Partial views of the church Khelkhelan Spring and its plan (measurement by A. Hakobian) / Տեսարաններ Խլխլան աղբրի եկեղեցուց և հատակագիծը (չափ.՝ Ա. Հակոբյանի)

Partial views of the church Khelkhelan Spring and its plan (measurement by A. Hakobian) / Տեսարաններ Խլխլան աղբրի եկեղեցուց և հատակագիծը (չափ.՝ Ա. Հակոբյանի)

Partial views of the church Khelkhelan Spring and its plan (measurement by A. Hakobian) / Տեսարաններ Խլխլան աղբրի եկեղեցուց և հատակագիծը (չափ.՝ Ա. Հակոբյանի)

Partial views of the church Khelkhelan Spring and its plan (measurement by A. Hakobian) / Տեսարաններ Խլխլան աղբրի եկեղեցուց և հատակագիծը (չափ.՝ Ա. Հակոբյանի)

Partial views of the church Khelkhelan Spring and its plan (measurement by A. Hakobian) / Տեսարաններ Խլխլան աղբրի եկեղեցուց և հատակագիծը (չափ.՝ Ա. Հակոբյանի)

A cross-stone and khachkar fragments (13th century) in the church of Khelkhelan Spring / Խաչքար և խաչքարերի բեկորներ (ԺԳ դ.) Խլխլան աղբրի եկեղեցում

A cross-stone and khachkar fragments (13th century) in the church of Khelkhelan Spring / Խաչքար և խաչքարերի բեկորներ (ԺԳ դ.) Խլխլան աղբրի եկեղեցում

A cross-stone and khachkar fragments (13th century) in the church of Khelkhelan Spring / Խաչքար և խաչքարերի բեկորներ (ԺԳ դ.) Խլխլան աղբրի եկեղեցում

A cross-stone and khachkar fragments (13th century) in the church of Khelkhelan Spring / Խաչքար և խաչքարերի բեկորներ (ԺԳ դ.) Խլխլան աղբրի եկեղեցում

The fragment of a quadrilateral stele (6th to 7th centuries) and cross-stone (9th to 11th centuries) in the church of Khelkhelan Spring / Քառակող կոթողի բեկոր (Զ-Է դդ) և խաչքար (Թ-ԺԱ դդ) Խլխլան աղբրի եկեղեցում

The fragment of a quadrilateral stele (6th to 7th centuries) and cross-stone (9th to 11th centuries) in the church of Khelkhelan Spring / Քառակող կոթողի բեկոր (Զ-Է դդ) և խաչքար (Թ-ԺԱ դդ) Խլխլան աղբրի եկեղեցում

Cross-stones (13th and 17th to 18th centuries) in the church of the Khelkhelan Spring / ԺԳ և ԺԷ-ԺԸ դարերի խաչքարեր Խլխլան աղբրի եկեղեցում

Cross-stones (13th and 17th to 18th centuries) in the church of the Khelkhelan Spring / ԺԳ և ԺԷ-ԺԸ դարերի խաչքարեր Խլխլան աղբրի եկեղեցում

CHURCH OF KHELKHELAN SPRING

25.07.2013 17:37

The church stands under the canopy of a lonely oak tree near Khelkhelan Spring, on the projecting part of a south-facing mountain branch which offers a wide view of its surroundings, about a km north of Voskepar, at an altitude of 1,078 metres above sea level (N 41°05.37.20´´; E 045°02.41.40´´).

It has an open-apse composition (exterior dimensions: 2.30 x 3.03 metres), which is something rare, although open apses can also be found in the churches preserved in Ajarkut, Brdadzor and Khokhmel Villages1.

The building peculiarities of this sanctuary, which resembles an apse rather than a church, probably trace it back to the period between the 16th and 17th centuries. It was during its construction that some steles and funerary monuments (both entirely preserved and broken ones) were set in its walls.

It is noteworthy that this small insignificant church retains monuments of material culture which are attributed to four distinct historico-cultural stages.

Chronologically speaking, the first of them is the sculptured fragment of a quadrilateral stele (6th to 7th centuries) which is set in the northern part of the western facade of the apse.

The second is a cross-stone fragment of artistic and stylistic features typical of the 9th to 11th centuries.

Next comes a group of several ornate crossstones and khachkar fragments of the 12th to 13th centuries.

And finally, there is another group comprising remnants of late medieval (16th to 18th centuries) cross-stones.

The existence of these steles and funerary monuments of different periods in the walls of this open-apse church suggests that this is not the original place of their location: they were collected together from the adjacent ancient sites, beingset in the walls of the church, probably, for their further preservation.

 

1 A perfect specimen of this open-apse composition is Zorats St. Stepanos Church in Yeghegis Township of Vayots Dzor.