CHW monitoring earthmoving near Armenian church of Mataghis

PanARMENIAN.Net - Caucasus Heritage Watch is closely monitoring earthmoving near the St. Yeghishe Armenian Church of Mataghis, Nagorno-Karabakh, the research initiative said Monday, July 25.

"As of July 5, the basilica appears structurally unchanged since the 2020 war. But the proximity of earthmoving raises concern," the initiative said on Twitter.

According to the inscription engraved on the lintel of the southern entrance, the construction of the church took place in 1892-1898. The inscription says: “The Church of St. Yeghisha was built by the united people of Mataghis. It was started in 1892 and was completed in 1898”.

During the visit of M. Barkhudaryants in 1894-1895, the church was still half-built and unconsecrated (Barkhutaryants 1895, 231).

The church is a three-nave basilica, built of local light brown rough and hewn stones. The dimensions of the monument are 15.07 meters long and 8.16 meters wide. It is completely plastered inwardly. The semi-circular beam is high, has two vestries, it is vaulted, and the roof is covered with earth.

The entrance is from the south, three windows open from the east, two from the south and one from the west.

Before the war the church was completely standing. Battles took place in the village of Mataghis during the Second Artsakh War and it is not known to what extent the monument was damaged. After the war, a video was spread by Azeris on social media, where it was visible how several men in military uniforms enter the church and break the icons. The video also shows that various broken objects are scattered on the floor.