THROUGHOUT THE MIDDLE AGES

Written by Gevork Nazaryan

The Arsacid Dynasty ruled Armenia for nearly 400 years -- from the middle of the Ist century to the first half of the Vth. Under their rule Yerevan prospered due to the fact it lay on the important roads connecting the East with the West. The fact that Yerevan was within miles of the Capital Vałaršapat also contributed to growth. The  Arsacid Royal House was overthrown by the Armenian naxarars who wanted more decentralized power and resented the monarchy. Artašēs III, the last Arsacid king was deposed by the naxarars, with the help of the Sassanians of Iran, in 428.

THE  NAKHARAR  NOBILITY LED THE
WARRIOR CASTE OF GREATER ARMENIA

RUINS OF AMBERD CASTLE. MARMASHEN CHURCH IN THE BACKGROUND
SITUATED ON THE EXTREMELY HIGH ALTITUDES AND BEAUTIFUL ALPINE VISTAS
OF MOUNT ARAGATS IN THE ARAGATSOTN PROVINCE. XTH CENTURY.

THE FIFTH CENTURY FATHER OF ARMENIAN HISTORY - M. χORĒNACI.
WHO PRESERVED THE TIME IMMEMORIAL ANCESTRAL WISDOM AND TRADITIONS,
INCLUDING HEROIC EPICS AND DETAILED ACCOUNTS OF THE DEEDS
OF OUTSTANDING ARMENIAN MEN AND WOMEN FROM THE
BEGINNING OF HISTORY TO HIS OWN DAYS. VIRTUALLY
EVERY GEM OF THE TROUBADOUR BARDS AND THE HEATHEN
HISTORIANS THAT HAS SURVIVED AND REACHED US IS THANKS
TO THIS IMMORTAL MAN WHO GAVE HIS ALL TO
PRESERVE THE IDENTITY AND CULTURE OF HIS PEOPLE.

The Sassanians, had courted some of the naxarars [nakharars] promising them more power -- even to some high ranking naxarar houses the crown --  instead instigated the marzpanate or the naxarar system, which did not restore the Kingdom, but rather was based on the local rule of the naxarars, under the suzerainty of the Sassanians. During the Middle Ages, Yerevan as other parts of Armenia were virtually in perpetual warfare against different foreign invaders. A revival took place during the restoration of the Kingdom -- by the Bagratid Dynasty -- between the IXth and XIth centuries.

K‛ECHARIS MONASTERY IN TSAŁKADZOR. XI-XIIITH CENTURIES.

XTH CENTURY CHURCH OF THE HOLY VIRGIN OF PGHNDZAHANK‘ [AXT‘ALA]
FORTRESS-MONASTERY COMPLEX IN LORI MARZ OF HISTORIC GUGARK‘ PROVINCE
OF GREATER ARMENIA.

XIXTH CENTURY DRAWING OF THE PGHNDZAHANK FORTRESS-MONASTERY.

THE HIGHLY ARTISTIC FRESCOES INSIDE THE MONASTERY.

ANCIENT MANUSCRIPT [COPY OF IV-VTH CENTURY] SHOWING A SECTION
 OF THE CIRCLE OF NOBLE POWER OF THE  Z O R A N A M A K.
MATENADARAN MS NO. 1379.
THE RECORD INCLUDES ALL OF THE MAJOR ARISTOCRATIC HOUSES OF
GREATER ARMENIA ALONG WITH THE MILITARY STRENGTH OF EACH
NAKHARAR HOUSE. LIKE THE GAHNAMAK [SHOWING THE VERTICAL HIERARCHY
OF THE NOBLE HOUSES] -- ZORANAMAK UNDERWENT CHANGES
AS SOME OLD ARISTOCRATIC HOUSES LOST POWER AND
OTHERS ROSE ON THE POLITICAL SCENE.

RUINS OF XORAKERT MONASTERY. X-XIIITH CENTURIES.

G E N E R A L   P L A N   O F   T H E   G O Š A V A N K‛   C O M P L E X.

GOSPEL OF HOLY ECHMIADZIN [989]. MATENADARAN MS NO. 2374 P. 1a.
TWO COLUMNS WITHIN PARALLEL HORIZONTAL LINES SUPPORTING THE
MULTILAYERED GLOWING HALO [BLUE LIGHT].
NOTE THE BLUE+RED BRANCHES ON THE SIDES.
TWO PEACKOCKS FACING THE RED BLAZING SUN ON TOP OF
ACACIA REEF OF GLORY.

GOSPEL OF HOLY ECHMIADZIN [989]. MATENADARAN MS NO. 2374 P. 1b.
TWIN COLUMNS WITHIN PARALLEL HORIZONTAL LINES SUPPORTING
THE AURA OF DIVINE LIGHT FLANKED BY POMEGRANATE TREES [FERTILITY].
 NOTE THE MOTIF OF THE RED SUN --
INCLUDING THE EQUILATERAL CROSS WITHIN A RED WINGED CIRCLE.
THE ARCH HALO IS MADE UP OF CIRCLES IN RED, BLUE AND ORANGE --
LEADING TO THE APEX CROWNED BY TWO BIRDS FACING THE
HOLY CHALICE [WITH TWO EAST-WEST OFFSHOOTS]
WITH THE BLAZING SUN/SPARK WITHIN.

XII-XIIITH CENTURY XACHK‛AR [NOW IN ECHMIADZIN].
SEVEN LAYERED COSMIC MOUNTAIN LEADS TO THE COSMIC CRUX...
SACRED LEAVES AS THE SIGN OF MACROCOSM/FLEUR-DE-LYS.


FLOOR PLAN OF ANI'S MOTHER CATHEDRAL [XTH CENTURY].

A BEAUTIFULLY DECORATED ARMENIAN CHALICE FROM XIIITH CENTURY THAT
WAS FOUND IN VILGORT, IN THE URALS (!) IN DISTANT SIBERIA.
A TESTAMENT OF THE VAST TRADE TIES THAT EXISTED DURING THE SILVER AGE OF
CILICIAN ARMENIA. THE CHALICE DEPICTS SCENES OF A ROYAL FEST WITH
THE KING PLAYING THE HARP. ON DISPLAY IN THE HERMITAGE, ST. PETERSBURG.

XITH CENTURY GOSPEL. NOTE THE RIGHT AND LEFT SPINNING COSMIC WHEELS.
XIIITH CENTURY GOSPEL OF EIGHT ILLUMINISTS. MATENADARAN MS NO. 7651.P. 76a.

THE SANAHIN MONASTERY COMPLEX IN NORTHERN ARMENIA [GREATER ARMENIA]
WAS AN IMPORTANT LEARNING CENTER DURING THE MIDDLE AGES.

G E N E R A L   P L A N   O F   M A K A R A V A N K [B E G. I N XTH  C E N.]

THE KATOŁIKĒ CHURCH OF ST. MARY IN YEREVAN. XIIITH CENTURY.

CROSS-STONE [1265] IN K‛ANAK‛ER IN THE SUBURBS OF YEREVAN.

MXIT‘AR OF HER.

THE GUIDEBOOK [1279] OF MEDICINE BY MEKHITAR HERATSI.
FROM CLOISTER OF SKEVRA. MATENADARAN MS NO. 416.
HERATSI WAS A GREAT DOCTOR WHO IN MANY WAYS
REVOLUTIONIZED THE ART OF MEDICINE BY INTRODUCING
NEW TECHNIQUES OF SURGERIES AND HEALING.
HERATSI WORE THE WHITE ROBE OF THE HEALER BROTHERS.
SPIRITUAL PURITY.
 

THE TITLE PAGE OF THE GOSPEL OF MARK. MANUSCRIPT FROM 1232.
MATENADARAN MS NO. 1519.

AN ILLUMINATED MATENADARAN MANUSCRIPT FROM 1280
DEPICTING DAWIT‘ THE INVINCIBLE -
THE FIFTH CENTURY ARMENIAN PHILOSOPHER
WHO WAS GIVEN THE HONORARY TITLE THE 'INVINCIBLE' BY THE
GREEK PHILOSOPHERS AFTER SEVERAL
ORATORY DEBATES GIVEN IN THE NEO-PLATONIC SCHOOL OF ATHENS.
DAWIT‘ BROUGHT THE CLASSICAL TRADITION OF ARMENIAN WISDOM
SCHOOLS OF ARMANEN SEERS AND ADEPTS. THE [C]HALDEAN K‘URM
TEMPLES HAD THEIR DIRECT PARALLEL IN THE DELPHIC ORACLES THAT
WERE AN ESSENTIAL SOURCE OF THE PHILOSOPHIES OF THE ANTIQUE
WORLD.
 

PERFECTING THE ART OF BRIDGE BUILDING BY ARMENIAN MASTER ARCHITECTS.

THE STILL STANDING ANCIENT BRIDGE OVER THE HRAZDAN RIVER IN YEREVAN.

THE OLD KASAŁ BRIDGE IN HISTORIC OŠAKAN.

MEDIEVAL SANAHIN BRIDGE WITH TWO GUARDIAN LIONS FACING EAST AND WEST.

SECTIONS OF JURAP‛ BRIDGE.

The new Bagratid capital -- the great City of Ani, was still relatively in a close proximity to Yerevan. The trading roads, stretching from China through Central Asia to Ani and beyond, once again stimulated much of Armenia, including the Ararat Valley. The Bagratid rule was succeeded by the Armenian nobility of the Zakarians.

T H E    B R I D G E    O F    A D A N A    L E A D I N G    T O    T H E    O L D    C I T Y.

However constant flow of nomadic invaders from Central Asia posed a serious threat to the overall progress of the Armenian Civilization. Many Armenians retreated to the safety of their aristocracy in Lesser Armenia and Cilician Armenia on the eastern shores of the Mediterranean Sea.