Lost Sacred Geometries: Resurrecting the Architectural Language of Medieval Armenian Churches | Sacred Architecture, Geometry & Heritage Study

In this extraordinary book, Setrak Isnar uncovers a long‑lost world of architectural design and meaning, used continuously for 1,300 years, hidden within the ruins of ancient Armenian churches and monasteries since the late 1800s.

When these medieval churches were constructed, their architects and builders worked with an elaborate architectural language of symbols, relationships and proportions. As the first Christian nation, Armenia preserves both a profound architectural heritage and a deep faith tradition. Lost Sacred Geometries explores the relationship between rich religious symbolism and the complex architecture that expressed and shaped the nation’s Christian beliefs.

Through vivid, coloured drawings, the author reveals the symbolic properties embedded in the architecture of many churches, from base to vault. He invites readers into the world of medieval architects and priests, examining the spiritual and structural components of their designs — elements that have allowed many of these buildings to stand for more than 1,000 years.

Subjects and ideas explored in this fascinating book include:

Development of the Armenian Church and national identity
New architectural typology and its sacred geometry
Visual codes and their origins
Main features and common architectural patterns
The celestial city of Ani
The language and purpose of medieval Armenian sacred geometry
The precarious state of this fragile heritage

Sadly, many of the sites featured in this book are now threatened by neglect, conflict or deliberate attempts to erase traces of ancient Armenian culture. One of the book’s central aims is to encourage the preservation of these magnificent examples of architecture and human history — for Armenians and for the world.