Vahanavank

Vahanavank, this miracle of Syunik was built in 911, by the count of Syunik, Vahan, who renounced secular life and became a churchman. He built this monastic complex for his seclusion. According to the legend, the count of Syunik Vahan was obsessed and therefore refused secular life and became a hermit. When he recovered, in gratitude built this magnificent monastic complex. The monastic complex is located 7 km to the south-west from the city of Khapan, on the bank of the river Voghji on the mountainside of Tigranasar. The monastic complex of Vahanavank consists of the St. Gregory the Illuminator (Grigor Lusavorich), the two-story colonnade mausoleum-church of St. Holly Mother (St. Astvatsatsin), the narthex (gavit), dining room and portico. The monastery soon flourished due to donations and becoming one of the spiritual and cultural centers of the region. In the 11th century the king of Syunik, Grigor built it up, prospered the monastery and made it more beautiful. Special esthetic charm has the narthex (gavit), which was built by the abbot of Vahanavank Vahan Jhevanshiryan in the 11th century. The monastery has three archways, which are created of the large whole piece of rock, on which there are capitals decorated with sculpture. It is surrounded by the ornamented cornices. St. Astvatsatsin (St. Holly Mother) was built by the Queen of Syunik, Shahandukht. For the first time it served as a mausoleum, later the church was built on it. In lapidary inscriptions of Vahanavank are mentioned about the churches of St. Haroutyun and St. Sion. But they are destroyed, and their exact location is not known. In the Middle Ages seminary functioned in Vahanavank, where many of the celebrities of Syunik were educated.