Spitakavor Church

The church Spitakavor (White) is located in the city of Ashtarak of Aragatsotn Marz (region). It was built in the 5th-6th centuries, in the place of pagan temple. Spitakavor is a single-nave vaulted church basilica. According to the legend, three sisters living in Ashtarak fell in love with young man Sargis. In favor of the youngest one, the two elder sisters decided to sacrifice themselves. One wearing an apricot (tsiranaguyn) dress and the other red (karmir) dress threw themselves into a gorge. Finding the sisters dead, the youngest sister put on a white (spitak) dress and also threw herself into a gorge. After sisters' death, brokenhearted Sargis became a hermit... The three small churches - Karmravor (red), Tsiranavor (apricot hue) and Spitakavor (white) appeared at the edge of the gorge.