Vernacular architecture of Armenia

Traditional houses of Dilijan

The Vernacular architecture of Armenia is based on long standing Armenian architectural tradition starting from the times of Urartu to the modern day.

Vernacular architecture refers to the common architecture of the region, which is usually much simpler than what the technology of current time is able to provide. In Armenia, the mountainous terrain, abundance of the tuff stone of different colors as well as the peculiar geoposition of the Armenia itself, open to foreign invasions and attacks, played a pivotal role in the development of the national style of vernacular architecture.

History

Shengavit site in Yerevan is a notable example of neolithic Armenian vernacular architecture

See also: Kura-Araxes culture

Armenian vernacular architecture has its origins in Kura-Araxes culture, one of the sites of which, Shengavit settlement, lies on the territory of modern day Yerevan, where people lived in interconnected rectangular and circular mud-brick and stone buildings, surrounded by the protective war. Furthermore, Shengavit settlement was divided in separate districts by occupation and social standing. Copper traders, stone workers and farmers occupied the first district, while merchants lived in the other one. The other known settlement of that era on the territory of modern Armenia is the Metsamor castle.

During the Middle Ages, Armenian vernacular tradition was flourishing in the cities of Ani and Dvin, which became the capitals of Bagratid Armenia and Arminiya respectively. The vernacular architecture of Ani was primarily represented by two types of dwellings: caves and regular housing units built out of red tuff stone. There are 800 identified cave chambers within the site of Ani, and people continued to live in some of them into 21-th century. These chambers were not restricted to dwellings, some very used for the funerary purpose, as graves, some served as churches. Caves, which were used as domestic dwellings were usually sealed by timber or rubble walls. Interior had small niches for lamps, sleeping and storage, all connected to the large central chamber. It is estimated that the rock-cut section of Ani had 2000 inhabitants at its peak. The little is known of Ani's conventional vernacular architecture, but it is supposed that they were constructed out of the same material as churches, red volcanic tuff stone.

Varieties

Syunik

In Syunik the vernacular architecture is usually characterised by the cave dwellings with narrow streets leading from one cave to another. Sometimes the caves had an adjacent houses with wooden balconies, as can still be seen in the old part of Khot village, but those were mostly abandoned and devastated due to the policy of resettlement by the Soviet union, which is why close to nothing have been left in Old Goris, except cave dwellings. The architecture was mostly built out of local stone, gray in colour around Goris and beige around Meghri.

The Soviet architecture of Syunik was also inspired by the vernacular architecture of the region and made out of similar material.

The famous sites of Syunik-style vernacular architecture are the following:

• Old Khot
• Old Shinuhayr
• Old Halidzor
• Old Tegh
• Old town of Goris
• Poqr Tagh district of Meghri

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  Old town of Goris
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  Example of the house in the Old part of Khot village.
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  The old part of Khndzoresk
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  Khndzoresk caves in 1920
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  A street in Pokr Tagh, Meghri

Tavush

The vernacular architecture of Tavush region is predominantly represented by Dilijan, which had its own distinct style among the other Armenian cities, by incorporating the architectural elements of Baku and Tbilisi, as well as of Molokan architecture, which distinguished it from the other Armenian towns. Dilijan was famous for not only the carved balconies and terraced houses (which were the features of Tbilisi as well), but also by the whitewashed plastered walls, carved railings, beams and the unique bannisters.

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  Traditional houses in Dilijan
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  Old house in Dilijan
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  Old Panorama of Dilijan
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  Old houses of Dilijan
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  Traditional house of Dilijan

Lori

In Lori, the vernacular architecture was primarily represented by Vanadzor and Stepanavan. Not much remains of it now due to the uncontrolled development, which led to the devastation of the area. The little of what remains can be observed in Vanadzor, Tashir and Stepanavan. Vernaculars of Lori are almost exclusively one-story, have white plastered walls and ceramic tile roofs with carved wooden balconies reminding of Tbilisi. One of the best surviving examples of this example is a Stepan Shahumyan house-museum in Stepanavan.

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  Stepan Shaumyan house-museum
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  View of Vanadzor
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  Merchant square in Vanadzor
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  Street in Vanadzor historical center
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  Street in Vanadzor

Yerevan and surrounding areas

The vernacular architecture of Yerevan and the surrounding area is best represented by Kond district. The vernaculars of Yerevan can be characterised by the flat roofs, which often serve as a terrace to another house and stone as a primarily material. Sometimes building can have a wooden balcony, which was often carved, but nowadays little remains of them.

Yerevan vernacular heritage was devastated during the Soviet rule, with some districts, such as Dzoragyugh and Demir-bulagh being demolished completely according to the city plan by Tamanian. Noragyugh is planned to be demolished to build a "New Yerevan" district, while others, such as Nork and Kond lack maintenance.

The following districts in Yerevan could be considered historical:

• Kond
• Old Nork
• Kanaker
• Noragyugh
• Avan

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  Street in Kond leading to the mosque
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  Old house in Old Nork
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  Old photo of Dzoragyugh vernacular district
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  Panoramic view of Noragyugh
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  Street in Noragyugh

Western Armenia

See also: Western Armenia

The vernacular architecture of Western Armenia suffered huge damage during the Turkish War of Independence, World War I, Armenian Genocide and various earthquakes. For example, the old town of Van, where a lot of important vernacular Armenian architecture was contained, was demolished in course of World War I. The city of Harpoot suffered the same fate with remaining parts diminishing due to the city of Elaziğ, which was rapidly developing during the Republican Era. Armenian cities in mountainous Cilicia, primarily Zeitun, Hadjin and Sis, had also been devastated by rebellions and subsequent massacres of Armenian population.

In general, the following towns continue to serve as an example of vernacular Western Armenian architecture to some extent. The vernaculars town centers in these cities are not exclusively Armenian due to the substantial Kurdish, Turkish, Greek and Georgian presence:

• Old town of Bitlis
• Kemaliye
• Old Tarsus

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  Replica of 19th-century house in Van
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  Old photo of Harpoot
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  Panorama of Zeytun
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  Panorama of Mush
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  Old town of Bitlis

See also

• Armenian architecture
• Vernacular architecture