DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.29898#0502
466
BYZANTINE AliCHITECTURE.
Part II.
CHAPTEE Y.
ARMENIA.
CONTENTS.
Churches at Dighour, Usunlar, Pitzounda, Bedoclrwinta, Mokwi, Etchmiasdin, and
Kouthais—Churches at Ani and Samthawis—Details.
CHRONOLOGY.
DATES.
Tiridates convcrted to Christianity by
Gregory II.a.d. 276
St. Gregory confirmed as Pontiif by 1’ope
Sylvester. 319
Cliristianity proscribed and persecuted
by the Persians.128-632
Fall of Sassanide dyuasty. 632
DATES.
Establishment of Bagratide dynasty
under Ashdod. 859
Greatest prosperity under Apas . . . 928
Ashdod III. 951
Sernpad II. 977-989
Alp Arslan takes Ani. 1064
Gajih, last of the dynasty, slain. . . 1079
Gengis Khan. 1222
Tiie architectural province of Arruenia forms an almost exact pendant
to that of Greece in the history of Byzantine architecture. Both
were early converted to Christianity, and Greece remained Christian
withont any interruption from that tinie to this. Yet all her earlier
churches have perished, we hardly know why, and left us nothing but
an essentially Mediteval style. Nearly the same thing happened in
Armenia, but there the loss is only too easily accounted for. The
Persian persecution in the 5th and 6th centuries must have been
severe and lasting, and the great bouleversement of the Mahomedan
irruption in the 7th century would easily account for the disappearance
of all the earlier monuments. 'When, in more tranquil times—in the
8th and 9th centuries—the Christians were permitted to rebuild their
churches, we find them all of the same small type as those of Greece,
with tall domes, painted with frescoes internally, and depending for
external effect far more on minute elaboration of details than on any
grandeur of design or projiortion.
Although the troubles and persecutions from the 5th to the 8th
century may have caused the destruction of the greater part of the
monuments, it by no meaiis follows that all have perished. On the
contrary, we know of the church above alluded to (p. 428) as still
existing at Nisibin and belonging to the 4th century, and there can
be little doubt that many others exist in various corners of the land ;
BYZANTINE AliCHITECTURE.
Part II.
CHAPTEE Y.
ARMENIA.
CONTENTS.
Churches at Dighour, Usunlar, Pitzounda, Bedoclrwinta, Mokwi, Etchmiasdin, and
Kouthais—Churches at Ani and Samthawis—Details.
CHRONOLOGY.
DATES.
Tiridates convcrted to Christianity by
Gregory II.a.d. 276
St. Gregory confirmed as Pontiif by 1’ope
Sylvester. 319
Cliristianity proscribed and persecuted
by the Persians.128-632
Fall of Sassanide dyuasty. 632
DATES.
Establishment of Bagratide dynasty
under Ashdod. 859
Greatest prosperity under Apas . . . 928
Ashdod III. 951
Sernpad II. 977-989
Alp Arslan takes Ani. 1064
Gajih, last of the dynasty, slain. . . 1079
Gengis Khan. 1222
Tiie architectural province of Arruenia forms an almost exact pendant
to that of Greece in the history of Byzantine architecture. Both
were early converted to Christianity, and Greece remained Christian
withont any interruption from that tinie to this. Yet all her earlier
churches have perished, we hardly know why, and left us nothing but
an essentially Mediteval style. Nearly the same thing happened in
Armenia, but there the loss is only too easily accounted for. The
Persian persecution in the 5th and 6th centuries must have been
severe and lasting, and the great bouleversement of the Mahomedan
irruption in the 7th century would easily account for the disappearance
of all the earlier monuments. 'When, in more tranquil times—in the
8th and 9th centuries—the Christians were permitted to rebuild their
churches, we find them all of the same small type as those of Greece,
with tall domes, painted with frescoes internally, and depending for
external effect far more on minute elaboration of details than on any
grandeur of design or projiortion.
Although the troubles and persecutions from the 5th to the 8th
century may have caused the destruction of the greater part of the
monuments, it by no meaiis follows that all have perished. On the
contrary, we know of the church above alluded to (p. 428) as still
existing at Nisibin and belonging to the 4th century, and there can
be little doubt that many others exist in various corners of the land ;