DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.27365#0032
20
coATE^rr
not far from Bjni. On the south side of the church is the following donor's inscription
in Georgian^:
772g Crops' /q/'Christ/, ... yecr o/*ibe ..., which way erected on
Go/goth# /or the .sc/wtio/; of z/.s*, protected together with 77;y Tree. /7/,
7wne Mhhcrgrtjet, so/; of the ErEfzzv o/* the ErEizzvx 5a/*kE
McdatnrtnhhMtjey, brother of the .S7?nhb?.shch, the z/zo.sZ gtorton^
on!tr.s'po.so/or Zchare, zzzivzz/zcz/zg ... of the cozz/zi/y ... reached ... np to
Handzah, the rate? of eve/yt/zzzzg fro/72 tVorherd to the /and of the
Eechar/a//^, 2/2 77zy //a//;e d/'d badd thE ///o/zajte/y a/2d charch.
Unfortunately the numerous losses in the text include the exact date. However, the
historical information mentioned in the inscription enables us to date the founding of
the monastery to 1196-996°. Dane's name is also connected with the church at Kosh
(1214-15) and the building of a porch at Khnevank (1200-1206), which already
existed as a Chalcedonian monastery in the middle of the 12th century^.
Among these buildings the main church of Plindzahank-Akhtala stands out with its
huge dimensions and sumptuous decoration. This supports the earlier observation of
the monastery's special status, originally planned by Ivane as a religious centre for the
Chalcedonians of northern Armenia. It is possible that Plindzahank was the
monastery where Ivane secretly took his own monastic vows. And it is quite
understandable why, after his death, his body was taken to Plindzahank and, in 1227
or 1231, buried by the entrance to the Church of the Virgin.
The foregoing strongly suggests that the donor took a special interest in the
building of the church and the painting of its interior walls. Ivane's erudition in
theological matters, mentioned in the sources, makes it likely that he directly influence
the conception of the paintings. It is interesting that painting of the altar apse under
the niche of the synthronon contains the most unusual inscription:"... help thy servant
Ioann ...". This is an expression of the donor's own will and confirms that Ivane
himself took part in devising the iconographic programme.
The Akhtala church has come down the ages as the most important monument to
Ivane Mkhargrdzeli and his historical portrait enables to reach a deeper understanding
of the paintings he commissioned.
3. The date of the paintings
Historical sources enable us to establish the lower and upper time limits within
which the paintings were made. The lower limit is 1188. In that year, as the
kbafcMw tells us, Plindzahank was still Monophysite. The upper limit is 1216 when,
as Stepanos Orbelian tells us, Ivane kept a piece of the True Cross in Plindzahank and
-5° Ibid.
6° Ibid., pp. 117-120.
61 Ibid, pp. 137-150.
62 See Kuirakos, p 125.
coATE^rr
not far from Bjni. On the south side of the church is the following donor's inscription
in Georgian^:
772g Crops' /q/'Christ/, ... yecr o/*ibe ..., which way erected on
Go/goth# /or the .sc/wtio/; of z/.s*, protected together with 77;y Tree. /7/,
7wne Mhhcrgrtjet, so/; of the ErEfzzv o/* the ErEizzvx 5a/*kE
McdatnrtnhhMtjey, brother of the .S7?nhb?.shch, the z/zo.sZ gtorton^
on!tr.s'po.so/or Zchare, zzzivzz/zcz/zg ... of the cozz/zi/y ... reached ... np to
Handzah, the rate? of eve/yt/zzzzg fro/72 tVorherd to the /and of the
Eechar/a//^, 2/2 77zy //a//;e d/'d badd thE ///o/zajte/y a/2d charch.
Unfortunately the numerous losses in the text include the exact date. However, the
historical information mentioned in the inscription enables us to date the founding of
the monastery to 1196-996°. Dane's name is also connected with the church at Kosh
(1214-15) and the building of a porch at Khnevank (1200-1206), which already
existed as a Chalcedonian monastery in the middle of the 12th century^.
Among these buildings the main church of Plindzahank-Akhtala stands out with its
huge dimensions and sumptuous decoration. This supports the earlier observation of
the monastery's special status, originally planned by Ivane as a religious centre for the
Chalcedonians of northern Armenia. It is possible that Plindzahank was the
monastery where Ivane secretly took his own monastic vows. And it is quite
understandable why, after his death, his body was taken to Plindzahank and, in 1227
or 1231, buried by the entrance to the Church of the Virgin.
The foregoing strongly suggests that the donor took a special interest in the
building of the church and the painting of its interior walls. Ivane's erudition in
theological matters, mentioned in the sources, makes it likely that he directly influence
the conception of the paintings. It is interesting that painting of the altar apse under
the niche of the synthronon contains the most unusual inscription:"... help thy servant
Ioann ...". This is an expression of the donor's own will and confirms that Ivane
himself took part in devising the iconographic programme.
The Akhtala church has come down the ages as the most important monument to
Ivane Mkhargrdzeli and his historical portrait enables to reach a deeper understanding
of the paintings he commissioned.
3. The date of the paintings
Historical sources enable us to establish the lower and upper time limits within
which the paintings were made. The lower limit is 1188. In that year, as the
kbafcMw tells us, Plindzahank was still Monophysite. The upper limit is 1216 when,
as Stepanos Orbelian tells us, Ivane kept a piece of the True Cross in Plindzahank and
-5° Ibid.
6° Ibid., pp. 117-120.
61 Ibid, pp. 137-150.
62 See Kuirakos, p 125.