2020-08-07 Fri

Haghpat monastery is a medieval monastery built between the 10th and 13th centuries. The monastery was established by Queen Khosrovanuysh, wife of the Bagratid king Ashot III, around 976. The particular topography of the monument is chosen so that it overlooks the Debed River in northern Armenia's Lori region. It was built halfway up a hillside.

The largest Cathedral of SurbNishan was built between 976 and 991 AD by King Smbat. It is one of the best Armenia architectural examples with central dome rests on the four imposing pillars of the lateral walls. The outside walls are dotted with triangular recesses. A fresco in the apse depicts Christ Pantocrator.

The monastery has been damaged many times due to the earthquakes, attacks by armed forces, and lack of restoration.

In 1996, UNESCO listed it in the World Heritage Site list and described it as a ‘masterpiece of religious architecture and a major center of learning in the Middle Ages’.

Image Courtesy: Stampsoftheworld.co.uk