ARTH 369 Studies in Middle Eastern Art and Architecture: Medieval Armenian Art & Architecture

• Thursdays, 5:45-8:15 pm
• Instructor: Dr. Anna-Maria Moubayed

Medieval Armenian art and architecture reflect the nation's tumultuous history, religious devotion, and artistic innovation. Concerned with the distinctive architectural heritage of medieval Armenia -- at the crossroads between Europe and Asia -- this course examines the buildings, monuments, and cultural contexts that have defined Armenian architecture from the early Christian period to the Middle Ages. Against the backdrop of the 1915 Armenian Genocide, and contemporary challenges that have already destroyed a significant number of medieval Armenian buildings and monuments in Artsakh/Nagorno-Karabakh, this course explores the resilience and cultural significance of Armenia's artistic and architectural heritage. The course presents an exploration of buildings, monuments, and artwork such as ecclesiastical complexes, cross-domed churches, Khachkars (cross-stones), fortresses, the Silk Road and Armenian Caravanserais, mosaics and vernacular cultural products. It also addresses their socio-historical context, relevance, cultural heritage, and cross-cultural embodiments, allowing students to gain insights into medieval Armenian culture and its enduring architectural legacy, within Armenia and among its diaspora communities worldwide.