Surb Karapet Monastery

Surb Karapet Monastery
Surb Karapet Monastery
Մշո Սուրբ Կարապետ վանք
	The monastery before its destruction in 1915
Religion
Affiliation	Armenian Apostolic Church
Status	Completely demolished; some traces remain
Location
Location	Yukarıyongalı (Çengilli), Muş Province, Turkey
	Shown within Turkey
Geographic coordinates	38°57′40″N 41°11′30″E / 38.961068°N 41.191697°E
Architecture
Type	Monastery
Style	Armenian
Founder	Gregory the Illuminator
Groundbreaking	4th century (traditional date)
Completed	4th–19th centuries

Surb Karapet Monastery of Mush (Armenian: Մշո Սուրբ Կարապետ վանք, Msho Surb Karapet vank,^[A] also known by other names) was an Armenian Apostolic monastery in the historic province of Taron, about 30 km (19 mi) northwest of Mush (Muş), in present-day eastern Turkey.

Surb Karapet translates to "Holy Precursor" and refers to John the Baptist, whose remains are believed to have been stored at the site by Gregory the Illuminator in the early fourth century. The monastery subsequently served as a stronghold of the Mamikonians—the princely house of Taron, who claimed to be the holy warriors of John the Baptist, their patron saint. It was expanded and renovated many times in later centuries. By the 20th century, it was a large fort-like enclosure with four chapels.

Historically, the monastery was the religious center of Taron and was a prominent pilgrimage site. It was considered the most important monastery in Turkish (Western) Armenia and the second most important of all Armenian monasteries after Etchmiadzin. From the 12th century, the monastery was the seat of the diocese of Taron, which had an Armenian population of 90,000 in the early 20th century. It attracted pilgrims and hosted large celebrations on several occasions annually. The monastery was burned and looted during the Armenian genocide of 1915 and later abandoned. Its stones have since been reappropriated by local Kurds for building purposes.

^ "Armenian monastery of Surb Karapet (the Holy Precursor, St. John the Baptist) in Mush (Muş İli), Turkey". Library of Congress. Archived from the original on 31 December 2019.
^ Cite error: The named reference Adalian was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Maranci 2002, p. 123.
^ Cite error: The named reference Hewsen was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Archdeacon Charles Hardy (May 2000). "In Search of Our Roots – An Armenian Odyssey". bvahan.com. Archived from the original on 29 June 2020. Retrieved 26 February 2015. The vank is completely in ruins. Remaining are a few stone structures facing each other about thirty feet apart.
^ ^a ^b Cite error: The named reference agos2016 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Cite error: The named reference Mildanoğlu was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ ^a ^b Cite error: The named reference muskulturturizm was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ "St. Karapet Monastery, 4th–19th centuries". Research on Armenian Architecture. Archived from the original on 23 September 2014. At present the Kurdish village of Changli is situated in the site of the monastery. The ruined parts of the monastery laid in the walls of different buildings in the present-day village.

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[1] "Armenian monastery of Surb Karapet (the Holy Precursor, St. John the Baptist) in Mush (Muş İli), Turkey". Library of Congress. Archived from the original on 31 December 2019.

[Adalian-2] Cite error: The named reference Adalian was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[FOOTNOTEMaranci2002123-3] Maranci 2002, p. 123.

[Hewsen-4] Cite error: The named reference Hewsen was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[5] Archdeacon Charles Hardy (May 2000). "In Search of Our Roots – An Armenian Odyssey". bvahan.com. Archived from the original on 29 June 2020. Retrieved 26 February 2015. The vank is completely in ruins. Remaining are a few stone structures facing each other about thirty feet apart.

[agos2016-6] Cite error: The named reference agos2016 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[Mildanoğlu-7] Cite error: The named reference Mildanoğlu was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[muskulturturizm-8] Cite error: The named reference muskulturturizm was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[9] "St. Karapet Monastery, 4th–19th centuries". Research on Armenian Architecture. Archived from the original on 23 September 2014. At present the Kurdish village of Changli is situated in the site of the monastery. The ruined parts of the monastery laid in the walls of different buildings in the present-day village.

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