Hovhannavank

According to tradition, St. Gregory the Illuminator founded the monastery of Hovhannavank in the village of Ohanavan, along the Kasagh River valley, in the Aragatsotn region, below Mt. Ara. Some scholars believe that the monastery was named after St. John the Baptist, whose relics St. Gregory brought to Armenia.

The basilica dates from the 5th century and is the oldest structure in the monastery complex. The church was subsequently renovated in 573 by Lord Vahan Mamikonian. At that time, the scholar Ghazar Parpetsi was appointed the abbot of the monastery and it is likely that he wrote his famous History of Armenia here. St. Karapet (the “forerunner”) is the main church in the complex (1216-1221).

Legend has it that when Tamerlane and his hordes surrounded the village and Hovhannavank, the abbot of the monastery threw himself into the river, rather than submit to the foreign invaders. However, God intervened and the abbot walked on the river waters. Tamerlane was so amazed at this miracle that he promised to spare all villagers who took refuge under the roof of the church. The villagers crowded into the church and soon everyone was inside the safe haven. When Tamerlane realized that not a single soul was left in the village, he looked up and saw doves flying out from the dome of the church.

Hovhannavank became an important school in the 17th century under the abbot Zakaria. Simeon Jughayetsi, Nikoghayos Lvovtsi, Zakaria Kanakertsi, and others studied here, adding to the monastery’s already rich library. The monastery expanded during this time with the additions of a new diocesan see, refectory, and auxiliary buildings.

In the 18th century, monastic life at Hovhannavank and many other monasteries began to decline. In 1918, a major earthquake completely destroyed a large part of the cathedral (katoghiké) church, including its dome. The dome and the whole monastery were subsequently restored to its present state.