User:Yerevantsi/sandbox/Trdat

Trdat (architect)

Trdat, also known as Trdat the Architect (Armenian: Տրդատ ճարտարապետ) and Trdat of Ani (Տրդատ Անեցի, Trdat Anetsi)

Life

Sirarpie Der Nersessian suggested that he was a layman.

Attributions

Ani

"To Near Eastern scholars the Armenian cathedral at Ani (989–1001), designed by Trdat (972–1036), seemed to anticipate Gothic (plates 2.10 and 2.11). Lethaby finds the building ‘strangely western’ because its pointed arches, clustered piers, ribs and colonnades correspond to the Gothic of a hundred years later. Strzygowski has no doubts about its Western importance: ‘It is a delight, in a church earlier than AD 1000, to see the builder, the court architect Trdat, carrying Armenian art so logically and so successfully past ‘‘Romanesque’’ to ‘‘Gothic’’.’69"

attributions

architect of Ani's Prkich Church 
criticism of Murad Hasratyan's attribution of Prkich to Trdat [1]

Hagia Sophia

While the circumstances in which he was asked to repair the dome are unknown, Sirarpie Der Nersessian suggested that the fact alone "is in itself a sufficient indication of his renown." Richard Krautheimer was somewhat dismissive of Trdat's role in Constantinople, suggesting that he "might have been summoned as a technician."

Johannes Preiser-Kapeller: One example for the mobility of an artisan from Armenia to Byzantium is Trdat, architect and mason, who according to the Armenian historian Stephen of Taron travelled to Constantinople and was entrusted with the restoration of the Hagia Sophia, which had been damaged by an earthquake in October 989. However, to our disappointment, his accomplishment found no echo in the Byzantine sources, which mention the damage and reconstruction of the Hagia Sophia, but not Trdat.

widely accepted in modern scholarship that he rebuilt Sophia's dome

• Ormonde Maddock Dalton: ...when in the tenth century the dome of S. Sophia was damaged by earthquake, it was to an Armenian architect, Trdat, builder of the cathedral of Ani, that the work of restoration was entrusted.
• John Beckwith (curator): In the tenth century an Armenian architect Trdat was summoned to restore the great church of Holy Wisdom at Constantinople
• Robert G. Ousterhout: Texts also relate the Armenian architect Trdat in the capital at the time of the earthquake of 989, and he was hired to intervene following the collapse of the western portion of the dome of Hagia Sophia.26 That an Armenian would be awarded this prestig- ious and difficult commission suggests the respect accorded Caucasian architecture at this time.
• James Allan Stewart Evans: Much of his dome still remains: the western arch of the four supporting it came down in 986 (or 989) and was rebuilt by an Armenian architect named Trdat, and the eastern arch fell in the fourteenth century and was rebuilt with contributions raised in Russia.153
• Evidence of cultural exchange between the two kingdoms is found on many levels-the work of Trdat, Ani's most famous architect, on the restoration of Hagia Sophia in 989
• The cathedral at Ani, constructed by the brilliant architect Trdat, who successfully reinforced the dome of the Cathedral of St. Sophia in Constantinople, antedates Gothic architecture.
• It is also perhaps significant that Armenian builders traveled. The most famous, Trdat, directed the reconstruction of the dome of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople following its partial collapse in the tenth century.36

Haghia Sophia

Emerson, William; van Nice, Robert L. (1 October 1943). "Haghia Sophia, Istanbul: Preliminary Report of a Recent Examination of the Structure". American Journal of Archaeology. 47 (4): 403–436. doi:10.2307/499830.

Though frequently shaken by earthquakes since the sixth century, it has been injured on but two occasions: the western arch and part of the dome collapsed in 986 and were restored by 994 under direction of an Armenian architect, Trdat. [MORE]

van Nice, Robert L. (1948). "Hagia Sophia: New Types of Structural Evidence". Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians. 7 (3/4): 5–9. doi:10.2307/987423. ISSN 0037-9808.

Cappa, Marco; De Angelis, Daniela; Pecci, Alessandra; Barba, Luis; Cura, Murat; Crisci, Gino Mirocle; Blancas, Jorge; Yavuz, Hasan Bora; Miriello, Domenico (17 August 2016). "Thermographic Survey at Hagia Sophia: Main Arches, Pendentives and Tympana". International Journal of Architectural Heritage. 10 (6): 726–734. doi:10.1080/15583058.2015.1104400. ISSN 1558-3058.

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Thomas F. Mathews: More striking, because more unusual, is the placement of turrets on the corners of the cubical base at St Hripsime. This is an unicum in Armenian architecture. Eremian wanted to interpret them as counter-weights to give stability to the drum9; however they are hollow and they provide access from the cornice walk-way to crawl space above the squinch vaults. Both in form and function they are parallel to the turrets that surmount the western half-dome of Hagia Sophia, which are also part of the access system for maintenance of the roofs10. This, of course, is a standard feature of the great vaulted structures of Roman architecture; the massive walls of Roman baths commonly conceal narrow access stairs to the roofs, which finished in turrets above, such as those still visible above the facade of the mausoleum of Sta Costanza, Rome. It is not clear that a building of the modest scale of St Hripsime needed so elaborate an access system, but it does offer an interesting link to Roman and Constantinopolitan building practice.

Cultural depictions

Gevorg Devrikyan authored a novel about Trdat in 1983 and Ara Harutyunyan created a bronze statuette of him in 1987.

sorted short

John Julius Norwich: "Armenia's greatest architect"

"the most famous Armenian architect known to us by name"

Seta Dadoyan: Architects Trdat in Ani and Manuel in Alt'amar had very different styles and, as such, were a part ofthe new and more individualistic styles of the period.

Rouben Paul Adalian: When, in 989, an earthquake damaged the vast dome of Justinian's temple, the authorities called on the Armenian architect Trdat to repair Christendom's largest church. Trdat's reputation had preceded him in Byzantium; he was already building the sumptuous churches of Ani and his masterpiece, the Church of the Holy Mother of God ( 989-1001 ), the city's cathedral, thus making him a rare figure of international repute in medieval architecture. Trdat's superb engineering skills transformed Armenian architecture as, following his examples, architects designed new edifices with a finer sense of artistry and with a keener attention to aesthetic values than had been ventured earlier.

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T'oros T'oramanean, Haykakan Cartarapetut'twn, Collected Works 1 [Armenian Architecture, Collected Worksm Vol. I], (Erevan: 1952[1942]),92.]

1 https://arar.sci.am/dlibra/docmetadata?showContent=true&id=318240

pp. 74 [praise], 275, 276 [Gagkashen-Orbeli note]

2 https://arar.sci.am/dlibra/publication/386024/edition/356500

speculations

Saint Sophia Cathedral, Kyiv. Jonathan Shepard: Moreover there are Armenian-language graffiti suggestive of the presence of Armenian workmen in Kiev around 1000. An Armenian architect, Trdat, had supervised the partial rebuilding of Constantinople's St Sophia after the earthquake of 989 and it could be that Anna had, through her brothers, personal connexions with Trdat or his compatriots, recruiting them to take part in building works in Rus.95

main sources

• Hasratyan, Murad (2014). "Ճարտարապետ Տրդատ Անեցի [Architect Trdat Anetsi]". Hushardzan (in Armenian). 9. Scientific Research Center of Historical and Cultural Heritage: 83–102. ISSN 1829-4251.

• Maranci, Christina (2010). "The Architect Trdat: From the Great Church at Ani to the Great Church at Constantinople". In Hovannisian, Richard G. (ed.). Armenian Kars and Ani. Mazda Publishers. pp. 101–126. ISBN 978-1568591575.

• Maranci, Christina (2003). "The Architect Trdat: Building Practices and Cross-Cultural Exchange in Byzantium and Armenia". Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians. 62 (3): 294–305. doi:10.2307/3592516. ISSN 0037-9808. JSTOR 3592516. (PDF)

• Shakhkyan, Garnik [in Armenian] (2002). "Տրդատ [Trdat]". Christian Armenia Encyclopedia (in Armenian). Yerevan: Armenian Encyclopedia Publishing House. pp. 1023-1024.

• Harutyunyan, Varazdat (1992). Հայկական ճարտարապետության պատմություն [History of Armenian Architecture] (PDF) (in Armenian). Yerevan: Luys. ISBN 5-545-00215-4. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 January 2022. pp. 192, 201, 204, 229, 232-3, 236

• Der Manuelian, Lucy (1988). "Trdat". In Strayer, Joseph R. (ed.). Dictionary of the Middle Ages Vol. 12. Charles Scribner's Sons. pp. 164-165.

• Mnatsakanian, Stepan (1982). Վարպետաց վարպետներ. Մանուել. Տրդատ. Մոմիկ (in Armenian). Yerevan: Armenian Academy of Sciences Press. [2]

• Hovhannisyan, Konstantine (1976). "Տրդատ Ճարտարապետ". In Aghayan, Eduard; Pivazyan, Emanuel [in Armenian]; Zhamkochyan, Haykaz [in Armenian] (eds.). Հայ մշակույթի նշանավոր գործիչները. V-XVIII դարեր [Prominent Figures of Armenian Culture: 5th-18th centuries] (in Armenian). Yerevan University Press. pp. 193–201. PDF (archived PDF)

• Barkhudarian, Sedrak [in Armenian] (1959). "Միջնադարյան հայ ճարտարապետներ". Patma-Banasirakan Handes (in Armenian). 1: 99–118.

• Hovhannisyan, Konstantine (1951). Зодчий Трдат (in Russian). Yerevan: Armenian Academy of Sciences Press.

• Levonian, Garegin [in Armenian] (1949). "Ճարտարապետ Տրդատ Անեցին և իր գործերը". Etchmiadzin (in Armenian). 6 (1–2): 55–66. archived PDF

secondary sources

• Hasratyan, Murad (2011). "Անիի ճարտարապետությունը [Architecture of Ani]". Patma-Banasirakan Handes (in Armenian) (3): 3–27. Archived from the original on 2019-05-10. Retrieved 2016-07-14. (archived PDF)

• Matevosyan, Karen (2008). "Անին մայրաքաղաք և կաթողիկոսանիստ [Ani as a Capital and Catholicosate]". Patma-Banasirakan Handes (in Armenian) (3): 3–30. Archived from the original on 2020-11-28. Retrieved 2016-07-14.
• Matevosyan, Karen (1989). "Անիի Մայր տաճարը — հոգևոր և մշակութային կենտրոն [Cathedral of Ani: spiritual and cultural center]". Etchmiadzin (in Armenian). 46 (11–12): 105–110. Archived from the original on 2019-08-20. Retrieved 2017-06-02.

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• Watenpaugh, Heghnar Z. (2014). "The Cathedral of Ani, Turkey: From Church to Monument". In Gharipour, Mohammad (ed.). Sacred Precincts: The Religious Architecture of Non-Muslim Communities Across the Islamic World. Brill. pp. 460–473. doi:10.1163/9789004280229_027.

Watenpaugh https://brill.com/downloadpdf/book/edcoll/9789004280229/B9789004280229-s027.pdf
It was built between 989 and 1001 by Trdat, the most celebrated architect of medieval Armenia, who famously repaired the dome of the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople

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• Thierry, Jean-Michel; Donabédian, Patrick (1989) [1987]. Armenian Art. Translated by Celestine Dars. New York: Harry N. Abrams. ISBN 0-8109-0625-2.

Trdat was an architect who, in the view of many Armenian archeologists, personified the School of Ani, and who became famous for his participation in the restoration of St. Sophia in Constantinople. In Armenia, we know that he built not only St. Gregory of Gagik, the cathedral at Ani and the church at Агата (Asofik of Taron), but also attributed to him are other structures, such as the church of the Holy Seal at Hafbat (Yovhanneés of Crimea), and the surrounding walls at Ani. This is perhaps a hasty suggestion, notably by T‘ora- manyan, since it is not easy discern the characteristics of Trdat’s works from only three buildings, of which two (St. Gregory and Argina) have long since col- lapsed, and the third (the cathedral at Ani) was altered in the 13" century.

THE CHURCH OF THE HOLY SAVIOR (Surb P'rkic‘, or Amenap’rkic' This is in the eastern part of the city, and its whole history is contained in its inscriptions. The building was completed in 1036 under Prince Abllarib Pahlavid to shelter a fragment of the True Cross brought back from Constantinople. It is probably the work of the architect Trdat, whose name is engraved on top of the south facade |S. Barxudaryan).

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Varazdat Harutyunyan http://serials.flib.sci.am/openreader/Hay%20joxovrdi%20patmutyun_%20h.3/book/index.html#page/1032/mode/1up Ճարտարապետություն (Վ. Մ. Հարությունյան)

1. Դարաշրչանի ճարտարապետության հիմնական հատկանիշները 366
2. Քաղաքաշինություն, քաղաքացիական ճարտարապետություն 369
3. Եյունիքի ճարտարապետական դպրոցը 378 
4. Վասպուրականի ճարտարապետական դպրոցը 381
5. Հյուսխալին Հայաստանի ճարտարապետությունը. Անի-Շիրակի դպրոցը 384 [3]

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Казарян А.Ю. Новые данные о куполах храмов Ани. Часть первая. Кафедральный собор зодчего Трдата // Вопросы всеобщей истории архитектуры. — 2018. — Вып. 10.— С. 145–169.

The Study of the Architectural Heritage of Ani: Current Issues and Recent Publications

https://actual-art.spbu.ru/en/publications/archive/vol-12/byzantine-and-eastern-christian-art/10927.html
https://actual-art.org/files/sb/12/Kazaryan.pdf

В это же время было подготовлено несколько статей и пара диссертаций, освещающих творчество главного анийского архитектора Трдата, — в контексте армяно-византийских культурных связей [54] =54. Maranci Ch. Krikor (Grigor) Balakian’s Ruins of Ani: A Surprising Source for Armenian Architecture // Venezia Arti. — 2018. — Vol. 27. — No. 27. — P. 67–80. https://edizionicafoscari.unive.it/riviste/venezia-arti/2018/1/krikor-grigor-balakians-ruins-of-ani/ Статья о главной церкви Мармашенского монастыря 1029 г. уточняет традиционно преувеличивавшуюся связь её архитектуры с Анийским собором Трдата и предлагает именовать Мармашенскую церковь купольным периптером, с учётом генетических корней её внешнего облика и ордерного декора с местной античной традицией [49] (Илл. 14). =49. Kazaryan A. ‘Domed Peripteros’ of Marmashen Monastery. Revisiting the Question of Armenian Medieval ‘Renaissance’ // Cahiers Archéologique. — 2018. — T. 57. — P. 55–73.

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Kazaryan, Armen; Muradyan, Gohar (21 March 2017). "Armenian Culture and Classical Antiquity". A Handbook to Classical Reception in Eastern and Central Europe (1 ed.). Wiley. pp. 507–515. ISBN 978-1-118-83271-4. https://pdfupload.io/docs/9149b013 513

Unlike this episodic impressive phenomenon, the interest in classical antiquity became an important factor in the origin and development of the unique architec- tural school which emerged in the new Armenian capital Ani (from 961), mostly due to the famous architect Trdat. A significant transformation of the architec- tural style and imagery of the Christian church, as a result of applying classical models, is observed in the proportions of plans, widespread rotunda structures, Hellenistic type portals, and carving ornamentation.

531

The main achievements belong to the architectural school of Ani, the biggest in the country. From the moment of its foundation in 961, Ani, designated as a new residence of the main branch of the Bagratids and as the capital of Armenia (Matevosyan 2010: 10–16), grew intensely and its culture developed in an unparalleled way. Soon, the need for a new cathedral became clear; it was to correspond to the new status and the scale of the capital. The commission for its construction was given to a great architect of that epoch—Trdat; the construction started in 985, under King Smbat II Bagratuni (977–990) and was finished in 1001 by Queen Katramide, but there was a pause between 990 and 992 because of the departure of Trdat to restore the fallen dome of the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople (Maranci 2003; Ghulyan 2005: 29–30; Toramanyan 2008).

531-2

The great space of the cross‐cupola composition, the long facades of the outer parallelepiped (21.9 × 34.0m), and a cylindrical surface of the tholobate were all creative ideas of Trdat. Among them was the concept of the cupola church with the blind arcade along all of its main volume, realized for the first time. The admirable interior of the cathedral, resembling those of late Romanesque European cathedrals, collocates with luxury and at the same time a stylistically reserved outlook. Henry Lynch (1901) mentioned its high artistic value, testifying to the level of culture, radically outstripping the contemporary civilization of the West. The main motif of the facade decoration was a blind arcade on single and extremely narrow attached columns (Figure 44.1). It is as if it envelopes a parallelepiped of the main volume with its light but energetic rhythm. A high and broad dome was also decorated with a blind arcade: some fragments of its pilasters are still preserved.

533

The cathedral of Ani was the most significant creation of the epoch of the Bagratids. However, the first really “antique styled” constructions of Ani were two other churches, which were not inferior to the cathedral in their size or their symbolic and city‐planning importance. I refer to the church of St. Gregory the Enlightener (Lusavorich), known as Gagikashen, because it was built by King Gagik Bagratuni; and the church of St. Apostles, built, possibly, just after the first one. Both churches are variants of the tetraconch––that at Gagikashen, built by the same architect Trdat at the significant date of the year of 1001 ce, repeated the composition of Zvartnots (641–661) (Mnatsakanyan 1982: 128–138; Toramanyan 1984: 84–130; 2008: 29–30).

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Armen Kazaryan The “Classical” Trend of the Armenian Architectural School of Ani: The Greco-Roman Model and the Conversion of Medieval Art https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/9781118832813.ch44 https://pdfupload.io/docs/90bdf888

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critical view; descriptions by Armen Kazaryan https://www.atlantis-press.com/proceedings/ahti-20/125944764 Architectural Image and Structural System: Two Churches of Ani in the Epoch of the Bagratids https://pdfupload.io/docs/608c9e94

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In a copy of 1567 of Stephen Asolik's Universal History, the account of Gagik's foundation is entitled: "On the con- struction by King Gagik of the church called Saint Gregory in the town of Ani. The master of the church is Trdat."?46 This is the first and only report of the identity of Gagik's archi- tect. Chronologically it is conceivable that Trdat was the architect of the tetraconch. Renowned for his plans for the repairs of the dome of Hagia Sophia at Constantinople that had collapsed in 989, Trdat was the architect of the cathedral at Ani, whose construction lasted from 989 to 1001, by which time, according to Samuel of Ani, Gagik's tetraconch had been completed.47

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The Heritage of Armenian Literature, Volume 2 By Agop Jack Hacikyan p. 317 [4]

Besides being an invaluable source of information about the history of Armenia's neighbors and Armenian political life, Taronetsi's Univer- sal History also discusses the cultural life of his time, mentioning the names of the principal cultural centers and the most renowned scholars, scientists, and architects. Notably, he describes the work of the famous architect Trdat, whose constructions, including the Cathedral of Ani, graced several Armenian cities and even Constantinople: it was Trdat who planned and supervised the initial stages of the rebuilding of the dome of Constantinople's famous cathedral, Santa Sophia, which had been destroyed by an earthquake in 986. A notable feature of the work is also the author's attempt to provide accurate dates an attempt that was highly successful, particularly in the third part of the work.

Garbis

Garbis Armen

[from Hripsime] This idea of incorporating ribs, anchors, and buttresses to a dome was employed to great effect by Architect Trdat in the reconstruction of St. Sophia's dome in Constantinople some 360 years later. 24

Reconstruction of St. Sophia's Dome The reconstruction of a Byzantine church may appear odd in an arti- cle on Armenian architecture. But, on the basis of an eleventh century historical text, Toramanian reports a fascinating and highly relevant incident which proves the great sophistication achieved by the Armenian architect Trdat in the the anti-seismic design at the Cathedral of St. Sophia. Following a particularly destructive earthquake in Constantinople in 983, Trdat the architect was invited to reconstruct the 31 meter (about 102 feet) diameter dome of that church.30 This in- dicates, firstly, that no Byzantine architect equal to the challenge could be found and, secondly, that Armenian techniques in anti- seismic design and construction had reached a fame well beyond the boundaries of Armenia. Trdat introduced at least five innovations in this reconstruction, all of which had roots in traditional Armenian building techniques:

i. The belt of oak trunks circumscribing the round base of the drum to the dome. The function of this belt was not only to neutralize the lateral thrust of the dome, but also to protect one of the two dissimilar support systems to that dome. The suppor- ting system on two of the four sides was that of buttressing apses - which could resist lateral thrust - while on the other two sides were two plain walls which could not endure such a thrust (Diag. 35b). 
ii. A series of forty buttress walls surrounding the dome, to absorb lateral thrust and deflect it downward to the pendative, suppor- ting apse or wall (Diag. 35a). These short buttress walls could also act as anchors to the dome, protecting it against the upward tossing of Rayleigh waves. Both of these functions had been demonstrated by the four turrets around the dome of St. Hrip- simé. Trdat was simply translating and multiplying the device into a truly sophisticated structural element with great visual ef- fect; 
iii. Forty buttresses comprising the forty windows with arched lintels - Armenian windows -- were introduced between the buttress walls to illuminate the interior (Diags. 35 a and c). The penetrating rays of sunlight piercing through these narrow win- dows produced an awe-inspiring effect and concentrated the at- tention of the congregation, as in Armenian churches. Centuries after the reconstruction of the dome, when a Russian delegation visited St. Sophia, a prince among them exclaimed, "It would be difficult to deny the presence of God in this church." Soon after that visit, the Tsar declared Orthodox Christianity as the official religion of Russia. 
iv. A series of ribs spanning the entire expanse of the dome con- nected its center to the buttress walls. Once more, this intro- duced an Armenian structural device from St. Hripsimé to the Byzantine and Latin world. (In 1204 Constantinople fell to the Franks.)
v. Armenian concrete was most probably used in the construction of all structural components, as Trdat was an expert in its use. 

Whereas several reconstructions had been necessary between 537 and 983, none has been needed since. The dome built by Trdat had a crown of 6 meters (20 feet) higher than the previous domes and stood some 180 feet above the floor. This additional curvature kept all lateral thrusts - whether produced by the self-weight of the dome or by earthquake - within more manageable limits. Visually perhaps, it made the view from below the dome less dramatic; but the view from a distance - as part of the silhouette of the city - became more ex- citing. It is perhaps the additional safety margin of this greater cur- vature, along with the other structural features introduced by Trdat of Ani, which has ensured the survival of St. Sophia's dome into the twentieth century.

The Cathedral of Ani On his return to Armenia in 989, Trdat was commissioned by King Smbat II of Ani-Shirak to build a cathedral for the capital. The challenge of building a large church in a highly quake-prone country seems to have been accepted with remarkable restraint by Trdat. An architect, who had just completed the largest dome in Christendom with a 31 meter diameter, must have been highly aware of the limita- tions imposed by the more frequent and more intense earthquakes in Armenia. He limited the overall dimensions of the cathedral to a mere 22.5 x 60 meters (about 75 x 200 feet). The same restraint surfaced in the visual integrity of all structural features, emphasizing the vertical rhythm throughout the building. In regard to anti-seismic design, Trdat developed themes on the following Armenian traditions:

i. A return to the basilican domed-hall plan, which allowed him some freedom in making the overall dimensions more indepen- dent of the size of the dome. He avoided an excessive length by providing an almost square area for the congregation. In order to obtain additional width for this area, he daringly detached the four columns supporting the dome from the side walls; 
ii. A return to partially semi-basement construction, by immersing part of the cathedral into the earth for greater stability, as in the days of the ancient Armenian dwelling described by Xenophon (Diag. 12). It may be presumed that the foundations of the cathedral were made fairly deep, in the best tradition of quake- proof building, to allow the entire structure to move and oscillate integrally with the earth. Visually, he compensated for this immersion by providing a pediment of three steps around the building as a base for all decorative motifs -- e.g., the blind arcading and niches (see elevation on Diag. 36);
iii. Provision of tall, narrow windows that structurally would not undermine the stability of the cathedral or the dome, and yet visually would complement the vertical rhythm of the niches and the blind arcading. A vertical window is also more func- tional than a horizontal one, because it allows a deeper penetration of light or sunlight into the interior; 
iv. Incorporation of eight niches by folding the walls of the cathedral at all critical locations - i.e., where part of the roof load had to be shared with an interior column, or where the length of a wall could render it vulnerable to earthquake cracks. It is ironic to reflect that a major crack due to the 1319 earth- quake, which practically destroyed the city of Ani, occurred on a corner of the cathedral rather than along a wall; 
v. A return to the cruciform column, visually refined with channels and arrises. These refinements converted it to a clustered pier, springing from the floor and flowing upward to branch in- to arches. This was the prototype of the Gothic pier known by that term - massive enough to carry the necessary loads, yet cleverly shaped to appear light and soar upward;
vi. Departure from the traditional semi-circular arch in favor of the pointed arch. This has been criticized as a whimsical feature, harking back to the days of the Arab domination. But an analysis of Trdat's program and objectives indicates that a semi-circular arch spanning some 12 meters (nearly 40 feet) and carrying part of a dome is a good deal more vulnerable to mid-span failure than a pointed arch. The latter transfers a mid-span load more directly onto the piers below and visually accentuates the vertical dimension. 

The joint use of clustered piers and pointed arches has been considered by art historians to be the hallmark of mature Gothic architecture.31 Built between 989 and 1001, the Cathedral of Ani was the first building to combine these two features - for well-founded structural and functional reasons. The earliest building in Europe to exhibit these features, the Ambulatory of St. Denis in France, bears the date 1144. It may be claimed, therefore, that few architects in history other than Trdat of Ani, had the opportunity to contribute to three important ar- chitectural styles of the Christian world -- the Armenian, Byzantine, and Gothic.