Trdat the Architect
Encyclopedia
Trdat the Architect was the chief architect
of the Bagratuni
kings of Armenia
, whose 10th century monuments have been argued to be the forerunners of Gothic architecture
which came to Europe several centuries later.
In 961, Ashot III
moved his capital
from Kars
to the great city
of Ani
where he assembled new palace
s and rebuilt the wall
s. The Catholicosate was moved to the Argina district
in the suburb
s of Ani where Trdat completed the building of the Catholicosal palace and the Mother Cathedral of Ani
. This cathedral
offers an example of a cruciform dome
d church within a rectangular plan.
After a great earthquake
in 989 ruined the dome of Hagia Sophia
, the Byzantine
officials summoned Trdat to Byzantium
to organize repairs. The restored dome was completed by 994. Trdat is also thought to have designed or supervised the construction of Surb Nshan (Holy Sign, completed in 991), the oldest structure at Haghpat Monastery
.
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
of the Bagratuni
Bagratuni Dynasty
The Bagratuni, Bagratid or alternatively Pakradouni royal dynasty of Armenia was a royal family whose branches formerly ruled many regional polities, including the Armenian lands of Sper|presently Ispir in Tayk Province of the Armenian Kingdom, Bagrevand in Ayrarat Province of the Armenian...
kings of Armenia
Bagratuni Kingdom of Armenia
The medieval Kingdom of Armenia, also known as Bagratid Armenia , was an independent state established by Ashot I Bagratuni in 885 following nearly two centuries of foreign domination of Greater Armenia under Arab Umayyad and Abbasid rule...
, whose 10th century monuments have been argued to be the forerunners of Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
which came to Europe several centuries later.
In 961, Ashot III
Ashot III
Ashot III the Merciful also known as Ashot the Gracious was an Armenian king. He ruled from Armenia's capital city of Ani....
moved his capital
Capital City
Capital City was a television show produced by Euston Films which focused on the lives of investment bankers in London living and working on the corporate trading floor for the fictional international bank Shane-Longman....
from Kars
Kars
Kars is a city in northeast Turkey and the capital of Kars Province. The population of the city is 73,826 as of 2010.-Etymology:As Chorzene, the town appears in Roman historiography as part of ancient Armenia...
to the great city
City
A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
of Ani
Ani
Ani is a ruined and uninhabited medieval Armenian city-site situated in the Turkish province of Kars, near the border with Armenia. It was once the capital of a medieval Armenian kingdom that covered much of present day Armenia and eastern Turkey...
where he assembled new palace
Palace
A palace is a grand residence, especially a royal residence or the home of a head of state or some other high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word itself is derived from the Latin name Palātium, for Palatine Hill, one of the seven hills in Rome. In many parts of Europe, the...
s and rebuilt the wall
Wall
A wall is a usually solid structure that defines and sometimes protects an area. Most commonly, a wall delineates a building and supports its superstructure, separates space in buildings into rooms, or protects or delineates a space in the open air...
s. The Catholicosate was moved to the Argina district
Arkina district
Arkina district was the part of the medieval Armenian city of Ani where, in 990, Trdat the Architect completed the building of the Mother Cathedral of Ani....
in the suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
s of Ani where Trdat completed the building of the Catholicosal palace and the Mother Cathedral of Ani
Cathedral of Ani
The Cathedral of Ani is an Armenian church built in 1001 AD by the architect Trdat in the ruined ancient Armenian capital of Ani, located in what is now the extreme eastern tip of Turkey, on the border with modern Armenia...
. This cathedral
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
offers an example of a cruciform dome
Dome
A dome is a structural element of architecture that resembles the hollow upper half of a sphere. Dome structures made of various materials have a long architectural lineage extending into prehistory....
d church within a rectangular plan.
After a great earthquake
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
in 989 ruined the dome of Hagia Sophia
Hagia Sophia
Hagia Sophia is a former Orthodox patriarchal basilica, later a mosque, and now a museum in Istanbul, Turkey...
, the Byzantine
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
officials summoned Trdat to Byzantium
Byzantium
Byzantium was an ancient Greek city, founded by Greek colonists from Megara in 667 BC and named after their king Byzas . The name Byzantium is a Latinization of the original name Byzantion...
to organize repairs. The restored dome was completed by 994. Trdat is also thought to have designed or supervised the construction of Surb Nshan (Holy Sign, completed in 991), the oldest structure at Haghpat Monastery
Haghpat Monastery
Haghpat Monastery, also known as Haghpatavank , is a medieval Armenian monastery complex in Haghpat, Armenia....
.
Further reading
- Maranci, Christina. "The Architect Trdat: Building Practices and Cross-Cultural Exchange in Byzantium and Armenia." The Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians. Vol. 62, No. 3, Sep. 2003, pp. 294–305.
- _______________. "An Armenian Architect in Byzantium's Court: The Career and Building Practices of Trdat," The Oriental Institute, The University of Chicago, May 14, 2003.
- _______________. “Armenian Architecture as Aryan Architecture: The Role of Indo-European Scholarship in the Theories of Joseph Strzygowski.” Visual Resources, 13, pp. 361–78. Stepanos Taronetsi (Asoghik)Stepanos AsoghikStepanos Asoghik , also known as Stepanos Taronetsi , was an Armenian historian of the 11th century. His dates are unknown but he came from Taron and earned the nickname Asoghik . He wrote a Universal History in three books...
. Տիեզերական Պատմություն (Universal History). Translation and commentary by V. H. Vardanyan. Yerevan: Yerevan State University Press, 2000. Toramanian, TorosToros ToramanianToros Toramanian was a prominent Armenian architect. He is considered "the father of Armenian architectural historiography."-Biography:Toramanian was born in 1864, in the town of Şebinkarahisar, Ottoman Empire...
. Նյութեր հայկական ճարտարապետության պատմության (Materials for the History of Armenian Architecture). vol. ii. Yerevan, Armenian SSR: ArmFan Publishing, 1948.