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The Church of Kish (Armenian: Սուրբ Եղիշե Եկեղեցի, St. Yeghishe Church; Azerbaijani: Kiş kilsəsi) is a church located in the village of Kish approximately 5km north from Shaki, Azerbaijan at an altitude of 1,180 meters above sea level. Following excavations, there were plans to turn the church into a museum.[1] Today, the cite serves as a museum attracting large numbers of foreign and domestic visitors.[2]
History
[edit]According to Movses Kaghankatvatsi, in the 1st century A.D. St. Elishe, a disciple of Thaddeus of Edessa, arrived to a place called Gis, where he built a church and recited a liturgy. The church became the "spiritual center and the place of enlightenment of people of the East". On his way from Gis St. Elishe was killed near the pagan altar in small Zerguni valley by unknown people.[3]
Kish and Gis
[edit]The toponym of Kish and it's church have been identified with that of Gis since the 19th century.[4] However, some research has challenged the identifications of the location of Kish with Gis.[5] According to Movses Kaghankatvatsi, the settlement of Gis was situated "...in a swampy, salt-rich site..."[6] However, Kish is in an area of wooded mountains. [7] Therefore, the location of Gis that Movses Kaghankatvatsi referred to may not be the Kish where this church is located [7]. The location of Gis is believed to be the village of Bomen / Bum 60km to the south-east of Kish, in Gabala district, Uti (Utik) province.[8]
Some Norwegian and Azerbaijani scholars identify the church of Kish with that of Gis. [9][1]
Today, media in Azerbaijan represents the Kish church as the first church built in Caucasian Albania and also the first church built in the Caucasus.[10]
History of church
[edit]The origins of the town and founding of the church of St. Yeghishe are unclear. Some sources cite this church as the first church founded by St. Elisha the Apostle[11] Without disputing pecularities in the plan of the church, as well as it's previous occupation, the current church is dated from the 12-13th centuries.[7].
According to Georgian historgraphy, in the 10th century the population of Kish converted to the Georgian Orthodox Church. It is also alleged that between the 10th and 11th centuries, those very people built Sourb Astvatzatzin Church which later turned into the residence of the Georgian bishop, functioning till the 17th century.[12]
Another record attests to the construction of the church as part of a monastery in 1244 by the Archbishop Serapheme, and it's later destruction during Agha Muhammad Khan's invasions.[13]
In 1310, the Georgian Bishop Kyurile Donauri cites the church under the name of St. Astvatsatsin(Mother of God) and it's historical Armenian settlement[14].
In 1727 the Armenian population was oppressed by the khan, with some scattering, while others being forced to lose their religion. However, they maintained their Armenian names and continued to attend and venerate the monastery.[15] When Russia came into control of this region many Armenians converts applied to restore their faiths.[7]
In 1836 all active churches in this region that were not Georgian or Russian administered were incorporated into the Armenian Apostolic Church. The church was re-consecrated as part of an Armenian Apostolic monastery sometime before 1839, when the sanctuary is mentioned in connection with a robbery of its church objects. [7]
19th century expansion
[edit]Starting with the second half of the 19th century the monastery and church saw much expansion and renovation. In the 1860's, the prior of the monastery, Gevorg Aramiants carried out some overhaul in Kish's Monastery.[16] An Armenian inscription dated 1865 commemorated some of this restoration, but has since disappeared. [7]
Attacks on the monastery
[edit]As an Armenian monastery in a Muslim village, there were special difficulties associated with the place. In 1885 some windows of the monastery were broken by locals in relation to a fight that had broken out. [17] The year 1909 showed another example of intolerance towards the existence of an Armenian monastery in the village when the dome cross of the local sanctuary became a target of firing for some Muslims. Facing the protest raised by the Armenians, they promised to repair the leaning cross, otherwise bringing secular authorities to the conflict. [18]
Place of pilgrimage
[edit]In the 19th century, the place was associated with St. Yeghishe and was a famous and sacred place of pilgrimage for the Armenians throughout Transcaucasia. They annually gathered there to celebrate Vardavar.[19]
Excavations
[edit]In 2000-2003 the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs funded a joint project between Baku State University for Architecture and Construction and the Norwegian Humanitarian Enterprise for archeological excavation and restoration of the church of Kish. Dr. Vilayat Karimov of Baku's Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography served as the Director of Excavations, and the Archaeological Advisor for the project was J. Bjørnar Storfjell, who currently directs the Thor Heyerdahl Research Centre in Aylesbury, England. Radiocarbon analysis of various objects found on the site showed that the cultic site found beneath the altar of the church dates to about 3000 B.C., while the construction of the existing church building dates to about the 12th century (990-1160 A.D.).[20]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Azerbaijan International Magazine - The Kish Church, Digging Up History, Norwegians Help Restore Ancient Church: An interview with J. Bjornar Storfjell
- ^ Norwegian Humanitarian Enterprise News
- ^ Movses Kalankatuatsi. History of Albania. Book 1, Chapter VI
- ^ Jalaliants, S., Journey to Great Armenia, Tpkhis, 1858, p. 370
- ^ Ulubabian, B., Verification of Certain Historical and Geographical Names, in "Banber Yerevani Hamalsarani," 1971, N 1, pp. 176-177 .
- ^ Movses Kaghankatvatsi, History of Aghvank, Yerevan, 1983, p. 95
- ^ a b c d e f Karapetian, Samvel. Kish Village, Shaki District, Republic of Azerbaijan. Research on Armenian Architecture.
- ^ Kartapetian, Samvel (2001). Armenian Cultural Monuments in the region of Karabagh. Yerevan: RAA. p. 79. ISBN 5-8080-0468-3.
- ^ Mammadova, Gulchohra. "The Azerbaijan-Norwegian Kish Project: Progress Report." The History of Caucasus: Scientific Public Almanac 2(June 2002). p. 33-40.
- ^ Interview with Russian Orthodox Baku and Caspian Bishop Alexander
- ^ "Meghu Hayastani" 1881, N 123, p. 1
- ^ Chubinashvili, G. N., The Architecture of Kakhet , Tbilisi, 1959, pp. 435-436
- ^ "Caucasian Calendar for 1852", Tiflis, 1851, p. 271 "Монастыр во имя Св. Апостола Егишея при селении Киш и Киш построен в 1244 г. по Р. Х. Архидиаконом Серафимом. Опустел во время нашествия Шаха Агамагмада".
- ^ Muradian, P., The Georgian Inscriptions of Armenia, Yerevan, 1977, p. 11
- ^ "Nor-Dar" 1889, N 208, p. 2
- ^ "Ararat," 1875, pp. 31-32
- ^ "Nor-Dar," 1885, N 135, p. 1
- ^ "Surhandak," 1909, N 16, p. 3
- ^ "Caucasian Calendar for 1886," Tiflis, 1885, p. 151
- ^ Azerbaijan International Magazine. About the Kish Church Reconstruction Project