Monastery Dadivank

Confession: Armenian Apostolic Church
Foundation date: I century.
Status:Active monastery
Condition: Good
From Yerevan: 226 km/ 3 hours. 25min.

The Monastery of St. Dadi (orDadivank) is one of the largest architectural complexes of Medieval Armenia, distinguished by a large number of church and secular buildings, as well as the originality of designs and ornaments. The oldest monastic complex of Artsakh is located in a beautiful valley between the Karabakh and Mravsky ranges: on the left bank of the Tartar River. The name of the monastery was not chosen by chance. According to legend, the complex was built in the first century near the tomb of SaintDadi. Dadi was one of the disciples of Apostle Tadevos, who preached Christianity in the Artsakh district of Upper Khachen (Verin Khachen). The church was also called “Khutavank” because it was built on a “hut,” that is, on a hill. The remains of Saint Apostle Dadi were found under the altar of one of the churches in the complex during restoration work in 2007.

It is known that in the 12th century Mkhitar Gosh lived in Dadivank while compiling his “Code of Law” (“Datastanagirk”), which became the first code of laws of the Armenian medieval civilization. Dadivank Monastery consists of two large groups of buildings. In the north there are church buildings, in the south – secular ones, in total, 2 chapels, 2 ancient churches, monastic cells, a hotel, a workshop, a book depository and more. The church of St. Dadi (X-XI centuries), unique among Armenian churches of this kind in its size. Adjacent to it from the south is another church with a rectangular altar and a vestibule without niches or recesses.

In 1211, a four-pillar palace hall was built on the southern side of the complex, illuminated through a chimney. Three years later, Prince Vakhtang’s wife Arzunkhatun founded the pride of the complex – the Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary in honor of the memory of her husband and two sons who died in the war.

The plan of the church is cruciform on the inside and rectangular on the outside; There are two-story sacristies in all four corners. The dome and façade stones are decorated with decorative arches. On the southern wall of the church there are images of the sons of Arzunkhatun Hasan and Grigory (Grigor), made in a church fresco, and on the eastern wall there are bust images of St. Dadi and Prince Vakhtang.

In fact, the fresco of the Cathedral Church played an important role in the history ofArmenian miniatures. On the southern wall there is depicted Christ handing over the Angel to Nicholas the Wonderworker (David Skancelagorts) and the Mother of God – an omophorion decorated with a cross. To the west, the Cathedral Church is adjacent to the vestibule, which ends with a bell tower. On the lower floor of the latter there are two highly elaborate khachkars with exquisite ornaments, made by order of Abbot Atanas.

Dadivank had huge estates (villages, arable land, forests), which were located all the way to Gegharkunik, but most of them were lost during the Azerbaijani invasions. Thanks to the restoration work carried out towards the end of the century, the monastic complex again rises in all its grandeur and is ready to open its doors to any visitor.