Vaghuhas
From Janapar
Vaghuhas (Վաղուհաս) is a village located in Martakert Region.
Vaghuhas, one of the famous villages of upper Khachen, is situated on the right bank of Tartar, on a sloped plateau, opposite Haterk. The ancient bridge over the river was the main connecting point on the trading road Dvin-Partav. Passing over the bridge the road was the shortest way, by ages connecting provinces of Khachen, Jraberd with the basin of Lake Sevan. Presently in 20m from old bridge is built a new bridge, by means of which Martakert region communicates with Kelbajar. Here, in the left bank of river Tartar still preserve ruins of an ancient caravansary.
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History
Churches, cemeteries, foundations of dwellings, meeting everywhere speak about existence of ancient villages in Vaghuhas’ surroundings. Villages Ancient Vaghuhas is situated in 2-3km from the present village. In the presently ruined church once stood a large, skillfully ornamented khachkar 3km high and an inscription of 1218.
Sites
Vardan Village and Monastery
The Vardan village has the preserved ruins of a monastery, one of the inscriptions of which reads: “In the summer of 664 (1215) I, Hasan, daughter of Grigor Great, prince Taghan’s wife, built a church…” The monastic complex consists of a church with two vestries, a chapel, a vestibule and other constructions, now destroyed. The church has a rectangular floorplan, and is medium sized one-nave basilica. The semi-round altar, which is the continuation of the praying-hall has vaulted cover on the east side. Built in later years two vestries with cylindrical vault connect with the praying-hall by its entries. Each eastern wall has a window.
The vestibule, joining the western wall of the church is considerably destroyed. The vestibule’s vault with a light-passage in the center leaned on belt-arches.
The chapel is in the northern part. This wall is a rectangular in scheme hall, in the southern wall of which there is a bay, and in eastern- a window. It’s covered with a cylindrical vault on belt-arches and a gable roof.
As building material is used simple stone as untrimmed so trimmed. The casings of windows and doors, and also the belt-arches and corner-stones are from even-trimmed stone.
Another village with a church and cemetery is situated near village Khunktala. From the third village, Yeghtsu Tala, remain a “half-destroyed large church, a large cemetery and a stony cross 3m high”.
Certain interest present also two chapels, called Vahin on mountain Hin Gaylasar. In rainy and dry years here were performed people’s ceremonies- for starting or stopping raining. According to the local popular belief if “water the right chapel, it will start raining and if make fire on the other one- the sunny days will start”.
Mayrakaghak or monastery Tiramayr
The complex of destroyed buildings in the center of Vaghuhas settlement is usually called Mayrakaghak. It consists of a large and a small church, a vestibule and a large cemetery. In old times the monastery was very famous. Here even set the episcops. For the large fresco picturing Holy Virgin the monastery was also known by Tiramayr (Holy Virgin) name. In its time “part of the vestibule was separated, and judging by the large bays in the walls, it was turned into a book-storage”. Unfortunately the monastery and the cemetery became victims of frame of mind of 20-30’s.
As is mentioned in scientific literature the monastery was built with trimmed stone of madder color. Now remain separate parts of walls, several khachkars and inscribed stones. The inscriptions of the monastery fortunately were copied on time. On the northern wall there is an inscription of 9 lines, informing about the building date of the church: “In the summer of 632 of Armenian chronology (1183)… I, Hasan, Vakhtang’s son, built a church..”. the vestibule of the church was built considerably later, about which evidences another inscription on the front bay- “During Great Jalal Doli’s principality and leadership of Ter Nerses, catholicos Aghvanits… (summer) 695 (1246).
Karmiravank
The monastery is situated in forest, surrounded with deep canyons and slopy slopes, in 3km from ancient Vaghuhas. The complex consists of a church, vestibules, chapel, destroyed cells and other constructions. All the constructions were built from the local chipped stone. Trimmed stones are only used in the casings of bays, openings of doors and windows. The inscribed stones with epigraphic inscriptions are also trimmed. For monastery’s khachkars is used rough pink stone. They have certain similarity with the above-described stones of Tartar valley. All the khachkars stand out by high carving technique and have several stylistic peculiarities.
The monastery is full of epigraphic inscriptions, from which 18 were published. The inscription are carved on the walls of the church and the vestibule, on the squared-beam stones of portals and khachkars. They tell true and valuable information not only about the monastery’s construction, but also about the social-political relations of Top Khachen’s principality.
The 16-line building inscription carved on a narrow and long stone, placed in the eastern part of northern wall says, “ In the summer of 673 (1224). I, Vakhtang’s son, Hasan’s brother built this church and gave to (church) service my son Grigor and the planted by me garden in Chak together with the gardener (for) my soul’s salvation…”. About this church’ building, but with mentioning other date and other orderer is informed in a 13-line inscription of its southern wall- “In the summer of 708 (1259). I, Ter Grigor, Amaras’ episcop joined the sacred friary and paid wage to the architect, that built the church. Monastery’s leader, Ter Grigoris…”. A repeated building of the church 35 years later, most likely speaks about that the church was harmed or even maybe destroyed by the enemy to such degree that the repairers found suitable to use the word “build”. The dates can’t be mistaken, as according to the first inscription , Sakar sends his son Grigor to serve in church, and in the second inscription the same Grigoris appears as the leader of the monastery.
As is known Sakar or Sakr was the representative of Tsar’s princedom. In the other, not less interesting inscription on one of Karmirvank’s khachkars is told the name of the church, or maybe the monastery: “Surb Grigor from Berdadzor”. In the inscription are also mentioned the gifts, presented by Sakar. This way, Sakar most likely rebuilt Surb Grigor monastery in Berdadzor and became its guardian.
Obviously the architect that rebuilt the church was rather a famous person, as his name he changed by title Varpet (teacher) the inscriptions on the church-walls give interesting information also about the amount of wage of architects. According to S.Barkhudaryan’s calculations the unknown architect-master that fully repaired small constructions of Karmir monastery, got 80 dehekans. This for XIIIc “is a considerable sum of money, especially in outskirts”
What concerns the monastic constructions of Karmir or Berdadzor, then we should mention that the church is a small vaulted hall, to which from north joins the vestibule, and from south- the chapel. All the walls are built from chipped white and orange lime-stone. Here were also used large slabs.
The southern and northern walls of the monument are rather large. in the walls from interior side of the vestibule were built large bays, through which one can get to the vestries, placed in the walls.
Monastery Karmir is known as a prominent center of manuscript work. One of the monastery’s writers, named Vardan, in an inscription since 1621 informs about in what difficult conditions were the creators of Armenian manuscripts to work. “While writing a page they had to stand up 10 times. Don’t be sever to me for the book and the mistakes in it”. I take the pen and I need to take care of the stones and the wood, then will write a little- again I need to go take care of the garden…” obviously writer Vardan was charged with keeping monastery’s economy.
Homestays
Camping
Trails
| Himnakan Janapar (Backbone Trail) |
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| Nor Manashid > Dadivank > Vaghuhas > Vank > Kolatak > Ptretsik > Aygestan > Stepanakert > Mkhitarishen > Avetaranots > Karmir Shuka > Azokh > Togh > Hadrut |
