Anatolia and Caucasia in the Thirteenth Century: The Depiction of Pope Sylvester I in the Churches of the Mkhargrdzeli Family

Abstract

The architectural patronage of the Mkhargrdzeli family sheds light on the ecclesial, political, and social milieu of medieval Anatolia and Caucasia. The depiction of Pope Sylvester I in the churches of Ani St Gregorios of Tigran Honents (1215-1225) in Turkey and Akhtala (1205-1213) in Armenia are instances. The presence of the only two depictions of Sylvester I in the churches related to the Mkhargrdzeli family in the region must be clarified. Why is the pope pictured on the holiest wall of the church? On the one hand, the Christians of this region realized that the Christianity of Prester John was in vain, and on the other hand, the Christians of the West were compelled to reach out for help, in the East, against the empowered Muslims. In this context, the architectural patronage of the Mkhargrdzeli family gives insight into the conflicts and agreements of the period. In conclusion, having analyzed written sources and archaeological data, new suggestions are proposed to explain the presence of the figure of Sylvester I in the churches of the Mkhargrdzeli family and the relations of the wall paintings to the political and ecclesial developments that are revealed.