«Հովանավորող թագուհին» - Նուրիթ ԿԵՆԱԱՆ-ԿԵԴԱՐ

Nurit Kenaan-Kedar's article "The Queen as Patroness" is devoted to a reassessment of the role of Queen Melisende of Jerusalem (1131–1161) as a patron and inspirer of architectural projects belonging not only to the Latin Church but also to the Armenian Church in twelfth-century Jerusalem.

Introduction and Methodology
The author notes that the art and architecture of the Crusaders has been studied for more than a hundred years, yet the question of the Armenian contribution and of Melisende's Armenian ancestry (through her mother Morphia, daughter of Gabriel, ruler of Melitene) has traditionally been treated as a secondary biographical fact rather than as a significant cultural factor. Even in Jaroslav Folda's fundamental study, the Armenian cathedral of St. James is described merely as "oriental in style," with no analysis of its functions in the life of the Armenian community. Kenaan-Kedar proposes to consider three monuments together in a single context: the Cathedral of St. James, Melisende's tomb in the Church of St. Mary in the Valley of Josaphat, and the Church of the Archangels in the Armenian Quarter — as expressions of Armenian national self-awareness under the queen's patronage.

Historical and Cultural Context

The Armenian community of Jerusalem dates back to the early Christian era; Armenian monasticism is documented from the 4th century.
Sixth-century mosaic floors bearing Armenian inscriptions attest to the community's enduring identity and artistic patronage.
Dynastic marriages (Baldwin I to Arda of Edessa, Baldwin II to Morphia of Melitene) secured a privileged position for the Armenians among the Eastern Christian communities of the Crusader states.

The Cathedral of St. James: Armenian Architectural Identity
The author demonstrates that the plan and details of the church are related to the Byzantine-Armenian tradition of the 11th–12th centuries and are fundamentally different from the plan of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The key argument concerns the shape of the dome: a six-ribbed dome on a square base is interpreted as an authentically Armenian form, embodying cosmic order and going back to pre-Islamic prototypes (as opposed to the hemispherical Byzantine dome-as-"vault of paradise"). The decorative elements of the narthex (the "cushion" frieze) are compared with Armenian examples (the monastery of Tatev, the Bab al-Futuh gate in Cairo) and with their different, secondary use in Latin buildings (the Church of St. Anne).

Melisende's Tomb
The queen was a patron of the Church of St. Mary in the Valley of Josaphat, where she was buried beside her Armenian mother, Morphia. The monumental staircase and the domed "lantern" of the tomb, as well as the framing of the niches with false pediments characteristic of Armenian architecture, further confirm the deliberate choice of an Armenian artistic program.

Conclusion
Kenaan-Kedar concludes that the use of Armenian architectural forms in Crusader Jerusalem was not a chance borrowing but reflected Queen Melisende's conscious support of the Armenian community on a par with the Latin Church. Thus the figure of Melisende emerges not only as a patroness of Crusader art but also as a key figure in the preservation and affirmation of Armenian cultural heritage in the holy city.