St. Stepanos Monastery (Tivi)

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St. Stepanos Monastery
St. Stepanos Monastery of Navush
Սուրբ Ստեփանոս անապատ
LocationTivi
CountryAzerbaijan
DenominationArmenian Apostolic Church
History
StatusDestroyed
Founded11–12th centuries
Architecture
Demolished1997–2006

St. Stepanos Monastery was an Armenian monastery located near Tivi village (Ordubad district) of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic of Azerbaijan.[1] The monastery was located some 2 km south of Tivi village,[1] on high ground in the abandoned village of Navush.[2]

History[edit]

The monastery was founded in the 11–12th centuries, its apse contains 15th century cross-stones (khachkars). An Armenian inscription on the tympanum attests that the church was renovated in 1677.[2][3][4]

Architecture[edit]

In Armenian manuscripts, St. Stepanos is referred as both a hermitage and a monastery. One of the first mentions of St. Stepanos is in a colophon of a gospel that was copied in 1489 and restored in the monastery. The monastery was a basilica with gabled roof and had a nave and two aisles. In the apse and two vestries were secret chambers.[2][3]

Destruction[edit]

The monastery was razed to ground at some point between 1997 and June 15, 2006, as documented by investigation of the Caucasus Heritage Watch.[1]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c 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. 172–175. Archived (PDF) from the original on 24 September 2022.
  2. ^ a b c Ayvazyan, Argam. Nakhijevani ISSH haykakan hushardzannery. Hamahavak tsutsak. Yerevan: Hayastan, 1986, p. 61.
  3. ^ a b Research on Armenian Architecture, Nakhijevan: Atlas. Yerevan: Tigran Metz Publishing House, 2012.
  4. ^ Ayvazyan, Argam, The Historical Monuments of Nakhichevan. Transl. Krikor H. Maksoudian. Detroit: Wayne State University Press, 1990, pp. 39–40.