ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXCAVATIONS AT THE RED CHURCH KHOJAVEND DISTRICT

Abstract

Initial archaeological excavations and field exploration works were carried out within a 10 m² area of the Red Church (Gırmızı Kilsə/Garnir), a historical architectural monument located in the village of Bine (Domu-Temirli) in the Khojavend district of Karabakh. The monument was constructed in the form of a basilica with a vaulted hall and reflects construction techniques characteristic of the ancient period. The main entrance leading to the temple is situated on the western side of the monument. The church is 11 meters long and 6.45 meters wide, with a total area of 225 m². Some of these temples were built on the foundations of earlier pagan sanctuaries, while others were reconstructed and adapted in accordance with Christian religious traditions. The relocation of the capital of Caucasian Albania to the city of Barda in 552 contributed to the increase in settlements and Christian Albanian monuments in Karabakh during the Early Middle Ages. The preliminary results of the archaeological excavations provide grounds to suggest that the Red Church monument was constructed in the 10th century on the remains of an earlier structure. The Red Church architectural monument belongs to the simple-type, single-nave temple category with a vaulted ceiling and dates to the final stage of the Early Middle Ages. During field exploration works, it was also determined that another structure known as the “Small Temple” (Kiçik Məbəd), as well as the remains of a bridge and a caravanserai, are located near the Red Church, indicating that a medieval trade caravan route once passed through this area.