Tsiranavor Church

The church Tsiranavor (apricot) is located in the city of Ashtarak of Aragatsotn Marz (region). It is a single-nave basilica church, which was built by the Catholicos (supreme patriarch of the Armenian Gregorian Church) Nerses II, in the 5th century. The inner area of the building is divided into three parts by columns on which the dome rests. The church Tsiranavor remained in a dilapidated condition; with no roof and the southern wall. The outer circumference of the church has 12.6 m. width and 25.3 m. length. A sad legend connected with the name of the church has reached us. According to this 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.