Some Revisions in the Epigraphy of Ani

(Armenian Inscriptions of the Church of St. Gregory the Illuminator)

Abstract

The paper deals with the Georgian and Armenian inscriptions of the city of Ani, including the Armenian epigraphy of the church of St. Gregory the Illuminator built by Tigran Honents. These inscriptions with critical texts and respective translations have been studied and prepared in the framework of the ongoing project financed by the Shota Rustaveli National Science Foundation HE 15-022 Ani: Georgian Cultural Heritage.

The paper focuses on the study of only three inscriptions which are included in the volume I of the Corpus of Armenian Inscriptions (Հովսեփ Օրբելի Դիվան Հայ Վիմագրւթյան, Երեվան,1966) as the inscriptions on the church built by Tigran.
• Տ(է)ր Ներսես, անապատին իպիսկապոս. :ՌԵ: թվին:
Ter (church hierarch) Nerses, Bishop of Desert. Year OE (=1156).
• Թ‾վ. :ՉՂԴ: Սպանդիարս յիշայ ի ձեր ս(ուր)բ. յաղաւթս. որ Ա(ստուա)ծ.
ձեղ յիշէ:
In 1345. Commemorate me, Spandiar, in your holy prayers, for God commemorate you
• Չարուխս յիշեցէք ի Ք(րիստո)ս
Commemorate me, Charukh, in Christ.

The first of these three inscriptions - the commemoration of Ter Nerses - was considered to be made before the church was built (e. g. the stone with the inscription was used as construction material), and Spandiar in the second one, was believed to be one of the custodian of the church. Precautious and hypothetic supposition was made about Charukh, mentioned in the third inscription, and his identity with Chortvanek.

Based on the study of the above mentioned inscriptions, it becomes evident that none of them are made on the church of St. Gregory the Illuminator built by Tigran Honents. All of them are executed on the walls of the church of Holy Virgins’ Convent. Besides, the inscription of Ter Nerses was not made in 1156 but in 1556 (ՌԵ). The stone with engraved inscription was not used as the second hand construction material.

There are currently no medieval pilgrim inscriptions in Armenian on the walls of the church of St. Gregory the Illuminator.