Vache I Vachutian

Vache I Vachutian also Vace Vacutian, also known as Amberdtsi Vachutyan (Վաչե Ա. Ամբերդեցի, ruled 1206–1230), was an Armenian prince, and a Court official of the Kingdom of Georgia holding the offices of Msakhurtukhutsesi (Majordomo), founder of the Vachutian dynasty, themselves vassals to the Zakarid dynasty of Zakarid Armenia.^[3][4]

Mausoleum of Prince Vache Vacutian, built in 1229 in Horomos Monastery.^[1]

St. Garabed Kathoghike Church of Hovhannavank, built in 1216–1221 by Vache Vachutyan.^[2]

He was married to Mamakhatun, daughter of Abuserh.^[3]

Vache I Vachutian is known for the foundation of various monastic buildings in historical Armenia. He built the churches of the Saghmosavank Monastery (1215) and Hovhannavank Monastery (1216–1221), while his son Kurt built the zhamatuns attached to them, in 1250 for Hovhannavank and 1255 for Saghmosavank.^[5][3][2] Vache Vachutian also built the church of Tegher Monastery (1213),^[3][2][4] and the vestibule (gavit) of St. Astvatsatsin Church in Sanahin Monastery (1211), which is evidenced by the inscription preserved on the south wall inside the vestibule.^[6] He is also known for building a mausoleum at Horomos Monastery in 1229.^[7] The mausoleum is a square space of about 8x8 meters, lined with blind arcades supporting a huge "stone tent" structure of the type of the stalactite vaults.^[1] The "stone tent" would have reached a height of about 6 meters, giving a total of 9 meters for the mausoleum.^[1] Photographs from the 19th century show the wall and the beginning of the stone tent structure. This type of "stalactite tent" is also seen in other monuments, such as the gavit of the Church of the Holy Apostles at Ani.^[1] A dedicatory inscription appears on the tympanum:

By the grace of Christ, I, Vacë, son of Sargis, and my wife Mamaxatun, daughter of Abuserh, we built this hall of relics in this monastery of Horomos, under the prelature of Ter Barsel, son of Amir Erkat', and we gave in present at the library the vineyard that we had bought in Awsakan, for the office and for the relic. And we also gave to the church... in gold and two silver flabellum. In exchange, the monks of this chapter granted us the mass of the first Sunday after Easter in the churches of this place. And we gave further the vineyard of Pasakan hol, and the one who will ensure regularly our masses will have free disposal of wine. Therefore, those who execute this writing will be blessed by God, but if any of us or strangers... hinder our will, may it be accountable for our sins before God!^[8]

References

1. Baeva, Olga; Kazaryan, Armen (2023). "On the 'Glkhatun' Type Cave Dwelling of Ani: Preliminary Research (Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Architecture: Heritage, Traditions and Innovations (AHTI 2022))". Athena Transactions in Social Sciences and Humanities. 2: 95–100. doi:10.55060/s.atssh.221230.013. ...one of the reliquary halls of the Horomos Monastery. The hall, built by Prince Vache Vachutyan in 1229, is the same square space with a side of at least 8m, with low walls (about 3m), on which, over a wide horizontal cornice, a huge stone tent, was created in the technology of stalactite vaults [14,15]. Taking into account the proportions common for such constructions, the height of the tent could reach up to 6m, and the total height of the room, therefore, was close to 9m.
2. Vardanyan, Edda (1 January 2015). "The Žamatun of Hoṙomos and the Žamatun/Gawit' Structures in Armenien Architecture". Hoṙomos Monastery: Art and History, edited by Edda Vardanyan, Paris : ACHCByz: 212.
3. Mahé, Jean-Pierre (2002). "Les inscriptions de Hoṙomos". Monuments et mémoires de la Fondation Eugène Piot. 81 (1): 204. doi:10.3406/piot.2002.1397. French: Le donateur, Vac'ê, fils de Sargis, n'est autre que le prince Vac'ê Vac'uteanc', fondateur des monastères de Yovhannavank', Sahnosavank' et Teter, seigneur d'Aragacotn, de Sirak, d'Amberd et de Nig. Son épouse, Mamaxatun, fille d'Abuserh, est également connue pour une série de donations entre 1211 et 1232. Elle est enterrée au monastère de Teier, dont elle a construit les églises. English: The donor, Vac'ê, son of Sargis, is none other than Prince Vac'ê Vac'uteanc', founder of the monasteries of Yovhannavank', Sahnosavank' and Teter, lord of Aragacotn, Sirak, Amberd and by Nig. His wife, Mamaxatun, daughter of Abuserh, is also known for a series of donations between 1211 and 1232. She is buried at the Teier monastery, whose churches she built.
4. Eastmond, Antony (20 April 2017). Tamta's World. Cambridge University Press. p. 34, note 19. ISBN 978-1-107-16756-8. Hovhannavank monastery, built by Vache Vachutian, a vassal of the Mqargrdzelis in 1215.
5. Eastmond, Antony (20 April 2017). Tamta's World. Cambridge University Press. p. 316. ISBN 978-1-107-16756-8.
6. Kiesling, John Brady (2001). Rediscovering Armenia: An Archaeological/touristic Gazetteer and Map Set for the Historical Monuments of Armenia. Tigran Mets. p. 48. ISBN 978-99930-52-28-9. The gavit of S. Astvatsatsin was built by Prince Vache Vachutian (a more southerly dynast) in 1211, that of Amenaprkich in 1181 under the sponsorship of the Kyurikian family.
7. Baeva, Olga; Kazaryan, Armen (2023). "On the 'Glkhatun' Type Cave Dwelling of Ani: Preliminary Research (Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Architecture: Heritage, Traditions and Innovations (AHTI 2022))". Athena Transactions in Social Sciences and Humanities. 2: 95–100. doi:10.55060/s.atssh.221230.013. ...one of the reliquary halls of the Horomos Monastery. The hall, built by Prince Vache Vachutyan in 1229, is the same square space with a side of at least 8m, with low walls (about 3m), on which, over a wide horizontal cornice, a huge stone tent, was created in the technology of stalactite vaults [14,15]. Taking into account the proportions common for such constructions, the height of the tent could reach up to 6m, and the total height of the room, therefore, was close to 9m. (...) Stalactite tents are also known from the gavit of the Church of the St. Apostles in Ani, but the architecture of this building is much more complicated than the above-mentioned.
8. Mahé, Jean-Pierre (2002). "Les inscriptions de Hoṙomos". Monuments et mémoires de la Fondation Eugène Piot. 81 (1): 204. doi:10.3406/piot.2002.1397.