Haghartsin

Cradled in mountains and forests to the north of Dilijan is the Haghartsin Monastery. Although built mostly in the 12-13th centuries, the roots of this secluded monastery appear to extend much further into the past.

St. Astvatsatsin, St. Gregory, and St. Stephen Churches still stand, as do the monastery gavit, refectory, and cloisters. St. Gregory’s is the oldest building in the complex, dating from the 10th century. It is a domed, basilica style church with vestries in each corner. The monastery was pillaged during the Seljuk Turkic invasions and was restored in the 12th century by order of Georgian King Georgi III and the princes of the Zakarian dynasty. In 1184, two activist monks, Khachatur Taronatsi and Soukias vardapet, led the restoration of St. Gregory Church.

Next to the southern wall of St. Gregory Church, adjacent to the gavit and in the midst of the Bagratuni burial ground, lie two tombstones, one of which belongs to King Smbat.

Haghartsin Monastery’s renown in the 13th century as a scholarly, cultural, and educational center is recounted by Archbishop Stepanos Orbelian and the medieval historian Kirakos Gandzaketsi. The monastery flourished particularly in the 1330’s under the leadership of Khachatur Taronatsi.

Since Armenia’s independence, Haghartsin Monastery has been under the stewardship of the Gugark Diocese, welcoming thousands of pilgrims to its tranquil, wooded realm each year.