Vanevan temple

In Yeni Beyazid uezd of Iravan Governorate, in the village of Ashaghi Alchali in Garanlig District.

Garaniq district – Martuni, Ashaghi Alchali village since 27.09.1968 – Ardzvanist

Architecture

Nowadays, the temple has been restored and Armenian elements have been added, and it is presented as an "Armenian monument".

Vanevan Monastery, an Albanian temple located along the valley of the Alchali River, south of the village of Ashaghi Alchali, south-east of Lake Goycha, was built in 903 by Princess Shapuh Bagratuni and Maryam, the sisters of King Smbat I (Sahl ibn Sunbat), who was said to belong to the Arranshahik dynasty, the first ruling dynasty of Albania. The church at the south end was built at a later period, with a chancel added between the two. At the end of the 10th century, it was repaired and restored by Gagik I, the king of the Bagratid dynasty, Catholicos XXXXI of the Albanians, a supporter of the idea that the Albanians should have an independent temple. A surrounding wall was built during this restoration. The church consists of four central arches that gradually widen. Adding a corner chair between the back bands allows this to happen. White and red tuff stones cut in a special square shape were used in the construction of the temple. Vanevan and Tatev are the earliest examples of this. The temple drum is octagonal inside and out, with an inscription on the history of the church. The drums of both temples have the same decorative molded band, which leads us to believe that they are contemporaneous with each other. Behind the monastery there is a spring and a cave that goes to the head of the valley. It is said that it was once used as an escape route from the invaders. Azerbaijanis lived in the village, which was a Turko-Oghuz homeland, until the 20s of the XX century. After the Treaty of Turkmenchay, in 1829-30, Armenians who were transferred from Alashkirt region of Turkey were settled here.

The toponym was formed on the basis of the name of the cherry plant, which received the suffix "li" indicating affiliation with the word "ashaghi" indicating a distinguishing feature. It is a phytotoponym. It is a structurally complex toponym.