DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.43337#0350
CHAPTER ONE. THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT AND DATING OF THE WALL PAINTINGS | 347
His last years, just before his death, were without a doubt the most
sombre, for several years the country was devastated by the Khwaram-
zians. Historians speak of the looting of many towns, massacres of
Christians, destruction of monasteries and desecration of church-
es. Ivane Mkhargrdzeli was destined to witness the tragic end of the
«golden age», to the service of which he had devoted his whole life.
For us Ivane Mkhargrdzeli’s activities as donor are of special interest.
Relatively little information has survived about his part in the build-
ing of Chalcedonian monasteries. One of his major initiatives was the
founding of the Tejaruik Monastery not far from Bjni. On the south
side of the church is the following donor’s inscription in Georgian91:
The Cross [of Christ]... year of the Saviour... which was erected on
folgotha for the salvation of us, protected together with Thy Tree. [1],
Ivane Svfkhargrtsel, son of the Eristav of the Eristavs Sarkis kMadatur-
tukhutses, brother of the Shahinshah, the most glorious amirspasalar
Zakare, advancing... of the country... reached... up to Tbandzak, the ruler
of everything from INorberd to the land of the Techarians, in Thy name
did build this monastery and church.
Unfortunately the numerous losses in the text include the exact
date. However, the historical information mentioned in the inscrip-
tion enables us to date the founding of the monastery to 1196-9992.
Ivane’s name is also connected with the church at Kosh (1214-15) and
the building of a porch at Khnevank (1200-1206), which already exist-
ed as a Chalcedonian monastery in the middle of the 12th century93.
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, orig-
inally 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 un-
derstandable 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 inter-
est 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 influenced the conception of the paint-
His last years, just before his death, were without a doubt the most
sombre, for several years the country was devastated by the Khwaram-
zians. Historians speak of the looting of many towns, massacres of
Christians, destruction of monasteries and desecration of church-
es. Ivane Mkhargrdzeli was destined to witness the tragic end of the
«golden age», to the service of which he had devoted his whole life.
For us Ivane Mkhargrdzeli’s activities as donor are of special interest.
Relatively little information has survived about his part in the build-
ing of Chalcedonian monasteries. One of his major initiatives was the
founding of the Tejaruik Monastery not far from Bjni. On the south
side of the church is the following donor’s inscription in Georgian91:
The Cross [of Christ]... year of the Saviour... which was erected on
folgotha for the salvation of us, protected together with Thy Tree. [1],
Ivane Svfkhargrtsel, son of the Eristav of the Eristavs Sarkis kMadatur-
tukhutses, brother of the Shahinshah, the most glorious amirspasalar
Zakare, advancing... of the country... reached... up to Tbandzak, the ruler
of everything from INorberd to the land of the Techarians, in Thy name
did build this monastery and church.
Unfortunately the numerous losses in the text include the exact
date. However, the historical information mentioned in the inscrip-
tion enables us to date the founding of the monastery to 1196-9992.
Ivane’s name is also connected with the church at Kosh (1214-15) and
the building of a porch at Khnevank (1200-1206), which already exist-
ed as a Chalcedonian monastery in the middle of the 12th century93.
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, orig-
inally 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 un-
derstandable 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 inter-
est 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 influenced the conception of the paint-