Patara, Otska monastery, khachkar № 1
Monument
Monument type
Khachkar Given name
Grigor’s Khachkar initial, sequential and current
The khachkar was carved in 1229 and erected near the church.
Since September 2023, the village of Patara has been under Azerbaijani occupation. No information is available regarding the monument’s current condition.
Original ownership and affiliation
Principality of Khachen The name of conservation unit
Khachkar A topographic report
Region (province), community
Greater Armenia, Province of Artsakh, District of Harchlan (later Khachen). From 1991 to 2023: Republic of Artsakh, Askeran District, Patara. Address
Republic of Artsakh, Askeran District, Patara Topography
21 km west of Askeran. Distance and location from community
Located 4 km northwest of Patara, southwest of Otska Monastery. Site elevation above sea level
1415 m above sea level. Hydrography
Situated near the source of the Pitsi tributary of the Patara River, between the upper reaches of the Varar Jur and Lenji Jur streams. Description
The khachkar is located on a sloping hillside southwest of Otska Monastery. The precise original placement near the church is unknown. The monument, rectangular in shape, is carved from grey sandstone. The lower section preserves a protrusion intended for anchoring it into a base.
The central composition is framed on three sides by a lavish ornamental band, at the center of which stands a blossoming main cross with trilobed arm-ends. From the base of the fully ornamented and interlace-patterned cross, traditional stylized palm branches curl upward to the left and right. At the base, a small rosette resembling a flower can be discerned. Within the niche of the cross is a ribbon-like braided border. The entire surface of the khachkar is moss-covered, making the rich decorative details difficult to discern.
Of particular interest is the inscription preserved on the lower part:
«Ի թիւ ՈՁԸ (1229) Ես Խութլուբէկս որդի Ո…մանայ Հեջբին Զաքա|րեի կանգնեցի զխաչս իմ | տա|պանի եղբաւր իմոյ Գրիգ|որին: Որք երկիրպագանեք յաղաւթս յիշէք»1
(In the year 678 of the Armenian era (1229), I, Khutlubek, son of Vo…manay Hejbin Zakare, erected this cross for my brother Grigor. You who venerate it, remember my prayers).
The inscription was first read and deciphered in 2005 by Slava Sargsyan, Head of the Department for the Protection and Study of Monuments at the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports of the Republic of Artsakh.
Historical record
Cultural characteristics, period, century (centuries)
Armenian Apostolic Church, 13th century. Documents for dating: according to a reliable document
According to the inscription at the base of the khachkar. Documents for dating: Justification of the date based on epigraphy.
In 2005, the khachkar was studied in detail, and its inscription deciphered, by Slava Sargsyan. Descriptive-Characterization Report
Building material (type, colour)
grey sandstone Type
Khachkar Dimensions: width
64 cm Dimensions: height
160 cm Dimensions: depth, thickness
20 cm State of conservation: Qualitative (good, average, bad, emergency, ruins)
Average Value
This monument is significant for the history, cultural and spiritual heritage of Patara village and Otska Monastery, as well as for the study of medieval khachkar art in Artsakh. ----------------------------
1 Sargsyan S., Arakelyan Yu., 2006, p. 16. Photos
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Main bibliography
Barkhutareants M., 1895 – Barkhutareants Makar, Artsakh, Baku, 1895.Karapetyan S., 2022 – Karapetyan Samvel, The Microtoponyms of Artsakh, Yerevan, 2022.
Karapetyan S., 1984 – Karapetyan Samvel, “The Historical-Architectural Monuments of the Ptretzik River Valley According to Newly Discovered Inscriptions,” Bulletin of Social Sciences, Yerevan, 1984, No. 8, pp. 75–86.
Mkrtchyan Sh., 1985 – Mkrtchyan Shahen, Historical and Architectural Monuments of Nagorno-Karabakh, Yerevan, 1985.
Sargsyan S., Arakelyan Yu., 2006 – Sargsyan Slava, Arakelyan Yuri, Patara, Yerevan, 2006.
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G.B, A. L-Y.