Monastery Varagavank

Confession: Armenian Apostolic Church

Foundation date: VII century

Status: not active monastery

Condition:Dilapidated

Varagavank is an Armenian monastery complex in the historical province of Vaspurakan. It was built in the 7th century, located on the southwestern slope of Mount Varaga, southeast of the city of Van. It was the residence of the archbishop of the village of Van, unfortunately the monastery was destroyed during theGreat Genocide

The complex consists of six churches, a vestibule, a hall, and auxiliary buildings.Sofia Church(10th century) on the south side of the monastery is the oldest surviving building. It was called Berdavor, which became a fortress in the late Middle Ages. The church has a domed hall with a stage illuminated by windows on the east side. Today, only the eastern part of the building has survived.

To the north is the Church of St. John the Baptist (40th century), a church with three aisles. The walls are made of hewn stone, and the dome is made of brick.

Also standing is the church ofSurb Astvatsatsin, built in the 11th century, which basically follows the composition of the Avan temple, with circular niches, with deposits in the corners, included in the rectangular perimeter of the outer walls. The Church of Surb Astvatsatsin is adjacent to the north of the Church ofSurb Nshan(11th century), which has the composition of a domed hall, and to the west is a vestibule, which, according to the inscription, was built in 1648 by the architect Tiratura. It is built of cut stone and has a central layout with a square plan and four columns.

Currently, unfortunately, the monastery is not operational and is in a dilapidated state in Turkey.