MONASTERY OF LOWER HOROMAYR

Location. The monastery is situated on a range of rocks edging an elevated gorge slope on the left bank of the river Debed, 1.5 km south-east of Odzun Village, Lori Region, Republic of Armenia (Tashir District, Gugark Province, Armenia Maior), at an altitude of 1,132 metres above sea level (N 41°02´06.60´´; E 044°37´38.16´´).

The Structures of the Complex. It consists of two churches, a church-belfry, chapels, a cemetery of cross-stones as well as some cut-in-rock caves once serving as abodes and utility structures.

The central church, which is the earliest monument of the complex, is attributed to the 12th century according to its composition, building as well as volumetric-spatial features.

It adjoins the church-belfry of Sourb Nshan (Holy Sign) in the south and a small church in the north. It represents a vaulted hall of a gable roof stretching from the east westward and has an entrance in the north, with which it communicates with the church-belfry. The building is illuminated through a window widening inwardly opening from each of its eastern and western facades.

The central church is built of roughly-finished porous basalt and mortar.

The church-belfry of Sourb Nshan abuts on the central church in the south and the rock in the west.

According to its construction inscription, it was erected (but in fact, this was an act of thorough rebuilding) by Zakare and Ivane Zakarian in 1187.

It represents a rectangular hall with a horseshoe-shaped sanctuary, which probably dates from the Early Middle Ages. The angular sections of its sanctuary and the console-shaped cornices of the western wall bear the weight of four arches on which the pseudo-dome rests. In the centre of the roof, the eight-pillar rotunda of the belfry rises.

It has an entrance opening from the centre of its western wall, with which it communicates with a cut-in-rock cave of an almost circular plan. The same wall is enriched with ornate cross-stones.

On both sides of the northern portal of the monument, the lower stonework of the wall is decorated with reliefs showing standing angels who hold crosses. Its arrow-shaped tympanum bears a high relief representing Christ.

This church-bell tower also served as a funerary monument, which is attested by the memorial stones found on its floor.

Particularly noteworthy are the multi-line donation inscriptions of the 13th to 14th centuries (the dated ones trace back to 1286, 1290, 1292, 1296, 1311, 1316 and 1329) which are engraved on the rock range extending north of the church in the form of book pages.

The cemetery extending around the monument retains several tombstones and ornate cross-stones one of which traces back to 1201. Especially important for the history of this complex is one of the cross-stones the three sides of whose pedestal are carved with an extensive inscription which presents the contents of an agreement.

The southern church adjoins the central church in the south. An inscription engraved on the tympanum of its western entrance reveals that it was erected in 1201 by Sargis and Zakare, the sons of a certain Hakob and Khalil.

It represents a small uni-nave vaulted hall with a gable roof and proportions which remind of a square. Light is let in through a window widening inward which opens from the eastern facade.

The church is built of finely-dressed basalt and mortar.

Sourb Astvatzatzin (Holy Virgin) Zhamatun (Vestibule) is situated about 25 metres north of the church-belfry of Sourb Nshan.

According to an inscription engraved on the facade of its sanctuary, it was erected by Archimandrite Ignatios in 1301.

The zhamatun represents a large semi-ruined hall extending from the north southward with a sanctuary which is semi-circular inwardly and rectangular outwardly. Most presumably, it used to have a wooden roof and was illuminated through three windows opening from its eastern facade. It has two entrances in the north and south. The traces of some mural paintings can be discerned on the wall of the sanctuary. The western wall of the zhamatun forms a whole with the rock.

This monument is mainly built of roughly-finished basalt with the exception of the lower stonework of its eastern wall, the arch of the sanctuary and entrance frames, which are finely-dressed.

Cut-in-Rock Caves and Structures. The rock adjoining this cluster of monuments in the west contains caves cut at varying height, part of them strengthened with walls. Especially noteworthy is a cut-in-rock chapel lying in the middle part of the southwestern rock.