Marmashen Monastery (Shirak province - Armenia) - Abbeys, Convents and Monasteries on Waymarking.com

The beautiful Marmashen Monastery, located on the left bank of the Akhuryan River close to Marmashen village (Shirak province of Armenia), belongs among the most important early medieval monastic complexes in the country.

The monastery of Marmashen was one of the largest, most important medieval cultural centers of Armenia. Once surrounded by walls, Marmashen now consists of two groups of structures: the first is the main complex with three surviving churches, a ruined gavit (large narthex), the remains of a large round church, and a small chapel. The second group, in the distance to the north, called Verin (upper) Marmashen has a small 7th century church and old cemetery.

The three churches in the main complex still standing were erected by Prince Vahram Pahlavuni from 986-1029 with the help of his mother Shushik and brothers Vasak, Aplgharib abd Hamge according to information given in the inscription carved on the south wall of the large church in the center known as the Katoghike. The historian Samuel of Ani (a famous medieval capital of Armenia) mentions that the Katoghike was built from 986-994. The second church of the group is located next to Katoghike’s north wall and considered to have been built between 994-1029. The third church is to the south of the Katoghike and is probably 11th century structure.

The ruined gavit, large enough to serve as an assembly hall, was built against the Katoghike west wall probably by Prince Vahram in 1029. It also served as the mauseoleum of the Pahlavuni family. Inscriptions in the area show that Prince Vahram, his grandsins and other family members are buried in the gavit. An inscription dated 1225 on the north wall of the Katoghike reports that Vahram’s grandsons, archbishop Grigor and his brother Gharib repaired and restored the monastery, indicating it may have been ruined and unhabited due to Turk invasion. The monastery flourished until the Mongol invasion in the 14th century.

The Katoghike is notable for the use of architectural and sculptural features similar to those on the impressive cathedral of Ani built 986-1001 by the architect Trdat, such as blind arcades with slender colonnettes on the exterior walls. There are seven arcaded wall-niches carved on the interior eastern apse, which are with high probability the Trdat’s work. Although the inner and outer Katoghike’s walls are constructed of tuff, which is responsible for the reddish color of the churches, basalt is used for the base walls.