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38-605: Mashtots was buried at the site in 440, where a martyrium was built three years later. The current church dates to 1873–79, when an entirely new building was built on the grave of Mashtots, located under the altar. It has been the seat of the Diocese of Aragatsotn since 1996. According to Movses Khorenatsi , when Mesrop Mashtots died (c. 440), three locations were considered for his burial place: his native Taron region; Goghtn , where he had begun his missionary work; and Vagharshapat , Armenia's political and religious capital, next to

76-571: A funerary hall that is now only a ruined wall. Some of the earliest free-standing temples in India are thought to have been of a circular type, as the Buddhist Bairat Temple in Bairat , Rajasthan , formed of a central stupa surrounded by a circular colonnade and an enclosing wall, built during the time of Emperor Ashoka and near which were found several Minor Rock Edicts . Ashoka also built

114-700: A sarcophagus , were moved to a new church. The architectural form of the martyrium was developed from Roman architecture , mainly based on imperial mausolea . Constantine the Great applied this style to the tomb of Jesus at the Anastasis in Jerusalem ( c.  326–380s ) and the Apostles' Church in Constantinople , while also erecting round mausolea for himself and his daughters . The first step towards creating

152-730: A church based on an imperial mausoleum was made around 320, when Constantine connected what was meant to become his own mausoleum with a church structure. The same form was later adopted by early Islamic architecture , which employed it in the creation of a shrine known as the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem , built much in the style of the Constantinian rotunda of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, with which it

190-595: A most interesting form, are found at Karcsa , Kiszombor in Hungary, at Horjany in Ukraine and several places in Armenia (Aragatz, Bagaran, Bagnayr, Botshor, Kiagmis Alti). There is an interesting connection between Central European and Caucasian rotundas of the 9th to 11th centuries AD. Several Armenian built rotunda churches have sixfold arched central apsis, i.e. at Aragatz, Bagaran , Bagnayr, Botshor, Kiagmis Alti in Armenia . At

228-476: A new marble gravestone was erected through the funds of Archbishop Andreas, primate of the Artsakh Diocese . It was replaced with an Italian marble gravestone in 1962 that reads: Saint Mesrop Mashtots 361–440 (ՍՈՒՐԲ ՄԵՍՐՈՊ ՄԱՇՏՈՑ 361 ✝ 440). A cylindrical bell-tower was added in 1884 on the eastern side of the church, crowned by a rotunda with eight columns. For its location on the eastern (as opposed to

266-608: A number of other round churches . The rotunda with columns was revived in one of the most influential buildings in Renaissance architecture , the Tempietto in a courtyard of the church of San Pietro in Montorio in Rome. This was designed by Donato Bramante around 1502 in strongly classicizing style. It is a small building whose innovation, as far as Western Europe was concerned, was to use

304-503: A public school during the Soviet period. The building was renovated in 1996-97 through the financial support of Djivan Koboyan, an Armenian American philanthropist, and was reopened on October 18, 1998. It serves as a dpratun (դպրատուն), a scientific and educational center, dedicated to Mashtots and the Armenian alphabet. Rafael Atoyan depicted Armenia's national poet, Hovhannes Tumanyan , at

342-401: A reconstruction campaign in 1868. He successfully raised funds to rebuild the church. In 1872 he officially called upon the Armenian people to support the cause in a kondak (proclamation or encyclical ). Construction began in the spring of 1873 and the new church was completed in 1879. It was consecrated on October 21, 1879. The new church, built by Greek workmen from Alexandropol (Gyumri) ,

380-492: A wide variety of designs. There was often a sunken floor, or part of it, to bring the faithful closer to the remains of the saint, and a small opening, the fenestella , going from the altar-stone to the grave itself. Later churches began to bring the relics of saints to the church, rather than placing the church over the grave; the first translation of relics was in Antioch in 354, when the remains of Saint Babylas , which were in

418-566: Is a church or shrine built over the tomb of a Christian martyr . It is associated with a specific architectural form , centered on a central element and thus built on a central plan, that is, of a circular or sometimes octagonal or cruciform shape. The origin of the name of the Christian martyrium is as follows: Ancient Greek martys , "witness", to martyrion , "testimony", to Late and Ecclesiastical Latin martyrium . The oldest Christian martyria were built at "a site which bears witness to

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456-413: Is a vaulted basilica built in black tuff . It has three entrances on the north, south, and west and eleven windows, not including the smaller windows on bell-tower. It has a capacity of 800 people. Acharian described it as a "mid-sized building, much more beautiful than usual rural churches, but lesser than churches of large cities." The grave of Mashtots is located in a crypt under the main altar. In 1884

494-713: Is just a circular colonnade with a roof (like a modern bandstand or park pavilion). It is not clear that any Greek example was actually a Greek temple , but several were Roman temples , though mostly much smaller than the Pantheon, and with very different designs. The Temple of Hercules Victor and Temple of Vesta in Rome, along with the Temple of Vesta, Tivoli , are the best known and best preserved examples. The few large Greek tholoi had varied functions, not all of which are now clear. Several are at major religious sanctuaries, but seem not to have been conventional temples. At most only

532-457: Is the biggest one in Central Europe, with diameter of 11 m. In many places the ancient foundations have been excavated and conserved. The village church of Sárospatak is complete with a simple circular nave and an eastern apse. The church of Alagimajor at Dunakeszi was enlarged toward the apse in the 14th century. More significant enlargement of the central rotunda is seen at Isaszeg where

570-598: The Christian faith , either by referring to an event in Christ's life or Passion , or by sheltering the grave of a martyr ". Martyria, mostly small, were very common after the early 4th century, when Constantine and his co-ruler, Licinius , became the first Roman emperors to declare religious tolerance for Christianity in the Roman Empire ( Edict of Milan , 313 AD). Martyria had no standard architectural plan, and are found in

608-657: The Mahabodhi Temple in Bodh Gaya circa 250 BC, possibly also a circular structure, next to the Bodhi tree . Representations of this early temple structure are found on a 100 BCE relief from the stupa railing at Bhārhut , as well as in Sanchi . These circular-type temples were also found in later rock-hewn caves such as Tulja Caves or Guntupalli . Circularity in Buddhist architecture

646-534: The Palatine Chapel in Aachen ( c.  792–805 ). Martyria that remain in something like their original form include the following: Other celebrated Martyria include: Rotunda (architecture) A rotunda (from Latin rotundus ) is any roofed building with a circular ground plan, and sometimes covered by a dome . It may also refer to a round room within a building (a famous example being

684-536: The 130s as a mausoleum for the emperor Hadrian , and in the Middle Ages turned into a castle, and the 4th-century Rotunda in Thessaloniki , probably also intended as an imperial mausoleum, but later used as a church and a mosque. The church of Santa Costanza in Rome is a circular funerary chapel of the 4th century, probably built for one or more of the daughters of Constantine the Great , originally placed next to

722-466: The 1960s, during the reign of Catholicos Vazgen I , through the financial support of Hayk and Torgom Ghazarosian brothers of Milan , Italy, originally from Yerznka (Erzincan) . A monument depicting the original 36 letters of the Armenian alphabet , as created by Mashtots, in the erkatagir style, was erected near the entrance to the grave of Mashtots. It was designed by Baghdasar Arzoumanian . The floor of

760-627: The 9th to 11th centuries CE in Central Europe . These round churches can be found in great number in Hungary , Poland , Slovakia , Croatia (particularly Dalmatia ), Austria , Bavaria , Germany , and the Czech Republic . It was thought of as a structure descending from the Roman Pantheon. However, it can be found mainly not on former Roman territories, but in Central Europe. Generally its size

798-580: The Ptolomeic Queen Arsinoe II of Egypt has survived. The sanctuary was a great Hellenistic centre of Greco-Roman mysteries and the building probably played some role in these. The oldest, the Tholos of Athens, was a large and plain rotunda used as a dining hall, and perhaps more, by the city's ruling council. Later, very large, Roman rotundas include the Castel Sant'Angelo in Rome, built in

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836-400: The church was covered with basalt tiles. A perimeter wall with a total length of 310 metres (1,020 ft) was built around the church in tuff . A drinking fountain designed by Rafael Israelyan was erected at the church courtyard in 1964. The church was declared the seat of the Diocese of Aragatsotn in 1996. The prelacy building was unveiled in 1997. The surrounding area of the church

874-452: The early 19th century, Hovhannes Shahkhatuniants found five inscriptions at the church, four of which were dated 1285–1295. The inscriptions are believed to have been lost during the reconstruction of the 1870s. At least one inscription was left by Sahmadin , a wealthy Armenian, who apparently renovated the church. The 17th century historian Arakel of Tabriz wrote that the roof of the "temple-mausoleum" had entirely collapsed and that only

912-429: The entrance of the church in a 1969 painting. The 20th century Armenian writer Sero Khanzadyan called the church and Kanaker , the birthplace of Khachatur Abovian (1809–48), as Armenia's two holy sites. [REDACTED] [REDACTED] Martyrium (architecture) A martyrium ( Latin ) or martyrion ( Greek ) ( pl. : martyria) , sometimes anglicized martyry ( pl. : "martyries"),

950-563: The extension extended toward the East and West; the rotunda foundations can also be seen in the central portion of the nave of the Gothic church. In many cases the rotunda was used as the apse of the village's new and larger church (Bagod-Szentpál, Hidegség , Vágkeresztur, Ipolykiskeszi, Herencsény , Szalonna ). Such semi-circle apses are preserved all over the Carpathian Basin. Rotundas of six apses,

988-667: The foundations and a few columns remain in place. They include the Tholos of Delphi , the Philippeion at Olympia , a small memorial to the family of Philip of Macedon , and a large building at the Sanctuary of Asclepius, Epidaurus . The largest Greek tholos, of uncertain function, was built in the Samothrace temple complex in the 260s BC. It is often called the Arsinoeum, as a dedication tablet for

1026-418: The grave of Mashtots three years later, in 443. Hrachia Acharian interpreted it literally; he believed Amatuni simply added an altar in a pre-existing chapel. The modern view is that Vahan Amatuni built a temple, i.e. a martyrium or a chapel on Mashtots' grave. Elizabeth Redgate suggested that it was an underground martyrium. Not much is known about the later history of the site until the modern period. In

1064-405: The graves of other saints. His body was eventually taken by Hmayeak Mamikonian , a military commander and the brother of Vardan Mamikonian , and Vahan Amatuni , Armenia's Persian-appointed hazarapet (chief of finances), to Oshakan , the latter's native village. This is also attested by Koriun , Mashtots' biographer, and Ghazar Parpetsi . According to Koriun, Vahan Amatuni built an "altar" on

1102-477: The invention of the Armenian alphabet. Major figures associated with Mashtots are included in it: Mashtots, Catholicos Sahak Partev , King Vramshapuh and prince Vahan Amatuni. Minasian also created the altarpiece , depicting the Virgin and Child , in 1966. The frescoes were restored in 2019–20 through funding from Armenia's President Armen Sarkissian . A school was established next to the church in 1913. It served as

1140-412: The main altar was still extant. Catholicos Pilippos completely renovated the church between 1639 and 1645, but it was heavily dilapidated by the 19th century. Catholicos Nerses Ashtaraketsi made a failed attempt to renovate it in 1850. Mikayel Nalbandian , a writer and activist, visited Oshakan during his only visit to Armenia in 1860 and lamented its condition in a poem. Catholicos Gevorg IV launched

1178-521: The one below the dome of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. ). The Pantheon in Rome is perhaps the most famous, and is the most influential rotunda. A band rotunda is a circular bandstand , usually with a dome. The terminology of Ancient Greek architecture and Roman architecture distinguishes between two types of rotunda: a tholos is enclosed by a wall, while a monopteros

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1216-826: The research and radiocarbon dating of plaster, Rotunda of st. George in Nitrianska Blatnica was built sometimes around the year 830, what makes it one of the oldest still standing buildings in the area of Central Europe. Similar rotunda was standing in hillfort Kostolec in Ducové (only foundations remained). The role and form of rotundas developed from gradual enlargements of ancient small village churches. Many of them still stand today, e.g. in Nagytótlak, Kallósd and Kissikátor in Hungary or in Bíňa and Šivetice in Slovakia . Rotunda in Šivetice

1254-501: The tholos form as the base for a dome above; this may have reflected a Byzantine structure in Jerusalem over the tomb of Christ. The Roman Temple of Vesta (which has no dome) was probably also an influence. This pairing of tholos, now called a drum or tholobate , and dome became extremely popular raised high above main structures which were often based on the Roman temple . A great number of parochial churches were built in this form in

1292-464: The usual western end) and cylindrical design, it is a rare example in Armenian architecture . In 1880 a memorial was erected on the grave of Vahan Amatuni just outside the church. On October 13, 1912, Catholicos Gevorg V , other religious figures and common people traveled from Vagharshapat to Oshakan in a ceremonial procession as part of the celebrations of the 1,500 anniversary of the Armenian alphabet. The church underwent extensive renovation in

1330-632: Was 6–9 meters inner diameter and the apse was directed toward the east. Sometimes three or four apses were attached to the central circle and this type has relatives even in the Caucasus . Several types of rotundas are found in the Carpathian Basin , within the former boundaries of Kingdom of Hungary . Building of rotundas in Carpathian basin started already in 9th century in Great Moravia . According to

1368-586: Was generally to allow a path for pradakshina or devotional circling of a round and solid stupa . It has been suggested that these circular structures with colonnades may have originated with the Greek circular tholos temple, as in the Tholos of Delphi , but circular wooden huts in India are a more likely source of inspiration. The Pisa Baptistery is the outstanding late medieval rotunda, taking from 1152 to 1363 to build, and including Romanesque , Gothic and classicizing or Proto-Renaissance elements. There are

1406-628: Was meant to create a "dialog of shrines", while standing at a prominent, isolated position – the Temple Mount . The central-plan martyrium church became a model for important churches not containing important relics, such as the Constantinian "Golden Octagon" at Antioch , and perhaps also the octagonal church of Caesarea Maritima (built c.  480–500 ), the San Vitale in Ravenna (526–547), and

1444-442: Was renovated in 2000 by Djivan Koboyan, an Armenian American philanthropist. In August 2012 archaeologist Frina Babayan uncovered remains of the 5th-century structure near the foundations of the bell tower. The interior of the church was covered with frescoes by Hovhannes Minasian and Henrik Mamian in 1961–64. They created the monumental fresco Glory to Armenian Letters and Literature («Փառք հայ գրի և դպրության»), which depicts

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