EARLY MEDIEVAL ALBANIAN TEMPLES OF CAMBYSENA

Abstract

The article deals with the early medieval Christian temples located in the province of Cambisena in Caucasian Albania. For the first time, the temples of Cambisena are involved in systematic research, Zarna, Takhtali, Kilsahand, Albangala and other temples are involved in the study for the first time from the historical and archaeological point of view. The plans of these monuments are the result of recent research. The article also examines the Albanian temples of Mingachevir, Lakit Circular Albanian Temple, Lakit Kotuklu Seven Churches, Alatamir, Bash Goynuk, Marallig, Gakhbash, Lakit-Malakh, Pipan, Armatay, Parigala, Gum. Studies suggest that the temples had an significant place in Albanian Christian history in the early Middle Ages, and that Cambisena covered the north-western part of the country at that time. In the early Middle Ages, Cambysena was not only an administrative unit (province) but also a church-administrative unit (bishopric). This confirms the special place of the province of Cambisena in the history of Albania. The studied Albanian temples are examples of Albanian heritage in terms of historical and architectural style. In Albania, Christian temples, which were built during the Arshakids and Mehranids dynasties, have a special place among the monuments that have survived in the province of Cambisena. Buildings such as basilicas, sovmes, and monasteries are the main types of early medieval temples in the north-western region. The province of Cambisena, as well as its provinces of Yekhni, Bekh and Getayru, is a clear example of the spread of early medieval Albanian culture in the north-western part of the country to the Iberian border.