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The Churches of the City of Van
Author: Robert Tatoyan
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, there were 12 functioning churches in the City of Van, of which seven were located in the central district of the city, and five in the suburb of Aykesdan.
Churches of the Central District of Van
Saint Paul-Saint Peter and Holy Apostle Twin (Adjacent) Churches
The Saint Paul-Saint Peter and the Holy Apostle churches were adjacent to each other, separated only by a dividing wall. For that reason, they were known to the locals as the “jame jamin vra”[“the church on top of the church”] or “choukhdag jame jer kari vra” [“the twin churches on the rock”]. The churches were located in the northern section of the main boulevard of central Van.
The church buildings and narthexes were built beautifully and sturdily, entirely of polished stone. The Saint Paul Church had exterior dimensions of 8 by 12 meters, and a rectangular, domed interior. It was described as “large and domed.” Saint Peter was built in the style of a basilica.
By the late 19th and early 20th centuries, only Saint Paul still functioned as a church, and Saint Peter was in a semi-dilapidated state. In the mid-1850, the Saint Paul Church had two serving clergymen [1].
Saint Nshan or Echmiadzin Church
This was the central church of the fortressed section of the city, adjacent to the building that housed the Armenian Prelacy. It was a small, domed church. The church’s consecration anniversary was celebrated every Friday, alongside the Divine Liturgy. On the holidays of Varaka and the Feast of the Cross, all clergy from the churches of central Van would gather at Sant Nshan, alongside massive crowds. In the mid-1850s, the church had two serving clergymen [2].
Saint Sahag Church
The church was located to the northeast of the central district’s market. It was frequented almost exclusively by the families of artisans during Lent and on other important holidays. The church was described as a venerable place of worship, spacious and beautiful, with an impressive location and appearance.
Prominent clerics Yeremia Devgants and Karekin Srvantsdyants often preached at the Saint Sahag Church [3].
Saint Stephen Church
The church was located in the vicinity of the Saint Sahag Church. It was built of wood, and had a simple and unimposing appearance. It only had a narthex, which was often used as a meeting place for artisans, as well as a place to set up the altar table. Whenever an issue of national or communal importance arose in Van, representatives of the city’s artisan community and affiliated organizations would gather at Saint Stephen to discuss it. In the mid-1850s, the Saint Sahag and Saint Stephen churches, between them, had only two serving clergymen [4].
Holy Virgin of the Apricots Church
This church was located at a distance of about five minutes from the Saint Sahag Church, in a “thick and verdant” copse of apricot trees. It wasn’t a particularly large structure. Rather, its proportions were intimate and cozy.
A small stream ran on the grounds of the church, and it was known to have miraculous healing properties. A contemporary writes – “The power of the Holy Virgin of the Apricots is immense and awesome. Her miracle manifests in all devout believers, Armenians or Turks, who come with incense and candle, bathe in the blessed waters that spring from her temple, and are healed of their various ailments.”
The Divine Liturgy was celebrated in the church on Wednesdays and on holidays.
In the mid-1850s, the church had one serving clergyman [5].
Holy Madonna Church
The church was located atop one of the oldest holy sites of the City of Van, first mentioned in as early as the 14th century. By the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the compound at the site consisted of the Holy Madonna Church, the adjacent Holy Archangels Church, and the Hisousyan Central School, one of the first Armenian educational institutions in the city.
The church was wealthy and possessed much movable and immovable wealth, including ornaments and vestments made of gold, silver, and precious stones. The “Mmar Khas” or “Malkhas” Bible, thought to have miraculous properties, was also kept at this church.
In the mid-1850s, the church had two serving clergymen [6].
Saint Vartan Church
The Saint Vartan Church was located to the east of the Holy Madonna Church. According to local tradition, it was founded in the second half of the fifth century by Vartan Mamigonian’s daughter, Shoushan. Saint Vartan was a compound, consisting of an early medieval temple and a late medieval narthex. It was rectangular and domed, and from the outside measured 8.5 by 10 meters.
The interior of the church was brick-walled. Notably, the church’s external walls had a width of two meters, which allowed the builders to carve sculptures into the inner walls up to a depth of a meter.
The church’s festival day was held on the first Thursday after Paregentan – it was marked with “Great spiritual preparation and… Large crowds of men and women in attendance, as well as representatives of the schools.” Kevork Sherents considered this festival to be “the principal and most important celebration in Vasbouragan,” celebrated only after “prior planning and careful organization.”
In 1881, Van’s first girls’ school, the Shoushanian School, was founded adjacent to the church.
In the mid-1850s, the church had two serving clergymen [7].
Churches of Aykesdan
Holy Virgin Church of Haygavan
The Holy Virgin Church of Haygavan (a monastery in antiquity) was also known as the Yotn Khoran Church (Church of the Seven Altars), the Hankoutselo Monastery (Monastery of the Departed), and Otevank. It was located on two large roads leading from the center of the city to Aykesdan. There was a graveyard adjacent to the church, which was built sometime between the 11th and 13th centuries.
The church was built in the style of a three-naved basilica, with a spacious narthex. The ceiling of the central nave consisted of three layers of hazarashen patterns (consecutive layers of squares gradually decreasing in size). The church had an earthen roof, with the customary roof apertures of churches in Van.
The church was called the church of “seven altars” because aside from the three altars above the main altar, there were another additional three in the underground section, each with its own khackhar (stela) – the “blue,” “green,” and “red” crosses. The locals believed that these khachkars were endowed with miraculous properties. Those who suffered from fevers visited the khachkars, kneeled before them, and washed with the water of the altar basins, in the hopes of being healed.
A school operated right inside the church. The school area was separated from the rest of the church by a wooden barrier.
In the mid-1850, the church had two serving clergymen [8].
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