Saint Gevork of Mughni Church, Tbilisi

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Saint Gevork of Mughni Church
Մուղնեցվոց Սուրբ Գևորգ Եկեղեցի
წმინდა გიორგის მუღნის ეკლესია
Basic information
Location Old Quarters,
Tbilisi, Georgia
Geographic coordinates 41°41′25″N44°48′15″E / 41.690259°N 44.804194°E / 41.690259; 44.804194 Coordinates: 41°41′25″N44°48′15″E / 41.690259°N 44.804194°E / 41.690259; 44.804194
Affiliation Armenian Apostolic Church
Ecclesiastical or organizational status ruined
Architectural description
Architectural style Armenian
Groundbreaking 13th century
Completed 1756

The Saint Gevork of Mughni Church (Armenian : Մուղնեցվոց Սուրբ Գևորգ Եկեղեցի Georgian :წმინდა გიორგის მუღნის ეკლესია) also known as Saint George of Mughni Church (Gevork in Armenian is cognate with George) is a 13th-century Armenian church in Tbilisi, Georgia that was entirely rebuilt in 1756. [1] It is made of brick and its architectural typology is that of a cross within a rectangular perimeter, with four free-standing supports. [1]

Armenian language Indo-European language

The Armenian language is an Indo-European language spoken primarily by Armenians. It is the official language of Armenia. Historically being spoken throughout the Armenian Highlands, today, Armenian is widely spoken throughout the Armenian diaspora. Armenian is written in its own writing system, the Armenian alphabet, introduced in 405 AD by Mesrop Mashtots.

Georgian language official language of Georgia

Georgian is a Kartvelian language spoken by Georgians. It is the official language of Georgia.

Tbilisi Capital city in Georgia

Tbilisi, in some countries also still known by its pre-1936 international designation Tiflis, is the capital and the largest city of Georgia, lying on the banks of the Kura River with a population of approximately 1.5 million people. Founded in the 5th century AD by Vakhtang I of Iberia, since then Tbilisi served as the capital of various Georgian kingdoms and republics. Between 1801 and 1917, then part of the Russian Empire, Tbilisi was the seat of the Imperial Viceroy, governing both Southern and Northern Caucasus.

Contents

Current state

Until the mid-1980s, the church served as a museum of folk art. [2] By 1990, it was no longer a museum and its interior lay in ruin. [2]

The vestibule attached to the western facade of the church was destroyed in May, 1991. [2] The large cracks in the church walls served as an excuse to Georgian authorities to destroy the church instead of repair it. [2]

During the night of November 18, 2009, the dome of the Church of St George in Tbilisi's Sololaki district collapsed. According to locals recent rains had further weakened the already badly damaged structure of the church. Georgian television station Rustavi 2 reports that the district governor promised to allocate funds for the rehabilitation of the church after visiting the ruin on November 19.

The Armenian alphabet is an alphabetic writing system used to write Armenian. It was developed around 405 AD by Mesrop Mashtots, an Armenian linguist and ecclesiastical leader. The system originally had 36 letters; eventually, three more were adopted.

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References

  1. 1 2 Thierry, Jean-Michel (1989). Armenian Art. New York: Harry N. Abrams. p. 317. ISBN   0-8109-0625-2.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Karapetyan, Samvel (1998), The State Policy of Georgia and the Monuments of Armenian Culture (1988-1998) (in Armenian) (1st ed.), Yerevan: Research on Armenian Architecture, p. XXVI, ISBN   5-8080-0144-7