Whispers of Faith. The Rock Cut Church of Martiros
An architectural wonder nestled in the rugged embrace of nature bears witness to the ingenuity and devotion of its creators. Carved directly into the rock, this sacred refuge seems to offer a retreat from the noise of the world.
Rock Cut Church
This is the story of the Holy Mother of God Monastery, the most notable architectural monument of Martiros village. It is located about 2.5 kilometers southeast of the village, on the lower slopes of Mount Nzar, at the place where cold and powerful springs emerge. The monastery is entirely carved inside Mount Nzar, within an underground rock mass. It consists of a narthex, a vestibule, and a church with a square plan measuring 3.3 meters.
According to inscriptions preserved inside, the monastery was built in 1286 by Martiros Vardapet, and the architect was the stone master Grigorik. After Geghard, this rock cut church is the most significant and largest rock carved architectural complex in Armenia, and it ranks first in Armenian ecclesiastical architecture for its interior acoustics.
Legend
In front of the rock cut monastery lies a convex plateau sloping toward a small river. Traces of ruins have been preserved on this plateau. It is possible that the monastery brethren once lived here. There was also an old settlement in front of the monastery. It is said that a tunnel had been carved from the church to the river, from which water was brought for use. This tunnel also had strategic importance. According to legend, during the campaign of Lenk Temur, the villagers hid in the rock cut church, but the cry of a child revealed their location, and the people were put to the sword.
Folk memory has preserved the tradition of pilgrimage to the monastery. Every year, on the last Sunday of August, a pilgrimage takes place to the rock cut church of Martiros.