Harmony of Combining of Architectural Ideas: Light Oculus and Stalactite Muqarnas Tent

Abstract

The origin of the common type of overlap of the Armenian monastic fore-churches or narthex (zhamatun or gavit) – a stone muqarnas tent with a light oculus at the top – has not yet been fully disclosed. Denying the absolute autochthonous nature of this architectural idea, the author of the article develops a point of view about the transformation by Armenian architects of the form of a brick tent, known from the mausoleums of Muslim rulers, which were built since the 11th century in Mesopotamia and Syria. At the same time, the rich local context of the early forms of the high tent with an oculus and the architectural compositions associated with it are analysed anew. At the same time, in 1038 in the Horomos monastery the king Hovhannes Smbat Bagratuni has constructed the multi-column zhamatun with eight-side tent and an oculus. Intended for the repose of the king, this zhamatun could embody in its architecture both the forms of a residential building and, to a greater extent, the idea represented in Rotunda of the Holy Sepulchre. Since the second half of the 12th century, when many monastic vestibules were built, about a dozen such structures with a stalactite tent were also erected. It seems acceptable that in the process of creative processing of the idea of Muslim tents, Armenian architects embodied their formal features in the stone structure of the false vault, preserving the traditional light oculus for the local culture. Identified with the divine light, the stream looked spectacular against the background of a stalactite sculptural form resembling a cave. The key role in the creation of a new type of tent in the monastic buildings could be played by the masters of the Ani school of architecture.