Architect Shahe Der-Kevorkian (1944-1998)

The attached is the professional biography of the architect as presented in his book titled “On the Relevancies of Early Christian Architecture of Armenia and Syria”. The book is the translation of the architect’s thesis. It has been published by the National Academy of Science of the Republic of Armenia Institute of Arts. It has been printed by the Institute of Arts’ Publishing House in Yerevan, Armenia in 2013. The book has been edited by Editor-in-Chief Murad Hasratian., D.Sc. in Architecture, professor. 

The book was gifted to me by his widow Karine Der-Kevorkian. The book is in hard cover and replete with pictures and architectural drawings. 

I had not heard of her husband who had died prematurely in the prime of his life. He was born and raised in Aleppo, Syria.

I wanted to reproduce the architect’s professional biography as presented in the book for the benefit of the readers of my blog, and in appreciation of the accomplishments of the promising architect. 

Shahe Der-Kevorkian

“Architect Shahe Der-Kevorkian was born in 1944 in Aleppo, where he obtained his primary education at L. Nazarain-G. Gulbenkian School. In 1964, he enrolled in the Faculty of Architecture of Erevan Polytechnic Institute and graduated in 1970. 

From 1970-1976, in the same institute he conducted postgraduate studies and prepared a thesis on the Relevance of Armenian and Syrian Christian Architecture.  (on the sample of basilicas), under the direction of academic Prof. Varaztad Harutunian at the Armenia Academy of Science.

Then subject studies by Der-Kevorkian is of paramount importance, for in a century of scientific literature, the prevailing wisdom by both western and certain Armenian researchers was that the concept of the Church,  built in the shape of three-nave basilicas, penetrated Armenia by Syrian clergies  who were indoctrinating Christianity to Armenians.

Followers of this theory however, were acquainted with and had studied the churches in both these countries, which is inadequate for a complete and objective assessment of the subject. Since the 1970’s, during the numerous scientific expeditions , Shahe Der-Kevorkian mad detailed studies of both Syrian and Armenian early medieval single-nave and three-nave basilicas. By taking their measurements and conducting partial excavations, he had collected abundantly rich factual data. 

The French Institute of Archeology in Beirut invited him to participate in the studhy of well-known Hellenistic and early Christian monuments in northern Syria such as the temple of Sheikh Barakat, the single-nave basilica of Qirqbize (one of the most ancient Christiana churches in the world) and the famous triad-nave basilica of Qalb Lozeh. Shahe Der-Kevorkian directed the excavations, measurements, and research and was given a Certificate by the aforementioned Institute.

In the analysis of this quandary, the advantageous benefits of Shahe Der-Kevorkian over the other researches is he meticulous studies both Armenian and Syrian monuments of early Christian era.

As a result of this research Shahe Der-Kevorkian has established and advocated the teaching according to which the basilican architecture in Armenia, was formed and evolved independently on the basis of centuries-old experience of domestic construction artistry.

He reported the results of his work to the Symposium organized by the Institute of Arts of the Armenian National Academy of Sciences and the Erevan Polytechnic Institute. In 1981 Shahe Der-Kevorkian was invited to participate in the 3^rd International Symposium Dedicated to Armenian Art, in Italy, where he introduced his analysis on the relevancies of Armenian and Syrian early Christian architecture to a larger scientific milieu.

Working in Aleppo at his personal atelier as architect-archeologist, he played a pivotal role in preventing the reconstruction project of Bab-el-Faradj district planned by the municipality, as it would have meant the demolition of medieval wall of Aleppo. He has studied and described in of his articles, the underground portion of the Forty Holy Infants church of Aleppo (one of the mot ancient churches built in the Armenian Diaspora.)

Shahe Der-Koverkian also worked as a practicing architect. He constructed more than twenty buildings in the neighborhoods of Aleppo. He developed the theoretical and design principles of converting the traditional courtyard of popular dwellings in hot countries into modern buildings.

This monograph of Shahe Der-Kevorkian is both a valuable contribution to scientific studies of Armenian architecture."