The population of Gavar city and the nearby villages of the Gegharkunik province of Armenia assemble annually at St. Khach chapel in the first month of autumn to celebrate Khachverats, the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. One of the five feasts of the church, and held between September 11-17, this year the holiday falls on September 15.
Khachverats commemorates the return of Jesus Christ’s Cross of Crucifixion from Persian captivity to Jerusalem and subsequent exaltation in Golgotha. In 614 A.D. the Persian King Khosrov II Parviz (590-628 A.D.) attacked Jerusalem and conquered the city. Persian soldiers devastated the sanctuaries and plundered the church of the Holy Sepulchre, known as the Church of the Resurrection. In the aftermath, the Persians took the Holy Cross on which Jesus was crucified. Interestingly, when the cross appeared in Persia, many people revered it and turned to Christianity.
In response to the capture of the Holy Cross, Byzantine Emperor Heraclius (610-641 A.D.) waged war on the Persian king. The Armenian military unit led by Mzhezh Gnuni joined Heraclius’s army. Heraclius triumphed over Khosrov II. In 628 A.D. the victorious army transferred the Holy Cross from Persia to the Church of the Resurrection in Jerusalem in a spectacular parade.
The Holy Cross was transferred from Persia to Jerusalem through the Armenian city Karin (now Erzerum). In Karin, the Persians endeavored to capture the Holy Cross once again, but the Armenians hindered them and forced them to withdraw. Upon returning, Armenians found that a spring of water had emerged at the site of the Holy Cross. This became a pilgrimage site, and one of the mountain peaks located to the southeastern part of Karin field was named Khachapayt.
In the Armenian language, Khachverats means “khachi veracum,” i.e. “exaltation of the Cross.” Until the 20th century, Khachverats had different names among the provinces of Armenia, including Spkhech or Sbkhech, Khchverats, Ulots or Ulnots, Khrov and Khachin Zadag. On the holiday, a number of gifts were presented to churches, including kids (i.e. younglings of goats), rugs, different types of fabrics and so on. A widespread feature of Khachverats was making an offering of the kid (“ul” in Armenian). The names Ulots or Ulnots are derived from this tradition. Interestingly enough, in Armenian the phrase “spkhechi ul,” another name for the Khachverats holiday, means a person who is very thin, as if reduced to a skeleton.
A week-long fast precedes Khachverats. On the day of Khachverats, the ceremony of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross is held. The cross, adorned with basil and flowers, is brought out in a festive procession and turned around the church. This ceremony symbolizes the return of the liberated Cross of Crucifixion through the flowery Armenian Highlands to Jerusalem. Then, the chief of the procession crosses the adorned cross and blesses the four corners of the world, beseeching well-being and peace from God and spraying rose water on the people.
There were local customs in the celebrations of the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross among each province, city and village of Armenia. For instance, in Vaspurakan there was a custom of baking “paynakyosh,” which means bread with coriander. Khachverats was called “Khachin Zadag” in Musa Ler, and the Armenian national dish harissa was prepared at the end of the liturgy. All over the country, there was also a custom of giving a kid or a lamb to the families of the newly deceased.
The prominent feature of Khachverats was the pilgrimage. Each settlement possessed its own pilgrimage holy site, namely St. Khach church in Arkaz in the Vayots Dzor province of Armenia, Tsitsernavank in the Kashatagh province of Artsakh, Khachka monastery situated on the slopes of Karin city’s mountains of Bartsr Hayk (Upper Armenia), and St. Thomas the Apostle monastery in Musa Ler, a mountainous formerly Armenian-populated region north of Syria on the Mediterranean coast. One of the most distinguished pilgrimage sites in the Gegharkunik province is St. Khach chapel on Mount Surb Khach.
Surb Khach is located 10 km from Gavar city. Situated on the summit of Mount Surb Khach (also known as Mount Yerablur) at an altitude of 2460m and 2480m above sea level, it looks out on the mesmerizing view of Lake Sevan and the Geghama Mountain Chain, namely Mount Azhdahak, Mount Spitakasar, Mount Sevkatar and the other sky-high mountains of the Armenian Highlands.
The chapel is surrounded by a circle of khachkars (cross-stones), erected by pilgrims in gratitude to God and to the chapel for the realization of their dreams. Some cross-stones were erected to announce gratitude for a first newborn baby or for being cured from diseases. The cross-stones possess exquisite beauty, completing the dazzling panorama of Mount Surb Khach.
One of the cross-stones, which resembles sophisticated embroidery, bears an inscription: “This Holy Cross was erected by Hayk, Aram, Arsen, Gnel and Garnik Gasparyans in intercession and well-being for those Christian and pious families where are and where will be born babies.”
Another unique khachkar attached to the wall of the chapel bears an inscription “ՌՋ ՂԸ,” which records the second restoration year of the chapel. In Armenian, the alphabet letter ‘Ռ’ stands for the numeral 1000, ‘Ջ’ stands for the numeral 900, ‘Ղ’ stands for the numeral 90, and ‘Ը’ stands for the numeral 8. Therefore, in the old Armenian numeral system applied until the 17th century, the sum of the alphabet letters reveals that the chapel was restored for the second time in the year 1998.
Moreover, according to the other inscriptions on the restored chapel walls, Surb Khach was built in the 15th century, rebuilt in 1969 by Zhora Achikyan and further restored in 1998 by Gagik Khachikyan.
Long-term research so far suggests that the chapel was built in the distant past. According to historian Vardan Areveltsi, Surb Khach was originally a monastery, yet historian Stepanos Orbelyan in his work Patmutyun Nahangin Sisakan maintains that Surb Khach was a chapel. Surb Khach is also mentioned in the work Jambr by Catholicos Simeon Yerevantsi (1763-1780). In light of the foregoing, findings revealed that Surb Khach chapel was built in the ninth century by Mariam Bagratuni (known as Mariam Ishkanuhi) from the Bagratuni royal family.
In 863 A.D. the Arabs invaded Armenia, which resulted in the Karasuni Battle. 40,000 Armenian forces led by Ashot I Bagratuni faced an attack by 80,000 Arab forces. In the wake of the ferocious bloodshed, the death toll of Armenian forces was about 8,000, compared to approximately 20,000 on the Arab side, with the Armenians inflicting heavy casualties on the attacking forces.
Vasak Gavur, Mariam Iskhanuhi’s husband, also fell martyr in the battle while defending her homeland from Arab invasion. Displaying complete and unswerving loyalty to her husband after his death, Ishkhanuhi requested that her father King Ashot I Bagratuni permit her to leave and settle down in a monastery. The king reluctantly consented. Ishkhanuhi considered that her husband might have sinned in his lifetime as he breathed his last at the age of 30. Therefore, she made a resolution to build 30 churches in his memory.
Surb Khach chapel on Mount Surb Khach (ninth century A.D.) and Armenian monasteries Sevanavank (ninth century A.D.), Hayravank (originally called Mard Aghavnyats, ninth century A.D.), Shoghagavank (ninth century A.D.), Vanevank (10th century A.D.) and many others were built or rebuilt by Ishkhanuhi after being given the go-ahead by Catholicos Mashtots I Eghivardetsi (897-898 A.D.).
Tragically, after her husband’s death, Ishkhanuhi experienced an arduous life, full of ups and downs. In 909 A.D. Yusuf Amira invaded Armenia. At first, Ishkhanuhi withdrew to Artsakh for safety. In 910 A.D. King Smbat I Bagratuni, the son of Ashot I Bagratuni and Ishkhanuhi’s brother, lost a battle and surrendered to Yusuf Amira. The latter marched Smbat I Bagratuni to Dvin city, bound in chains. Yusuf demanded the king to command Yernjak Fortress to surrender. The king refused and was subsequently beheaded and crucified in the square of Dvin. After the king’s death, Ashot Yerkat, the son of Smbat I Bagratuni, inherited the throne. In the meantime, Ishkanuhi was captured by Yusuf and then released by ransom. Ishkhanuhi settled down in Sevanavank Monastery, leading a secluded life. According to historians’ writings, she is buried either in Sevanavank or Shoghagavank.
Among all the churches and monasteries built or rebuilt by Ishkhanuhi, Sevanavank monastery stands out for bearing the oldest inscription on its dome drum, where the place name Yerevan was written in Armenian letters. The inscription records the donations of Yerevan city to Sevanavank Monastery. This inscription was fully published by Hovsep Orbeli in 1943, the director of St. Petersburg State Hermitage Museum.
Lying in ruins for a long time and having been restored twice, St. Khach chapel on Mount Surb Khach is one of the distinguished pilgrimage sites of Armenia’s Gegharkunik province, tracing back to the time of the Bagratuni royal family rule. St. Khach chapel has seen thousands of pilgrims, who have climbed to the top of Mount Surb Khach in the hopes of realizing their cherished dreams and celebrating Khachverats.
Turning over the pages of Armenian history, we experience the joys and sorrows of our ancestors, facing sworn enemies and archrivals without staunch allies. Notwithstanding all this, Armenian royalty displayed unswerving loyalty, courage and a strong belief in God, arousing deep admiration and hope that Armenia will rise from the ashes once again and remain true to its ancestral heritage, culture and customs.
Gayane Barseghyan
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