Magazine Fall 2009 Mountain Lion’s Pride
Mountain Lion’s Pride
Haghardzin Monastery is one of the masterpieces of Armenian medi¬eval architecture. Even after many centuries, tourists still look for the magnificent eagles in the sky above the monastery while they cau¬tiously listen to the sounds of the virgin forest anticipating the wrath of the reputed mountain lion disturbed by their unexpected visit.
The etymology of the name of the monastery is still not entirely clear. Some believe that during the ordination of the monastery the resident monks noticed eagles gliding overhead. Their flight and their movements appeared like an intricate game. Thanks to the poetic imagination of one of the monks, their “game” was immortalized in the name of the monastery: khagh – game, ardziv – eagle. Another version of the origin of the name, just as poetic as the first, suggests that the monastery owes its name to the mountain lions that live in the forest: hagr – lion or tiger, tznel – give birth to or beget. Both accounts of the story are supported by the beautiful reliefs on the walls of the monastery.
Haghardzin is situated in the midst of a rampant emerald terrain of an oak forest. Steep southern slopes of this dignified islet are washed by the rapid river Haghartzin, while on the East it faces Mets Akhpiur. The rivers are so clear and pristine that the local villagers use them as a source of potable water. Throughout the three hundred year history of its construction, starting with the 10th century, many talented architects contributed their own wonderful masterpieces to the monastic ensemble.
Many have seen the ancient carved walls of the monastery. Built in the Silver Age, it was completely destroyed in the 11th century by Seljuk warriors. Fortunately, it was quickly rebuilt in the 12th century by the royal decree of King George III of Georgia and the benefaction of prominent Armenian noblemen. Of the several structures that make up the monastery the Sourb Grikor (St. Gregory) church was the first to be reconstructed in 1184. Soon after the narthex, or portico, was added, which has etched into its walls precious information on the reasons and details of the construction of the monastery, all in accordance with the traditions of Armenian medieval architecture. Other than memorializing the Seljuk’s attack and the subsequent heroic resistance and liberations of the Armenian lands, this “rock-solid document” also tells us such curious facts as the donation of a fruit orchard to the monastery by Ivane Zachari in the name of the his late brother Prince Zaqare. Next to the text is the relief illustration of the abbot of the monastery, Father Daniel, with Simeon the Monk.
To the south of the narthex is the family crypt of the Bagratid Dynasty which looks like a modest chapel. There are two remaining tombstones, the first with a semi-legible inscription which partially reads “King Smbat…” while the other is completely illegible. Other than princes and kings, Khachatour Taronetsi, the famous medieval theologian, musician and teacher, also found his resting place in the monastery’s soil. At the end of the 12th century, during his tenure as the abbot of the monastery, he composed a wonderful church hymn, sharakan, which is still performed as the priests prepare for the service at the beginning of the Divine Liturgy. The ceremony of the preparation itself was introduced by the great Prince Zaqare. By the way, the first words of that sharakan form the acrostic poem Khachatour.
To the east of St. Gregory is the Sourb Stepanos (St. Stephen) church. Built in 1244 of light-blue basalt stone, it is a smaller replica of the main temple of the monastery, the Sourb Astvatzatzin (Notre Dame) church.
