After the first half of the semester and countless days spent studying in the library, we were looking forward to an excursion that awaited us. We were about to visit two eastern countries located on the Silkroad intersection – Armenia, and Georgia.
We began our journey divided into two separate groups for both of which the start of our trip meant getting up early, traveling through the night, and experiencing a three-hour time difference. Although we were all departing from Vienna airport the first group left for discovering the beauty of Armenian art one day ahead. Despite slight complications such as a two-hour flight delay, we successfully arrived in Armenia and soon were able to start our program.
Since the subjects of our interest were scattered on the way from the south of Armenia to Georgia’s eastern border with Azerbaijan. We rented “marshrutka” which is a type of public transport, especially popular in countries of the former Soviet Union. For us, however, it came in form of a minibus with a personal driver who travelled with us the whole excursion.
We started picking up the first pieces of Armenian culture on our way from the airport. Attracted by a number of street signs, various corners, and urban architecture we were absorbing the atmosphere of local life. The program consisted of examinations of several monuments about which were made presentations by each member of the expedition. We began with the monasteries of Hovhannavank and Saghmosavank located not far from each other. During the last impatient preparations of the speakers, our female colleagues were preparing scarves and other types of headwear similarly as it was in Istanbul. Considering local cultural customs, the entrance into the sacred space for women without some type of headcover is not forbidden but rather inappropriate. After some time of purely theoretical study, we were astonished by the personal encounter with objects about which we have been till now only reading. Although the great stone walls towering over the mountainous landscape were nearly unrecognizable in similar-coloured surroundings, their precisely made construction and spacious interiors surrounded with great mystery were truly breath-taking.
After well-deserved sleep in Yerevan, we were joined by the second group of four that arrived in the morning. The sleepless night left tired smiles filled with expectations on their faces which they took with them on the minibus. Finally, once the group was complete, we could get on the road. Our first stop was the church of saint Gregory the Illuminator situated in the monastery of Aruch. The complex itself was established on a site where a Zoroastrian temple from the fifth century used to stand and now it represents a place strongly affected by the heaviness of time and frequent earthquakes. In ruins of this building, we found ourselves captured by opened space left after the fallen dome and the fresco of Christ now headless as a result of local vandalism. After taking-in various impressions of the site, we had gotten back on the road this time headed towards the remains of Koshavank monastery. Although we haven’t had a chance to see the building from immediate proximity, we enjoyed the panoramic view over a ravine from the opposite hill complemented with commentary on its original state and expanse. Afterwards, we moved on to see the church of Talin, which stands closer to the Turkish border and was probably being prepared for reconstruction. That was indicated by scaffoldings build inside of the apse. The main subjects of our discussion were relief décor and a pilgrimage function of the church. This function was insinuated by two side entrances made to ensure a free circulation of pilgrims through the sacred space and stone steps used as a place to sit and rest. In the end, we were amazed by the church built from blocks of bright red tuff to such an extent that we didn’t want to leave the debate and the site itself. However, this excitement was one of the main reasons why we had to reschedule the last monument of the day for the following morning. The churches that we saw in Mastara and Artik differed from the architectonical tradition of great temples that we have experienced until now. Whether it was in size or construction the divergence provided us with interesting topics for conversation that we shared over dinner.
After a second night spent in Gyumri, we went to see the sunrise over Marmashen which was rescheduled from the day before. The impression was enhanced by the first glimpses of morning light which illuminated the stone walls as well as the echo of chants flowing from the doors of the main church. Not only we but also the medieval pilgrims who travelled from Ani the former capital city probably had the same experience. The main church was built with an awareness of this track. And everyone who went heading to Marmashen had before them a view upon the southern wall which is made to give a deceptive impression of a great eastern façade. Another interesting link, this time specifically to the church of Ani, was relief décor in form of blind Arcades. Since we explored the remaining parts of the monastery our journey took us deep into Armenian forests to visit the monasteries of Jukhtavank and Matosavank. These buildings which were isolated from civilization and constructed from rough stone corresponded with the visuality of surrounding nature and got us excited for the last stop of our day – Goshavank monastery. Although the road administration of Armenia let us down and the road itself was at this point unsurprisingly inaccessible, we were glad for the possibility to stretch our legs and reach the site by foot. On top of the hill, we were enlightened by the local priest with detailed meanings of the inner decoration such as various signs displayed in the apse of the main church.
In the morning of the fourth day, we got on the minibus and headed towards the church of Odzun which is located in a village of the same name. Initially, we were welcomed by the view of a five-nave basilica, but we were fooled once again. Armenian architecture’s exterior presents an imaginary picture of a non-existent interior. Odzun is a perfect example of this principle since what seems to be a five-nave basilica does in fact consist of only three naves with adjacent galleries used for separation of the participants of liturgy. Slowly, we were losing track of time during our debates on polychromy of the relief cross on the east facade and the mythical impact of this building on the surrounding hills and valley. With slight reluctance we had to leave this place associated with the legends of Thomas the Apostle and move towards equally imposing complex of Sanahin which charmed us with its academy. As we got seated, we could get a first-hand experience of the atmosphere of historical lectures complemented by the commentary of professor Foletti. Once we had our, at this point traditional, minibus lunch consisting of local cheeses, vegetables, bread and cognac we ended our day with a presentation of spectacular stonemasons’ work in the spacious monastery of Haghpat followed by a debate on the cultural identity of frescos in the Achtala monastery.
Since the last night spent in Armenien town of Alaverdi we crossed the borders with Georgia and set off on a journey to the unknown beauty of Georgian culture. Our adventures brought us to the former capital of Georgia – Mccheta, where we had a chance to admire the second biggest cathedral in the country. What surprised us right away was the difference in the approach to architecture. The Armenian emphasis on the expression of stone is substituted by breath-taking frescos presenting the interior in bright colors all the way from the vault to the floor. Among the already mentioned visual aspects it was also the crowds of visitors, sales booths and tourist attractions that caught our eyes for the first time during our excursion. After the lunch, which was our first and pleasant experience with local cuisine, we got on the way towards to the rock ridge rising up the valley. The Jvari monastery was situated here, which is extraordinary primarily because of its history. An imposing wooden cross overlooking the valley dating as far back as the 4th century was located on the grounds where the current monastery stands. The cross made this mountain ridge such an attractive spot of pilgrimage that it resulted in the construction of a monastery which shelters the cross until this day. Still overwhelmed by not only the strong atmosphere of the place but also the mesmerising view of the city and the meeting of rivers Kura and Aragvi we had to get back in marshrutka. Travelling across Georgia and Armenia is something completely different than we know from countries of Central Europe, but it has its own charm. Daytime sleep is continuously being interrupted by potholes on the roads and cow bells swinging in the rhythm of their walk. After our arrival to the last monument in our schedule we were faced with an almost spiritual experience in the Ateni Sioni church. For a brief moment we had the opportunity to see the frescos without the artificial lighting and perceive the atmosphere that was primarily intended inside the sacred space.
Our last destination was the city of Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia. After two hours of traveling, we arrived in Georgian semi-desert, the last destination of our expedition. The rock monastery of David Gareji Lávra was beyond any architectural tradition that we have encountered till now. We admired the church spaces carved into the soft stone including the decorative architectural elements which served no static purpose. With great enthusiasm we went to explore other parts of the complex where we were met with the infamous “curse of the last day” which, same as in cases of other expeditions, meant that the access to the spacious nooks of the monastery was denied. However, to us by soldiers guarding the border with Azerbaijan. We didn’t let these circumstances let us down and we spent the rest of the afternoon enjoying the civil architecture of the capital city. To intensify our experience and take in the atmosphere even deeper, we gathered in a local pub where we collectively dined and tasted Georgian wines. To entertain ourselves, we held a friendly competition in eating khinkali which are traditional Georgian dumplings filled with meat and broth. With this memory in mind, we said our last goodbyes to the time spent on the road and we eventually landed back at the Vienna airport.
