Churches and Monasteries of Armenia

Gandzasar

Gandzasar is a monastic complex, spiritual and cultural centers. The monastery is located in Martakert region of NKR, on Gandzasar hill, near Vank village. The complex was called after the hill; silver and other metals mines were found in its depths. Gandzasar was the residence and ancestral crypt of Khachen’s Hasan-Jalalyan dukes

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Sevanavank

Sevanavank is a monastic complex, located on Sevan peninsula of Gegharkunik region.According to found materials, the first st. Harutyun church (Resurrection) was built on the island of Sevan (now peninsula) in 305 by Gregory the Enlightener on the place of a pagan temple. It was destroyed because of the earthquake of 995.

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Akhtala

Akhtala city is situated in Lori region of Armenia, on the foot of Lalvar, on the left bank of the Debed. In the Middle Ages the city was called Pghndzahank (“Copper Mine”). Kirakos Gandzaketsi in his “History of Armenia” mentions, that duke Ivane Zakaryan died in 1241 and was buried in Pghndzahank, which he conquered from Armenians and converted into Georgian church.

Haghpat Monastery

Haghpat Monastery is located in the South-Eastern part of Haghpat village: on a high plateau. It was founded in 976 during the reign of Ashot G Bagratuni. Haghpat was one of the prominent spiritual and cultural centers. From the second half of the 12th century up to 14th century Haghpat Monastery was the eparchial center of Kyurikyan dynasty. The ancestral crypt of kings was moved here from Sanahin. In the 11th century Tashir was plundered by Seljuks and Arabs.

Noravank

Noravank is the generalized name for the monastic complex, built in the 13th-14th cc. It is located 3 km North-East of Amaghu village of Vayots Dzor region. Noravank was built by bishop Hovhannes; in 1105 he expended the monastery territory, gathered hermit monks, and got the order from Seljuk authorities (those time Syunik region was under Seljuk yoke) on recognition of the monastery as bishopric.

Zvartnots

“Zvartnots” complex, located not far from Vagharshapat, is of unique value; it consists of Zvartnots temple, and catholicos’s palace, situated nearby. This wonderful complex was built in 641-661 by Nerses III Shinogh’s order, who got nickname “Shinarar”(Builder) due to his construction activity.

Tatev

Tatev Monastery is located in Syunik Province of RA, in the South of Tatev village. According to the preserved materials, the monastery was named after Eustache – one of St. Thaddeus’ s disciples. The monastery was founded in the 4th century; in the 5th-8th cc it was an advanced educational center; in the 8th – the residence of Syunik bishopric. The building works went on step by step: basically, from the end of the 9th century up to the beginning of the 10th century and in 17th-18th centuries.

Khor Virap

Monastery-Fortress Khor Virap is located near Lesser Vedi village of Ararat region; on a hill.
According to Agathangelo, during times when Christianity was rejected in Armenia, king Trdat the Third throws Gregory the Enlightener into the pit of royal prison, where he spends 13 year. A widow fed him, every day secretly throwing a loaf of bread into the pit. After st.Gregory saved the kind from an incurable disease, Trdat the third let him free. As soon as st. Gregory got freedom, with the king’s support, he declared Christianity as official religion in Armenia.

Geghard

Geghard is one of the most popular monasteries of medieval Armenia, one of the unique cultural monuments. According to the legend, the monastery was founded during the first years of adoption of Christianity as state religion (the beginning of the 4th century).

Etchmiadzin Cathedral

The Holy See of Echmiadzin is the main religious construction of Armenian Apostolic Church, one of the unique architectural monuments of early Christian period; its architectural solutions became the basis for building of many Armenian churches. According to the legend, Gregory the Enlightener, who was preaching Christianity in Armenia, had a dream of Jesus Christ coming down from heaven with a hammer in his hand and hitting on the place, where a pagan temple was located.

Odzun

Early medieval Armenian architecture (4-7 centuries) has exclusive significance for the history of ecclesiastical architecture of Armenia. After adopting Christianity as the state religion in 301 a new stage of development begins with the introduction of new setup, new artistic and constructive principles that became the basis of the medieval Armenian architecture.

Dadivank

The Monastery of St. Dadi, otherwise called Dadivank or Khutavank is one of the most remarkable medieval architectural complexes of Armenia, especially due to its variety of valuable ecclesiastical and secular structures and with the uniqueness of the internal and external structural improvements. Dadi or Khuta Temple is constructed in a beautiful valley in the place where Gharabagh and Mrav mountain chains get closer by a sloppy hill on the left bank of Tartar river.

Goshavank

Goshavank monastery is located at 15 km to the east of Dilijan, in the valley of Getik river, the tributary of Aghstev. In the 12th century there was a monastery named Getik which was destroyed in 1186 of earthquake. The greatest medieval thinker and legislator Mkhitar Gosh applied to Ivane and Zakare Zakarian princes to provide a land for establishing a monastery. He built the monastic complex which was originally named New Getik and after the death of Gosh it was renamed as Goshavank.

Ghazanchetsots

St. Savior Ghazanchetsots Cathedral (Surb Amenaprkich Ghazanchetsots) is located in the center of Shushi city of NKR. St. Savior Cathedral is the pride of Shushi city. This monumental construction is harmoniously combined with the environment. Chazanchetsots was built in 1868-1887 on the place of a small single-nave church by means of inhabitants, emigrated to Shushi from Chazanchi (Shahkert) village of Nakhichevan; by architect Simeon Ter-Hakobyan’s project.

Marmashen

Monastery Marmashen is located in the South-Western part of Varamaberd village of Akhuryan region, on the left bank of the Akhuryan River. The complex was a prominent religious and cultural center of medieval Armenia; it had a huge depository of manuscripts, a school.

Sanahin

Sanahin Monastery is located in Lori region of The Republic of Armenia, in the same name village. Sanahin was founded by Ahsot Voghormats (Merciful) in 966. The complex became administrative center of Kyurikyan Dynasty, their ancestral crypt (up t to the second half of the 12th century) as well as the residence of the leader of Kyurikyans’ eparchy (until the second half of the 11th century ).

Hayravank

Monastic complex Hayravank is located on rocky plateau of Hayravank village. The first church with four altars was founded in 9-13 cc. In the 20th century the parish was attached to it. Castle «Spitak Berd» («White Fortress») is situated 1 km of the monastery. According to the legend, Hayravank was once connected to the castle with underground way, and that is why it was called Ayrivank («Cave Monastery»).

Kecharis

Monastic complex Kecharis was one of the most important religious and cultural centers of 11-13 cc. It is located in the North-Western part of Tsaghkadzor city of Kotayk region. Kecharis complex includes 4 churches, a parish, 2 chapels, as well as lots of khachkars of 12-13 cc. Gregory the Enlightener church has a domed hall with 2 two-storey vestries on both sides of the altar. Domed St. Nshan church is located on South of the main church; it is supposed to be built by Grigor Magistros in 1051.

Yereruyk

Yereruyk temple is three-naved church of basilica type, which is located in Shirak region of RA, near Anipemza village, on the left bank of the Akhuryan River. The temple was built during early Christian period: 4-5 cc. It is preserved in dilapidated condition. It is considered to be one of the most ancient Armenian churches of its kind.

Hripsime

St. Hripsime church was founded by catholicos Komitas A Akhtsetsi outside the fortress walls of Vagharshapat city, in 618. St. Hripsime church is one of the excellent examples of spiritual structures of medieval Armenia and one of the most difficult architectural compositions. St. Hripsime is a cross-domed structure.

Oshakan

Oshakan is a village, 3 km South-East of Ashtarak city. According to the legend, Noah together with his family came down Mount Masis (Ararat) and saw Oshakan, free of water. Seeing this, they claimed «Osh akan», which is translated as «a miracle in front of our eyes». Being in the Arshakyans’ (a royal dynasty in Armenia) estates, the village was their property.

Saint Gevorg Church

Saint Gevork Monastery or Saint George’s Monastery of Mughni (Armenian: Սուրբ Գեւորգ Եկեղեցի or Սուրբ Գեւորգ Վանք ; pronounced Surp Gevork) is located just off of the main road that runs through the village of Mughni near Ashtarak in the Aragatsotn Province of Armenia. It was built to house some of the remains of Saint George who was known as the “Slayer of Dragons”

Saint Sarkis Church

Standing against the upper part of the village of Dzoragyugh, and facing the old Erivan Fortress on the left bank of the River Hrazdan, a hermitage-monastery was functioning since the earliest Christian era. This spacious complex, surrounded by a high, fortified wall, was made up of the churches of Saints Sarkis, Gevork and Hakob churches, of the buildings of the patriarchal offices and school, of an orchard and of other buildings.

Kanach Jam

Kanach Jam (Green Church, because the domes of the church were at one time painted green) church was built in 1818 on the place of former wooden church Gharabakhtsots, that was located in eastern part of fort city, existing in XVIII century. The church can be well seen from every part of the city, due to perfectly raised chapel and the dome. Kanach Jam has unique architectural innovations; the church has cross-shaped plan, and its eastern facade attached to the western side of the chapel.

Yeghvard Surb Astvatsatsin

The Holy Mother of God Church is a small cruciform central-plan interior with a rectangular but almost square plan exterior and a second floor. Centered above is a single cylindrical drum and a conical umbrella type dome. The drum is made up of twelve columns with arches that support the weight of the dome.

Bjni Surb Astvatsatsin Monastery

Surb Astvatsatsin (Holy Virgin) Monastery is situated in Kotayk Province of Armenia in the village of Bjni. It was founded in 1031. Its main Surb Astvatsatsin church was built at the same time by Grigor Magistros Pahlavuni by the order of King Hovhannes Smbat and Catholicos Petros I Getadardz. The monastery was due to become an Episcopal residence. Surb Astvatsatsin church is a domed hall.

Saint Marine church

St. Marine church is located in Ashtarak town and was built in 1281 from brownish black smooth face tufa stone. The church is a cruciform central-plan from inside and rectangular from exterior (11.45 X 8.88 meters) and drum of the dome is round from inside, decahedral from the outside.