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Sona Avagyan

Derelict Tziranavor Church Not Slated for Renovation

The Tziranavor Church (5th-6th centuries) in the vicinity of the town of Ashtarak isn’t included in the list of cultural monuments to be restored by the Armenian government.

The Agency for the Preservation of Historical and Cultural Monuments, attached to the Ministry of Culture, informed Hetq that government funds are mainly being allocated to sites that are currently undergoing either renovation or those on the verge of collapse.

The church is a rectangular schemed basilica, with a horseshoe-like altar, and there are two chambers to the left and the right side. It was built by Catholicos Nerses II of Bagrevand.

It has been renovated several times over the centuries.

During the later centuries, the northern and western walls were doubled and strengthened. There is a remarkable double window noticable from inside. On the eastern facade of the church there are remnants of a teeth-like lattice.

The old basilica was surrounded by walls, which made the whole construction resemble a mansion. Because the church was built at the edge of the Kasagh River canyon, it also played a defensive role.

Today, the church is crumbling and lacks a roof.

This is a Soviet-era descriptive plaque that still stands on the church wall.

Rubbish and graffiti mar the inside and walls of the church.

The Kasagh Bridge and river as seen from the church above.

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