The Vanishing Church and Forgotten Armenian History of Tbilisi

A dormant church stands in the Jvaris Mama complex, fueling ongoing contention between the Armenian and Georgian Orthodox churches. This abandoned church reminds visitors how the city often overlooks Armenian history. Let’s explore the beauty of this church and uncover its rich story.

The Church of Mary of Norashen

The church of Mary of Norashen, commissioned in 1467 by an Armenian nobleman named Sadat, was later, in 1650, funded and restored by Khoja Nazar, a prominent Armenian merchant from New Julfa, a historic Armenian quarter in Isfahan, Iran. In the 17th century, Shah Abbas I used scorched-earth tactics against the Ottoman advance in the Caucasus by destroying Armenian towns like Julfa. His forces burned fields, ruined homes, and deported the population to leave the region barren and deny the Ottomans supplies.

At the same time, he sought to make Isfahan a global trade center by relocating Armenian merchants who dominated the silk trade. While many peasants suffered during the harsh journey, Julfa’s wealthy elite received privileges in New Julfa, including religious freedom, their own district, and trade monopolies. That new dwelling had an interest in renovating the St. Mary of Norashen church. Much like its neighbor church, the Jvari Mama also had outside-of-region support.

However, in 1795, ironically, the Persians led by Agha Mohammad Khan Qajar attacked Tbilisi and destroyed many places of worship, including St. Mary of Norashen Church. This later led to the building’s 19th-century renovation, which the interior faintly reflects to this day in its ruined state.

Here is my visit to the location:

How Georgian and Armenian Churches shared a space

The Armenian Holy Mother Church stands as a testament to the strong Armenian population that came to this city between the 12th and 16th centuries, after the Seljuk invaders were expelled.

Norashen means “newly built” in Armenian (Նորաշեն), and the name of the Holy Mother of God (Surb Astvatsatsin) also connects to the site. When the Armenians came to settle and help rebuild the city, they established the neighborhood and built their new church. Some historians say the Armenians built it in 1467, while others claim 1507. Major renovation took place between 1793 and 1796. The frescoes in the church date from after this time, specifically the 1830s.

The Economic Affect from Invasions

After the Timur invasions (from 1386 to 1403) and the destruction of the nearby Jvaris Mama church, which was later attacked by the Arabs, who attempted to take over the Jerusalem Holy Cross Nunnery, which was connected to the church. I think these events led to economic decline for the monastery on the current city block in Tbilisi.^[1]https://dannythedigger.com/monastery-of-the-cross/ Due to the financial decline and destruction by Timur, the monastery eventually sold this section to the Armenians, who moved into the neighborhood. I present this theory because these churches are in close proximity to each other, and the Georgian church in Jerusalem sold its property to the Greek Orthodox church in 1685 (35 years after selling property to the Armenians), highlighting the difficulties the church faced during that century.^[2]During the 17th century, the Ottoman’s controlled Jerusalem but economic stagnation took hold during this century in the city. https://www.gov.il/en/pages/jerusalem-through-the-centuries

In 1995, the Georgian Orthodox attempted to take over the empty shell of a building that lay open to the elements. This church was the Armenian Church of Mary of Norashen. Those involved attempted to remove all Armenian features to make the place look like a Georgian Orthodox presentation. The Armenian community protested, and now the building remains without any care.^[3]https://www.azatutyun.am/a/1599105.html This location symbolizes the divide between these two groups. In light of all these events, these two churches symbolized the Caucasus roulette game that regional players gambled for domination over the symbolic churches.

Armenian Influx into Tbilisi and Out

Armenians settled in Tbilisi many centuries ago, making the city an important center for Armenian life under Russian imperial rule in the 19th century. After the Russian conquest of the South Caucasus in the early 1800s, Armenians fled from the Ottoman and Persian Empires to settle in Tbilisi. They became prominent in trade, construction, and culture, transforming the city into the modern era. Armenian business families built homes, schools, churches, and theaters and massively contributed to the city’s urban and cultural development.

Some say that 2/3 of the city was Armenian at one point. Over time, however, political changes and shifting demographics prompted Armenians to leave Tbilisi. During the Soviet period and especially after the collapse of the USSR in the early 1990s, many Armenians emigrated due to economic hardships, rising Georgian nationalism, and new political dynamics that reduced the size and influence of the Armenian community in the city. Today, the Armenian presence and history are placed into the let ’s-forget-them file.

Anna Sarkisyan, president of the Georgian Association of Cultural Relations, said, “The process of abandoning Armenian heritage in Georgia started during the repression of Tsarist-era Russia… Unfortunately, the Georgian government is not usually interested in the preservation of [Armenian] heritage, which is systematically demolished.”^[4]https://emerging-europe.com/tbilisis-largely-forgotten-and-neglected-armenian-heritage/