Saint Hripsime Church, Armenian Apostolic church in Goris, Armenia.
Saint Hripsime Church in Goris is a single-nave basilica built in 1776, with two entrances on the west and south sides and four windows: one each on the east and west walls and two on the south wall. Its walls are laid with rough basalt, while the door and window frames, wall corners and the single interior arch are dressed basalt, later plastered inside and out with lime mortar. Two rooms adjoin the north side, one entered from inside the church and used as a vestry, the other entered from outside and containing a hearth.
Saint Hripsime Church was built in 1776, as confirmed by an inscription on the southern entrance's lintel: it records that the church was erected in memory of Melik Ohan, son of Paghir, who himself initiated the construction. The building stands in the abandoned village site of Hin Goris. Excavations in 2010 showed the walls rest directly on rock, without a foundation, and carved stones found there and reused in the masonry are dated by some specialists to the 7th–8th centuries, pointing to an earlier church on the spot.
The church is named after Saint Hripsime, a fourth-century Armenian martyr. Its southern entrance carries a carved inscription recording that Melik Ohan, son of Paghir, built it in 1776 in memory of his father, and Melik Ohan himself initiated the construction. The north side holds two rooms, one entered from inside the church and used as a storeroom, the other entered from outside and fitted with a hearth, probably the clergy's lodging.
The church is open throughout the year for visitors to observe its architectural features and religious services. It is advisable to check local visiting conditions and dress respectfully when services are taking place.
The 2010 excavations found that the church has no foundation: its walls stand directly on the rock, so it was not built over an older structure. The dig also turned up a rectangular basalt stone carved with an equal-armed cross and an arched portal fragment, which some specialists date to the 7th–8th centuries.
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