Gandzasar Monastery

Confession: Armenian Apostolic Church
Foundation date: 1240
Status Active monastery
Condition: Good
From Yerevan: 348km / 4h 47min

Gandzasar is a monastery complex, a spiritual and cultural center. The Monastery is located in the Martakert region of the NKR, on the Gandzasar hill, near the village of Vank. The complex took its name from this hill; Mines of silver and other metals were found in the depths of Gandzasar.

Gandzasar was the residence and family crypt of the Khachen Asan-Jalalyan princes. Thanks to the efforts of the Asan-Jalalyan princes, Gandzasar retained its role as a spiritual center. The monastery had a rich repository of manuscripts, a school where precious manuscripts were created, and clergy who contributed to the development of the spiritual and cultural life of Khachen and nearby settlements were trained.

Church of St. Hovhannes Mkrtich(John the Baptist) was built in 1216-1238 by Prince Asan-Jalal. From 1400-1816 Gandzasar was the residence of the Catholicoses of Aghvank. At the beginning of the 18th century, Catholicos Yesai Asan-Jalalyan gathered around him the leaders of the liberation movement of Karabakh and Syunik. Gandzasar retained its role as the center of the liberation movement until 1815. Since 1923, after the forced annexation to Azerbaijan, the monastery, unfortunately, has not functioned, and it could only be restored from 1993-1997.

The monastery stands out for its richarchitectural decoration.In the external ornament of the church, the architect paid special attention to the 16-sided drum. Drum edges  in some places they are dissected by corner slits, where bas-reliefs of both saints, Adam and Eve, Christ, and the Virgin Mary are placed. The richly decorated entrance: the compositional center of the western front of the parish, amazes with its uniqueness and craftsmanship.

According to historical data, the skull of Hovhannes Mkrtich (John the Baptist), the blood of Hovhannes Mkrtich’s father Zacharias, the jaw of Gregory the Illuminator, the holy relics of the Illuminator’s grandson Grigoris, are buried here. the holy healer Panteleimon and other martyrs.

For centuries, the monastery was the main religious center of the eastern provinces of Armenia. On the walls of the church of St. Hovhannes Mkritsch has preserved sculptural bas-reliefs of biblical characters, as well as members of the princely family. In general, about 200 Armenian manuscripts have been preserved in the monastery complex. It was the parish of this church that was the family crypt of the princes of Khachen. Temples, churches and monasteries of Armenia will always surprise the visitor.