St. Hovhannes Church was an Armenian church located on a hill in the center of the former village of Berdak, near the current Dyrnys village (Ordubad district) of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic of Azerbaijan.[1][2][3]
| St. Hovhannes Church | |
|---|---|
Սուրբ Հովհաննես եկեղեցի | |
 | |
| Location | Dırnıs |
| Country | Azerbaijan |
| Denomination | Armenian Apostolic Church |
| History | |
| Status | Destroyed |
| Architecture | |
| Demolished | 1997–2000 |
History
editThe date of the construction of the church is unclear, however, the date 1625 appeared on a few cross-stones (khachkars) that were embedded in the church walls.[3] An Armenian inscription in the church attests to renovations in 1888.[3]
Architectural characteristics
editThe church was a small, vaulted building with a single-chamber nave, an apse in the east and a single doorway in the southern facade. A hall built along the southern facade may have served as a vestry or bell tower. Armenian inscriptions were set in the eastern and southern walls.[2][3]
Destruction
editThe church was still standing in the early 1980s. However, it was partially ruined at that time.[1] According to investigation of the Caucasus Heritage Watch, the church was destroyed by February 3, 2000, it remained a vacant plot until 2019 when the Allahshukur Mosque was built on the grounds of the former church.[1] The mosque was built in honor of the Sheikh ul-Islam and Grand Mufti of the Caucasus, Allahshukur Pashazadeh.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c d Khatchadourian, Lori; Smith, Adam T.; Ghulyan, Husik; Lindsay, Ian (2022). Silent Erasure: A Satellite Investigation of the Destruction of Armenian Heritage in Nakhchivan, Azerbaijan. Cornell Institute of Archaeology and Material Studies: Ithaca, NY. pp. 104–107. Archived (PDF) from the original on 24 September 2022.
- ^ a b Ayvazian, Argam. The Historical Monuments of Nakhichevan. Transl. Krikor H. Maksoudian. Detroit: Wayne State University Press, 1990, p. 53.
- ^ a b c d Ayvazyan, Argam. Nakhijevani ISSH haykakan hushardzannery. Hamahavak tsutsak. Yerevan: Hayastan, 1986, pp. 43–44.