“SRBOTS ZORAVARATS” CHAPEL RE-OPENED IN AKHALTSKHA

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
May 11 2006

AKHALTSKHA, MAY 11, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. On May 9, on the
occasion of the holidays of the victory in the Great Patriotic War and
liberation of Shoushi, the Srbots Zoravarats chapel was blessed and
opened in the district of Marta, the city of Akhaltskha. The sanctuary
was restored and reconstructed on the initiative and with efforts of a
number of Armenian young people of Akhaltskha. Armenians of Samtskhe
built in 1851 in this beautiful place of nature a small place for
prayers and placed the Khachkar (cross stone) monument there. The
sanctuary called by people “chapel of two brothers” became unique for
Armenians of the settlement, flow of belivers has not stopped here even
during the Soviet years. According to evidences of local inhabitation,
the place for prayers, the Khachkar were destroyed by individuals 30
years ago, and other sactified stones were lost. Since those days
7 families destroyed the chapel has met awful tragedies, and they
had to start looking for sanctifies stones and the Khachkar putting
them on the same place. And on May 9, 2006, the order of blessing the
reconstructed chapel was headed by Virahayots Diocese primate Bishop
Vazgen Mirzakhanian, with participation of Samtskhe-Javakhk Monk
Babken Salbiyan, implemented by Akhaltskha spiritual pastor Senior
Priest Shmavon Saghoyan, Tbilisi Surb Gevorg church spiritual pastor
Priest Narek Ghushchian. The chapel was named “Srbots Zoravarats” on
the occasion of the day of victories. At the end of the ceremony, His
Holiness Primate and Monk Babken congratulated the local Armenians on
the occasions of the chapel’s being blessed and the day of victory. He
appreciated Akhaltskha Armenians’ devotion to spiritual-cultural
values and blessed builders undertaken the kind affair. As Noyan
Tapan was informed by the Press Services of the Virahayots Diocese,
the ceremony finished with traditional blessing of sacrifice and fete.