Saint Bartholomew Monastery
Encyclopedia
The Saint Bartholomew Monastery is a 13th-18th century Armenian monastery built in what was then the Vaspurakan Province
of Greater Armenia, now near the town of Başkale
(Albayrak) in the Van Province
of southeastern Turkey
. It was formerly considered one of the most important pilgrimage sites of the Armenian people.
in the 1st century. Along with Saint Thaddeus, Saint Bartholomew is considered the patron saint of the Armenian Apostolic Church
.
, the monastery came under the control of the Turkish military and its entire site now lies within an army base. The dome of its church was still intact in the early 1960s, but the whole structure is now heavily ruined.
Vaspurakan
Vaspurakan was the first and biggest province of Greater Armenia, which later became an independent kingdom during the Middle Ages, centered around Lake Van...
of Greater Armenia, now near the town of Başkale
Baskale
Başkale is a town and district located in south-eastern Turkey in Van Province. There is one municipality in the Başkale district, the town centre, which was established 1937...
(Albayrak) in the Van Province
Van Province
Van Province is a province in eastern Turkey, between Lake Van and the Iranian border. It is 19,069 km2 in area and had a population of 1,035,418 at the end of 2010....
of southeastern Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
. It was formerly considered one of the most important pilgrimage sites of the Armenian people.
History
The monastery was built on the traditional site of the martyrdom of the Apostle Bartholomew who is reputed to have brought Christianity to ArmeniaArmenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
in the 1st century. Along with Saint Thaddeus, Saint Bartholomew is considered the patron saint of the Armenian Apostolic Church
Armenian Apostolic Church
The Armenian Apostolic Church is the world's oldest National Church, is part of Oriental Orthodoxy, and is one of the most ancient Christian communities. Armenia was the first country to adopt Christianity as its official religion in 301 AD, in establishing this church...
.
Current condition
At an unknown date after the Armenian GenocideArmenian Genocide
The Armenian Genocide—also known as the Armenian Holocaust, the Armenian Massacres and, by Armenians, as the Great Crime—refers to the deliberate and systematic destruction of the Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire during and just after World War I...
, the monastery came under the control of the Turkish military and its entire site now lies within an army base. The dome of its church was still intact in the early 1960s, but the whole structure is now heavily ruined.
See also
- Saint Thaddeus Monastery, a 10-19th century Armenian monastery built in honor of Saint Thaddeus (then in Armenia, now in northwestern Iran)
External links
- Images of Saint Bartholomew Monastery at the Rensselaer Digital Collections
- Images of Saint Bartholomew Monastery