The tomb of St. Grigoris in Amaras monastery: From an architectural and archaeological perspective

Amaras Monastery represents one of the most significant early medieval religious and architectural complexes of Artsakh, characterised by its multilayered historical development and cultural importance. Located within the monastery is the martyrium of Bishop St. Grigoris, grandson of Grigor the Illuminator, whose architectural composition and spatial organisation are of particular interest in the study of early Christian funerary architecture. This article examines the martyrium's planning and structural features based on archaeological and architectural evidence. The findings are comparatively analysed alongside contemporaneous Armenian and early Christian martyriums in both Eastern and Western traditions. Special attention is given to the spatial configuration of entrances, particularly the debated eastern entry, and its possible connection to liturgical practices and the canonical reforms attributed to Vachagan the Pious. The study demonstrates that the martyrium’s original composition followed the typological principles of early Armenian Christian architecture, with a primary western entrance and an eastern niche. The eastern entry is interpreted as a later modification, likely associated with subsequent construction phases and functional adaptations. These findings contribute to a broader understanding of early medieval architectural traditions and the religious-cultural interactions between Armenia and Caucasian Albania (Auank).