ABSTRACT
Noah's twelfth- or thirteenth-century mausoleum church was part of a medieval church structure, an Armenian monastery and important pilgrim site, probably equally for the Muslims. During the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, octagons became a typical mausoleum building type of the area, for Christians and Muslims alike, and numerous Muslim octagonal mausoleums are known on the Armenian plateau and in north-western Iran. The architectural ensemble includes a church with an immense dome, which must have been an Armenian church, which stood across the road from a Ka'bah-like rectangle mosque, together an impressive sight for any visitor. The Vatican “profited” from the destruction and destabilisation in the Armenian lands, both in Cilicia and in greater Armenia. Gabriele Winkler discusses the consequences of the agreement to church union and the process of yielding of the Armenian church, especially in Cilicia, towards the Vatican.
