The City of Gandzak as Patriarchal Residence of Ałuank

Abstract

In 552, Partav, the administrative center of Ałuank (Caucasian Albania, Aran) marzpanate, became the first episcopal residence of the finally established Patriar-chate of Ałuank. However, in 789, the Catholicos of Ałuank had to leave the seat because the Arab vostikan residence was moved from Dvin to Partav. The patriarchal seat was settled for a short time at the fortress of Berdakur in Artsakh, and later, at the beginning of the 9th century, it was moved to Gandzak. So, in the 9th-12th centuries the city of Gandzak became the center of the Ałuank Patriarchate. In the 12th century, due to some political circumstances, the Ałuank patriarchal seat was moved to Charek, the Monastery of Khamshi, then to the Monastery of Metsa-ranits, Gandzasar (at the same time also to Tshalet), and then again to Gandzak. Because it was a patriarchal and important spiritual center, at different periods of time there were constructed and function a number of churches. According to the documents of 1849, the following Armenian Apostolic churches are mentioned in Gandzak: the Mother Church of St. Hovhannes, St. Gevorg, St. Astvatsatsin (St. Virgin), St. Gregory the Illuminator, St. Sargis, and in 1885 the number of Armeni-an Apostolic churches in the city was six. Historical documents state that even after the establishment of Soviet rule and the annexation of the territory to Soviet Azer-baijan, Gandzak continued to be one of the main spiritual and cultural centers for Armenians, a fact that was refuted after 1921.