Մաստարայի Սբ․ Հովհաննես եկեղեցի

VISITOR INFORMATION

Access: Center of Mastara village
Coordinates: 40°27'07"N 43°53'02"
Preservation: Standing
Era and Chronology:

• First Construction Period: 620-630s
• Second Construction Period: 640s

OVERVIEW

The St. Hovhannes Church in Mastara, also known as Katoghike, has been a subject of interest since the 19th century. Researchers such as G. Alishan, G. Hovsepyan, and T. Toramanian have studied and documented the inscriptions and architecture of the church. Mastara is frequently mentioned in works devoted to Armenian architecture, highlighting its significance.

ARCHITECTURAL FEATURES

St. Hovhannes Church is a quadrangular structure with a central dome. The prayer hall is quadrangular, and the dome, with its octagonal drum, rises majestically above three tiers of trumpet-shaped elements. The church features three horseshoe-shaped altars inside, which appear pentagonal from the outside. Vestries flank the upper tabernacle, and entrances are located in the western and southern shrines.

Constructed initially with large brown and purple stones, the church was later renovated with orange-yellow stones. The skilled craftsmanship is evident in the marks preserved on the stones. Eight windows adorn the 16-sided drum, allowing light to illuminate the interior. The dome's interior is decorated with beams, adding to the church's grandeur.

The exterior decoration is restrained, featuring rare Armenian art elements such as sculptured porches, cornices, and window arches adorned with floral and geometric motifs. Decorative arches enhance the western and eastern facades, while dentil cornices add a finishing touch to the exterior.

PRESERVATION AND CONSERVATION

The church underwent significant renovations in the 10th-13th centuries and the 18th century. In 1889, during the renovation, the surrounding walls were demolished, and a wooden lodge was built inside the church. The walls were covered with thick sand plaster, beneath which remnants of frescoes were discovered. In 2017, restoration work was carried out to clean, fix, and restore the murals.

LOCAL LEGENDS AND CULTURAL CONTEXT

According to one legend, when the villagers carried St. Hovhannes' body through the village, they requested a part of him. Receiving his hand, they built the church to house it, naming the village Mastara.

Another legend states that St. Gregory the Illuminator brought St. John's relic to the village and buried part of it where the church was later built. The village was then named Mastara, meaning "I took the part."