Sevanavank Monastery

Sevanavank Monastery is located in Gegharkunik region, which is popular in Armenia due to its possession of the blue pearl of Armenians, Lake Sevan. There are two churches on the peninsula of Sevan. These two churches were built in 874 AD and together form the Sevanavank Monastery.

According to an inscription found in the territory, the monastery was built by Armenian princess Mariam, daughter of Ashot I, who later became the king of Armenia and the founder of Bagratuni dynasty. Sevanavank is one of the 30 churches that Princess Mariam vowed to build in the memory of her husband. King Ashot I, in his turn, presented six villages and gardens in the territory of today’s Garni and Yerevan to the monastery.

However, the peninsula was a religious center even centuries before the construction of Sevanavank Monastery churches. Surb Harutyun Church was built by Gregory the Illuminator, the founder of the Armenian Apostolic Church. It is said that the church was ruined during an earthquake in 995. Even before Armenia’s adoption of Christianity as a state religion there was a small pagan temple on the island of Sevan.

It’s one of the few monasteries in Armenia that work for religious purposes. There are benches in front of the churches, where tourists can enjoy a stunning scene to Big and Little Sevan. The area around the churches is the only place where you can sit on a bench and watch at the colors of the lake, which are changeable and depend on the weather and the time of the day.

It’s important to mention that there is a special dress-code. Although the monastery is situated very close to holiday resorts, it’s forbidden to enter the church dressed in swimsuit, very short skirt, and so on. Your legs and shoulders must be covered appropriately.

Sevanavank Monastery is comprised of two churches, Surb Arakelots (Holy Apostles) and Surb Astvatsamayr (Holy Mother of God). The architecture of both churches is almost the same; they are made of black tuff in the form of a cross. Surb Astvatsamayr Church used to preserve the most important gifts to the monastery, including 200 manuscripts, 400 printed books, jewelry, crosses, and many other items. Some inscriptions dating back to the 9th century are still preserved on Surb Arakelots Church. The wooden door of this church is particularly worth attention, as it dates back to the 15th century and its carvings prove the brilliance of medieval Armenian art.

In 1930s both churches were closed down. Today, only Surb Arakelots Church is open to public.

The gavit was originally decorated with wooden columns with beautiful carvings. Some of the remains of this gavit can now be found in Yerevan State Museum of History and in State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia.

A narrow path leads to the ruins of another church-like construction, which was supposedly built later than the two churches.

Both churches were reconstructed in 1950s.

One of the most popular legends about Lake Sevan and Sevanavank Monastery is the following. During the battle between Armenians and Arabs, King Ashot Erkat was on the island. His soldiers were too few in comparison with the Arab army. Even with many monks and fishermen who joined their King, Arabs kept being more in number. Then Ashot Erkat spoke to one of his wise fishermen and asked for advice. The fisherman lived there for years and knew the peculiarities of weather well. He advised the King to attack the Arabs early in the morning when the sun just starts to rise. The King followed the advice, and led his soldiers in boats towards the Arabs. The sun was behind the Armenian forces and, therefore, blinded the Arabs. Armenians managed to win the battle, after which the lake was full of Arab soldiers. Because of the dead bodies and their uniforms, the lake looked black. Hence, the name Sevan.