Bardzrakash St. Grigor Church, Dsegh

Bardzrakash St. Grigor (Gregory the Illuminator) Monastery is located in the outskirts of the village of Dsegh of Lori Marz (region), on the left bank of the river Dzakhidzor, on the slope of the gorge, in the forest. The monastic complex consists of two churches (St. Astvatsatsin – Holy Mother and St. Grigor), a narthex (gavit), a chapel and the ancestral cemetery of Mamikonyan counts. The church St. Astvatsatsin (Holy Mother) was built by the count Marzpan Mamikonyan. A four-columned domed narthex (gavit) was built adjacent to the church from the south, in 1259. And from the north there was built the church, which is a vaulted hall with two vestries, in the 10th century. The church St. Astvatsatsin (Holy Mother) is notable for its unexpected architectural elements, one of which is a pentahedral altar. Katoghike is rich in sculptures and lapidary inscriptions, which bear valuable historical information. The chapel St. Harutyun, which was built in 1204, is located in the southern part of the monastery. There is a cemetery, where there are numerous khachkars (cross-stones) around the chapel. There are the ruins of ancient oil press, built in 1266, not far from the chapel St. Harutyun. The Bardzrakash St. Grigor Monastery was one of the most important spiritual and educational centers of medieval Armenia. Now the monastery is in a dilapidated condition, which was caused by landslide.