved khachkar (Fig. 9):

		<img src="https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Նկ․008Կավաքավանք-scaled.jpg?v=1620416753" width="1920" height="2560" srcset="https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Նկ․008Կավաքավանք-scaled.jpg?v=1620416753 1920w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Նկ․008Կավաքավանք-225x300.jpg?v=1620416753 225w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Նկ․008Կավաքավանք-768x1024.jpg?v=1620416753 768w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Նկ․008Կավաքավանք-1152x1536.jpg?v=1620416753 1152w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Նկ․008Կավաքավանք-1536x2048.jpg?v=1620416753 1536w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Նկ․008Կավաքավանք-278x370.jpg?v=1620416753 278w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" title="Fig. 9 The preserved khachkar of the monastery, 2015, photo by G. Budaghyan." alt="" loading="lazy" 		class="so-widget-image"/>

Fig. 9 The preserved khachkar of the monastery, 2015, photo by G. Budaghyan.

The condition before, during and after the war

During the First Artsakh War in 1990-1992, Kavak Hill was turned into a military strongpoint by the Azerbaijani armed forces, and then the lintel was destroyed and disappeared, the gravestone of St. Hakob was also broken, the inscriptions on the arch-supporting stones surrounding the entrance door as well as the coat of arms of the Dizak melikdom were erased (Fig․ 10).

		<img src="https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Նկ․006Կավաքավանք.jpg?v=1620416756" width="800" height="531" srcset="https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Նկ․006Կավաքավանք.jpg?v=1620416756 800w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Նկ․006Կավաքավանք-300x199.jpg?v=1620416756 300w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Նկ․006Կավաքավանք-768x510.jpg?v=1620416756 768w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Նկ․006Կավաքավանք-370x246.jpg?v=1620416756 370w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Նկ․006Կավաքավանք-272x182.jpg?v=1620416756 272w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" title="Fig․ 10 The effaced coat of arms of the Dizak melikdom, 2000, photo by S. Karapetyan․          " alt="" loading="lazy" 		class="so-widget-image"/>

Fig․ 10 The effaced coat of arms of the Dizak melikdom, 2000, photo by S. Karapetyan․

In the western part of the church, from the roof to the entrance facade, it is cracked, the segment around the eastern window is damaged, there are also stonefalls from the corner walls of the church.

In 1995, a khachkar was erected near the church in memory of the freedom fighters who died in 1993 (Fig․ 11).

		<img src="https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Նկ․007Կավաքավանք-scaled.jpg?v=1620416757" width="2560" height="1920" srcset="https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Նկ․007Կավաքավանք-scaled.jpg?v=1620416757 2560w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Նկ․007Կավաքավանք-300x225.jpg?v=1620416757 300w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Նկ․007Կավաքավանք-1024x768.jpg?v=1620416757 1024w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Նկ․007Կավաքավանք-768x576.jpg?v=1620416757 768w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Նկ․007Կավաքավանք-1536x1152.jpg?v=1620416757 1536w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Նկ․007Կավաքավանք-2048x1536.jpg?v=1620416757 2048w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Նկ․007Կավաքավանք-370x278.jpg?v=1620416757 370w" sizes="(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px" title="Fig․ 11 The new khachkar in the territory of the monastery, 2015, photo by G. Budaghyan.  " alt="" loading="lazy" 		class="so-widget-image"/>

Fig․ 11 The new khachkar in the territory of the monastery, 2015, photo by G. Budaghyan.

After the occupation of this part of the region by the Azerbaijanis on October 12, 2020, Kavak Hill was again turned into a strongpoint, as a result of which it was shelled on October 13-14. There is no information about the condition of the church after the war.

Bibliography

Amirjanyan S., Dizak, Yerevan, 2006.

Barkhutaryants M, Artsakh, Baku, 1895.

CAI 1982 – Corpus of Armenian Inscriptions, Issue 5, Artsakh, compiled by S. Barkhudaryan, Yerevan.

Mkrtchyan 1985 – Mkrtchyan Sh., The historical-architectural monuments of Nagorno Karabakh, Yerevan.

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Kavakavank Monastery - Monument Watch


						<img width="2560" height="2543" src="https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Tsar-SB.-GRIGOR-scaled.jpg?v=1620416848" class="sow-slider-background-image skip-lazy" alt="" decoding="async" style="" loading="eager" srcset="https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Tsar-SB.-GRIGOR-scaled.jpg?v=1620416848 2560w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Tsar-SB.-GRIGOR-300x298.jpg?v=1620416848 300w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Tsar-SB.-GRIGOR-1024x1017.jpg?v=1620416848 1024w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Tsar-SB.-GRIGOR-150x150.jpg?v=1620416848 150w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Tsar-SB.-GRIGOR-768x763.jpg?v=1620416848 768w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Tsar-SB.-GRIGOR-1536x1526.jpg?v=1620416848 1536w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Tsar-SB.-GRIGOR-2048x2034.jpg?v=1620416848 2048w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Tsar-SB.-GRIGOR-370x368.jpg?v=1620416848 370w" sizes="(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px" />

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Location

Tsar village is located in the upper reaches of the Trtu River, at an altitude of 2030-2050 m above sea level on an extensive mountain plateau and is surrounded by deep gorges (Fig. 1).

St. Grigor and St. Sargis churches of Tsar are located in the namesake village in Nor Shahumyan region (Karvachar region) of the Artsakh Republic and are currently occupied by Azerbaijan.

		<img src="https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/001-3.jpg?v=1620416838" width="2048" height="1361" srcset="https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/001-3.jpg?v=1620416838 2048w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/001-3-300x199.jpg?v=1620416838 300w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/001-3-1024x681.jpg?v=1620416838 1024w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/001-3-768x510.jpg?v=1620416838 768w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/001-3-1536x1021.jpg?v=1620416838 1536w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/001-3-370x246.jpg?v=1620416838 370w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/001-3-272x182.jpg?v=1620416838 272w" sizes="(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px" title="Fig. 1 The general view of Tsar, photo by H. Petrosyan․ " alt="" loading="lazy" 		class="so-widget-image"/>

Fig. 1 The general view of Tsar, photo by H. Petrosyan․

Historical overview

In the Middle Ages, Tsar was a center of princely seat, the seat of the namesake princely house. The role of this princely house increased from the end of the 12th century, when Prince Hasan I Tsaretsi married Dop – the sister of Zakare and Ivane Zakaryans. Becoming in-laws with the Zakaryans and with their support, the Tsar princely branch ruled over the entire Verin Khachen. Dadivank also passes to the residents of Tsar (Petrosyan, 2009, 11-14). In the 18th century, the extensive village was deserted, depopulated of Armenians, and Kurds from the Parakhkanli tribe settled here. Tsar starts to be called Zar. During Soviet years Tukish speaking Kurds lived here. Until the 1940-1950s there used to exist four churches in Tsar, a large cemetery with khachkars, and two monasteries near the village. The main church was located in the village centre almost adjacent to the presently standing Saint Sargis church. In the 1950-1960s the majority of Armenian monuments was deliberately destroyed, the stones were reused in various buildings (Fig. 2).

		<img src="https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/002-3.jpg?v=1620416839" width="960" height="639" srcset="https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/002-3.jpg?v=1620416839 960w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/002-3-300x200.jpg?v=1620416839 300w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/002-3-768x511.jpg?v=1620416839 768w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/002-3-370x246.jpg?v=1620416839 370w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/002-3-272x182.jpg?v=1620416839 272w" sizes="(max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px" title="Fig. 2 The general view of St. Sargis and St. Grigor churches, photo by H. Petrosyan․" alt="" loading="lazy" 		class="so-widget-image"/>

Fig. 2 The general view of St. Sargis and St. Grigor churches, photo by H. Petrosyan․

		<img src="https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/003-4.jpg?v=1620416853" width="450" height="359" srcset="https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/003-4.jpg?v=1620416853 450w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/003-4-300x239.jpg?v=1620416853 300w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/003-4-370x295.jpg?v=1620416853 370w" sizes="(max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px" title="Fig. 3 The plan of St. Grigor Church, from the book “Armenian cultural monuments in the region of Karabakh” by S. Karapetyan, page 57." alt="" loading="lazy" 		class="so-widget-image"/>

Fig. 3 The plan of St. Grigor Church, from the book “Armenian cultural monuments in the region of Karabakh” by S. Karapetyan, page 57.

St. Grigor Church

Architectural-compositional description

The Church of St. Gregory of Tsar is a single-nave, gable roof vaulted building (Fig. 3), built in 1274, as evidenced by the inscription of the lintel (CAI 5, 223). The church was originally built of hewn stone, and in the 17th century was renovated with rough stones. The church has inscriptions on the entrance lintel, on a stone north of the entrance, as well as two inscriptions on the southern wall. One of them was made on a khachkar, which was used as a building material (Karapetyan 2001, 56-58).

The condition before and after the war

Prior to 1993, the church was used by a local turkified Kurdish family as an auxiliary storage building to the house, additions were made and the walls were plastered. The church was not damaged during the 1993 and 2020 hostilities.

St. Sargis Church

The other standing church is called St. Sargis. It is a single-nave, vaulted chapel (Fig. 4), built of hewn stones, the upper parts are of small stones, which is a result of renovation.

		<img src="https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/004-4.jpg?v=1620416852" width="450" height="331" srcset="https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/004-4.jpg?v=1620416852 450w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/004-4-300x221.jpg?v=1620416852 300w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/004-4-370x272.jpg?v=1620416852 370w" sizes="(max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px" title="Fig. 4 The plan of St. Sargis Church, from the book “Armenian cultural monuments in the region of Karabakh” by S. Karapetyan, page 57." alt="" loading="lazy" 		class="so-widget-image"/>

Fig. 4 The plan of St. Sargis Church, from the book “Armenian cultural monuments in the region of Karabakh” by S. Karapetyan, page 57.

According to the inscription of the entrance lintel, the chapel was built in 1279 (Fig. 5). There are 8 inscriptions on the walls of the church (Fig. 6). Six of them are on the western side, another inscription is on the eastern side, one is on the southern wall (CAI, 1982, 218-219). The church was not damaged during the 1993 and 2020 hostilities.

		<img src="https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/005-4.jpg?v=1620416842" width="720" height="960" srcset="https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/005-4.jpg?v=1620416842 720w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/005-4-225x300.jpg?v=1620416842 225w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/005-4-278x370.jpg?v=1620416842 278w" sizes="(max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px" title="Fig. 5 The western facade of St. Sargis Church, photo by S. Danielyan․" alt="" loading="lazy" 		class="so-widget-image"/>

Fig. 5 The western facade of St. Sargis Church, photo by S. Danielyan․

		<img src="https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/006-2.jpg?v=1620416843" width="960" height="720" srcset="https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/006-2.jpg?v=1620416843 960w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/006-2-300x225.jpg?v=1620416843 300w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/006-2-768x576.jpg?v=1620416843 768w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/006-2-370x278.jpg?v=1620416843 370w" sizes="(max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px" title="Fig. 6 One of the inscribed khachkars of the western facade of St. Sargis Church, photo by S. Danielyan․ " alt="" loading="lazy" 		class="so-widget-image"/>

Fig. 6 One of the inscribed khachkars of the western facade of St. Sargis Church, photo by S. Danielyan․

Bibliography

CAI – Corpus of Armenian Inscriptions, Release 5, Artsakh, compiled by S. Barkhudaryan, Yerevan, 1982.

Karapetyan 2001 – Karapetyan S., Armenian cultural monuments in the region of Karabakh, Yerevan.

Petrosyan 2009 – Petrosyan H., Kirakosyan L., Safaryan V., The monastery of Handaberd and its excavations, Yerevan․

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Location

Azokh Cave is located in the southeastern part of the Artsakh Republic, near Azokh village in Hadrut region. It is located above the river valley, about 200 m above the namesake village. Azokh Cave is geographically located in a natural corridor through which ancient people and animals migrated from Africa to Europe and Asia.

		<img src="https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/AZOX-AZOXI-QARANDZAV-2.jpg?v=1620927411" width="1354" height="1352" srcset="https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/AZOX-AZOXI-QARANDZAV-2.jpg?v=1620927411 1354w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/AZOX-AZOXI-QARANDZAV-2-300x300.jpg?v=1620927411 300w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/AZOX-AZOXI-QARANDZAV-2-1024x1022.jpg?v=1620927411 1024w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/AZOX-AZOXI-QARANDZAV-2-150x150.jpg?v=1620927411 150w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/AZOX-AZOXI-QARANDZAV-2-768x767.jpg?v=1620927411 768w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/AZOX-AZOXI-QARANDZAV-2-370x370.jpg?v=1620927411 370w" sizes="(max-width: 1354px) 100vw, 1354px" title="AZOX-AZOXI-QARANDZAV" alt="" loading="lazy" 		class="so-widget-image"/>

Historical overview

According to the legend, the treasures of Amaras monastery were kept in this cave (Mkrtchyan, 1985, 109). And Bishop Makar Barkhutaryants, who mentions the cave in the late 19th century, notes that here he saw a statue of a woman carved out of stone (Barkhutaryants, 1895, 88).

The first stage of archaeological research

Azokh Cave is one of the most important archaeological monuments of early human settlement. It is a spacious natural cave, consisting of several halls, which are connected by narrow corridors and entrances (Fig. 1).

The excavations of the main and largest entrance was launched in 1960 by the Azerbaijani archaeologist M. Huseynov, who led the excavations of the site until 1980 (Гусейнов, 1971, 477). In the first stage of the excavations, a part of the lower jaw of an ancient man was unearthed from the archaeological site. It corresponds to the transition period between the straight-walking man and the Neanderthal man, which is now considered the era of the Heidelberg man (Fernandez-Jalvo, King, Yepiskoposyan, Andrews, 2016, 12).

Quite a lot of information was lost at this stage of the excavations, as the latter were not of systematized and interdisciplinary character.

The cave was also damaged by the method and tools chosen by the expedition for the study. During the second stage of the excavations, it was stated by the specialists that explosions were previously carried out in some parts of the cave. This is evidenced not only by the information of eyewitnesses, but also by some cuts in the rock at the entrance to the cave. According to eyewitnesses, a vacuum rock drill was also sometimes used for excavations. This left an irreversible mark on the monument. It is not excluded that the use of such a tool also damaged the fragment of the lower jaw of a human unearthed here.

		<img src="https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/001-scaled-2.jpg?v=1620927463" width="1920" height="2560" srcset="https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/001-scaled-2.jpg?v=1620927463 1920w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/001-scaled-2-225x300.jpg?v=1620927463 225w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/001-scaled-2-768x1024.jpg?v=1620927463 768w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/001-scaled-2-1152x1536.jpg?v=1620927463 1152w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/001-scaled-2-1536x2048.jpg?v=1620927463 1536w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/001-scaled-2-278x370.jpg?v=1620927463 278w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" title="Fig. 1 The main entrance of Azokh Cave, 2017, photo by N․ Yeranyan․" alt="" loading="lazy" 		class="so-widget-image"/>

Fig. 1 The main entrance of Azokh Cave, 2017, photo by N․ Yeranyan․

The second stage of excavations

Since 2002, the Azokh International Expedition had been conducting research at the site on the initiative of the Ministry of Culture of the Artsakh Republic. In 2002-2009, 35 specialists from 8 countries participated in the research, including Armenia, Great Britain, Spain, Ireland, France, Germany, Australia and South Africa (Fig. 2-5).

Modern and systematized methods of excavations were applied in the activities of the expedition: three-dimensional recording of finds to provide information on their spatial and temporal distribution, examination of sediments to detect small mammals, detailed geological work to study cave stratigraphy, as well as radiometric dating of the sequence (Fernandez-Jalvo, King, Yepiskoposyan, Andrews 2016, 10-20).

The new phase of excavations revealed a long and almost continuous stratigraphic sequence of the period from the Pleistocene to the Holocene. In addition, there is evidence that three species of ancient humans inhabited the cave during these different periods: Homo heidelbergensis, Homo neanderthalesis, Homo sapiensis (King, Caceres, Cuelo de Oro, Murray, Andrews, Hixon Andrews, Dominguez Alonso, Asryan, Sanz Martin, Moloney, Yepiskoposyan 2015, 3-19).

		<img src="https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/002-14.jpg?v=1620927246" width="2272" height="1704" srcset="https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/002-14.jpg?v=1620927246 2272w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/002-14-300x225.jpg?v=1620927246 300w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/002-14-1024x768.jpg?v=1620927246 1024w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/002-14-768x576.jpg?v=1620927246 768w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/002-14-1536x1152.jpg?v=1620927246 1536w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/002-14-2048x1536.jpg?v=1620927246 2048w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/002-14-370x278.jpg?v=1620927246 370w" sizes="(max-width: 2272px) 100vw, 2272px" title="Fig. 2 The excavation process at the second stage of archaeological research, published by Fernandez-Jalvo King, Yepiskoposyan, Andrews, 2016." alt="" loading="lazy" 		class="so-widget-image"/>

Fig. 2 The excavation process at the second stage of archaeological research, published by Fernandez-Jalvo King, Yepiskoposyan, Andrews, 2016.

		<img src="https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/004-13.jpg?v=1620927338" width="2272" height="1704" srcset="https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/004-13.jpg?v=1620927338 2272w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/004-13-300x225.jpg?v=1620927338 300w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/004-13-1024x768.jpg?v=1620927338 1024w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/004-13-768x576.jpg?v=1620927338 768w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/004-13-1536x1152.jpg?v=1620927338 1536w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/004-13-2048x1536.jpg?v=1620927338 2048w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/004-13-370x278.jpg?v=1620927338 370w" sizes="(max-width: 2272px) 100vw, 2272px" title="Fig. 4 The excavation process at the second stage of archaeological research, published by Fernandez-Jalvo King, Yepiskoposyan, Andrews, 2016." alt="" loading="lazy" 		class="so-widget-image"/>

Fig. 4 The excavation process at the second stage of archaeological research, published by Fernandez-Jalvo King, Yepiskoposyan, Andrews, 2016.

		<img src="https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/003-16.jpg?v=1620927299" width="2272" height="1704" srcset="https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/003-16.jpg?v=1620927299 2272w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/003-16-300x225.jpg?v=1620927299 300w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/003-16-1024x768.jpg?v=1620927299 1024w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/003-16-768x576.jpg?v=1620927299 768w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/003-16-1536x1152.jpg?v=1620927299 1536w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/003-16-2048x1536.jpg?v=1620927299 2048w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/003-16-370x278.jpg?v=1620927299 370w" sizes="(max-width: 2272px) 100vw, 2272px" title="Fig. 3 The excavation process at the second stage of archaeological research, published by Fernandez-Jalvo King, Yepiskoposyan, Andrews, 2016." alt="" loading="lazy" 		class="so-widget-image"/>

Fig. 3 The excavation process at the second stage of archaeological research, published by Fernandez-Jalvo King, Yepiskoposyan, Andrews, 2016.

		<img src="https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/005-13.jpg?v=1620927372" width="2272" height="1704" srcset="https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/005-13.jpg?v=1620927372 2272w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/005-13-300x225.jpg?v=1620927372 300w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/005-13-1024x768.jpg?v=1620927372 1024w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/005-13-768x576.jpg?v=1620927372 768w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/005-13-1536x1152.jpg?v=1620927372 1536w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/005-13-2048x1536.jpg?v=1620927372 2048w, https://monumentwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/005-13-370x278.jpg?v=1620927372 370w" sizes="(max-width: 2272px) 100vw, 2272px" title="Fig. 5 The excavation process at the second stage of archaeological research, published by Fernandez-Jalvo King, Yepiskoposyan, Andrews, 2016." alt="" loading="lazy" 		class="so-widget-image"/>

Fig. 5 The excavation process at the second stage of archaeological research, published by Fernandez-Jalvo King, Yepiskoposyan, Andrews, 2016.

The condition before the war

In recent years, no other excavations have been carried out in the area of the monument. It was included in the Azokh Cave State Reserve, the entrances were fenced, the entrance was restricted and was controlled by the state. It was planned to establish a museum in the territory of the village, where the artefacts unearthed from the excavations were to be exhibited.

The condition during the war

Combining the existing information and available video materials, we can assume that the monument was not damaged during the war.

The condition after the war and currently

Days after the war, information appeared on the Internet that about 20 boxes had been transported to Baku from the Azokh archaeological campus of the village. In those boxes were the findings, based on which it was planned to open a museum in the territory of the community.

After the war, videos were spread on the Internet of Azerbaijani soldiers entering the cave without hindrance, which harmed the unique species of bats living there.

The most vivid example of vandalism against the monument was recorded during and after the visit of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. Aliyev mentioned in his speech that Azokh is their historical homeland, where the excavations would continue. The same words were repeated by some Azerbaijani journalists and specialists.

The monument is now in serious danger.

Bibliography

Barkhutaryants 1895 – Makar Barkhutaryants, Artsakh, Baku.

Mkrtchyan 1985 – Mkrtchyan Sh., Historical and architectural monuments of Nagorno Karabakh, Yerevan, Armenia.

King, Caceres Cuello de Oro, Murray, Andrews, Hickson Andrews, Dominguez Alonso, Asryan, Sanz Martin, Moloney, Yepiskoposyan 2015 – King T., Caceres Cuelo de Oro I., Murray J., Andrews P., Hixon Andrews S., Dominguez Alonso P., Asryan L., Sanz Martin T., Moloney N., Yepiskoposyan L., The main results of the 2011-2012 Azokh Cave research, 2011-2012 Archaeological Studies in Artsakh, Dizak Plus, Stepanakert, pp. 3-19.

Fernandez-Jalvo King, Yepiskoposyan, Andrews, 2016 – Fernandez-Jalvo Y., King T., Yepiskoposyan L., Andrews P., Azokh Cave and the Transcaucasian corridor, 2016, Springer, p. 1-27.

Mustafayev A., Jawbones and dragon legends, Azerbaijan’s prehistoric Azikh Cave. Azerbaijan International, 4, 24–32.

Гусейнов 1971 – Гусейнов М., Азыхская пещера — многослойный памятник ашельского периода в СССР, Археологические орктытия, с. 477.

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<meta property="og:description" content="Location Azokh Cave is located in the southeastern part of the Artsakh Republic, near Azokh village in Hadrut region. It is located above the river valley, about 200 m above the namesake village. Azokh Cave is geographically located in a natural corridor through which ancient people and animals migrated from Africa to Europe and Asia.   Historical overview According to the legend, the treasures of Amaras monastery were kept in this cave (Mkrtchyan, 1985, 109). And Bishop Makar Barkhutaryants, who mentions the cave in the late 19th century, notes that here he saw a statue of a woman carved out of stone (Barkhutaryants, 1895, 88).   The first stage of archaeological research Azokh Cave is one of the most important archaeological monuments of early human settlement. It is a spacious natural cave, consisting of several halls, which are connected by narrow corridors and entrances (Fig. 1). The excavations of the main and largest entrance was launched in 1960 by the Azerbaijani archaeologist M. Huseynov, who led the excavations of the site until 1980 (Гусейнов, 1971, 477). In the first stage of the excavations, a part of the lower jaw of an ancient man was unearthed from the archaeological site. It corresponds to the transition period between the straight-walking man and the Neanderthal man, which is now considered the era of the Heidelberg man (Fernandez-Jalvo, King, Yepiskoposyan, Andrews, 2016, 12). Quite a lot of information was lost at this stage of the excavations, as the latter were not of systematized and interdisciplinary character. The cave was also damaged by the method and tools chosen by the expedition for the study. During the second stage of the excavations, it was stated by the specialists that explosions were previously carried out in some parts of the cave. This is evidenced not only by the information of eyewitnesses, but also by some cuts in the rock at the entrance to the cave. According to eyewitnesses, a vacuum rock drill was also sometimes used for excavations. This left an irreversible mark on the monument. It is not excluded that the use of such a tool also damaged the fragment of the lower jaw of a human unearthed here. The second stage of excavations Since 2002, the Azokh International Expedition had been conducting research at the site on the initiative of the Ministry of Culture of the Artsakh Republic. In 2002-2009, 35 specialists from 8 countries participated in the research, including Armenia, Great Britain, Spain, Ireland, France, Germany, Australia and South Africa (Fig. 2-5). Modern and systematized methods of excavations were applied in the activities of the expedition: three-dimensional recording of finds to provide information on their spatial and temporal distribution, examination of sediments to detect small mammals, detailed geological work to study cave stratigraphy, as well as radiometric dating of the sequence (Fernandez-Jalvo, King, Yepiskoposyan, Andrews 2016, 10-20). The new phase of excavations revealed a long and almost continuous stratigraphic sequence of the period from the Pleistocene to the Holocene. In addition, there is evidence that three species of ancient humans inhabited the cave during these different periods: Homo heidelbergensis, Homo neanderthalesis, Homo sapiensis (King, Caceres, Cuelo de Oro, Murray, Andrews, Hixon Andrews, Dominguez Alonso, Asryan, Sanz Martin, Moloney, Yepiskoposyan 2015, 3-19)." />
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Azokh Cave - Monument Watch