ZVARTNOTS CATHEDRAL

The ruins of this rotunda-shaped church, alas, give only a vague idea of its former appearance, so grandiose that a Byzantine emperor who stayed in the region in 652 wanted a similar one, it is said, in his capital. Its builder died on the road to Constantinople without having been able to complete his work, and will remain anonymous. The plans and reconstructions of this cathedral, carried out since 1904 in situ by the great architect Toramanian, and whose reproductions and models can be seen in the small neighbouring museum, still make us regret the collapse. The sections of wall and columns that remain standing still bear many traces of a rich sculpted decoration and allow us to imagine the splendour of this cathedral built by order of the Catholicos Nerses III, known as the Builder (641-662), and dedicated to the angels, the zvartunk, who appeared in a dream to Gregory the Illuminator. Topped by a dome topped by a conical tiled roof, the building had three levels, whose walls were covered by blind arches and pierced by round-arched windows, and resembled the great baptistry that preceded some cathedrals in Italy, in Florence or Pisa. The interior was articulated around a colonnade in the shape of a four-leaf clover and surrounded by an ambulatory. The cathedral, which is said to have housed the relics of Gregory the Illuminator, was distinguished by the profusion of sculptures and bas-reliefs, the richness of which can still be admired in the Ionic-style capitals typical of the Armenian school, decorated with eagles with outstretched wings. The arches were enhanced by bas-reliefs representing stylized vine stocks and pomegranates, the doors were underlined by porticoes supported by pairs of columns, the whole testifying to the strong Hellenic and Roman influence on the Armenian arts of the time. Too daring in its design, Zvartnots Cathedral could not withstand the 930 earthquake. Its model will be a school of thought, especially in Ani, but also in certain buildings in the shape of a rotunda, as in Mastara, but its dimensions will be more modest. Plans are underway to rebuild the building identically. The cloverleaf-shaped inner nave has been partly raised from the remains of existing stones and columns, which gives a more telling view of the original building.

To the south-west of the cathedral, one can see the ruins of the Catholicossal palace, which consisted of two perpendicular wings, with two large vaulted rooms preceded by arcades.