`Colonial Diasporic Architecture and a City
Armenian architecture outside Calcutta The Armenian Studies Program by the California State University described in an article called Arts of Armenia (Architecture), that the Armenian architectural style was formed as a National style which started in the late 6th or early 7th century. The unique style mainly catered to church buildings. The program states that "it had been achieved long before Byzantine, Romanesque and Gothic or the less known Ethiopian, Scandinavian, and Slavic styles were concretely formed". Some architectural characteristics include: 1. The buildings were built completely of available stone (volcanic tufa or basalt) due to the scarcity of wood 2. Stone vaulted ceilings and structural arches 3. Thick walls with few small openings 4. Use of pointed dome, conical or semi-conical radially segmented dome or cupolas over a cylindrical drum 5. Frescos and Cravings As Armenia was a highly seismic and volcanic zone, the buildings were skillfully designed and were different as they experimented with stone unlike the Roman and Byzantine Empires, which used bricks, and Syria which used wood for roofing.
Image 2: Churches at Armenia Left : Church of Mughini, St. Gevorg, 17th century Right: Church of Shoghagat, domed single nave church, 1664-1669 Source: Photso: Ara Guler https://web.archive.org/web/20081231160331/http://armenianstudies.csufresno.edu/arts_of_armenia/architectu re.htm
The church of Mughni and the church of Shoghagat (Refer Image 2), were important examples of churches in Greater Armenia. They display the simplicity and unique characteristics followed in the architectural style.
Goa College of Architecture
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Andrea D'Silva
