Tatev

The renowned Tatev Monastery is located in the Siunik region, on a promontory more than 100 meters above the Vorotan River. According to tradition, the monastery was named after Eustateus, a disciple of St. Thaddeus the Apostle. In his history Stepanos Orbelian relates that the first church in the Tatev complex was a modest chapel built in the 4th century, which was home to a small community of monks. From these humble beginnings it grew into a major religious, cultural, and educational center in the ensuing centuries.

The Tatev complex comprises the churches of Sts. Peterand Paul, St. Gregory the Illuminator, and St. Astvatsatsin, as well as a hall, bell tower, rectory, and living quarters. The oldest building in the complex is the church of Sts. Peter and Paul, built by the order of Lord Ashot of Siunik. Under the leadership of Bishop Hovhannes (9th cent.), it grew into one of the largest churches of the time. Construction of the church began in 895 and took 11 years. According to tradition, the relics of the Apostles, Sts. Peter and Paul, were placed under the dome’s supporting pillars.

Upon completion of the Sts. Peter-Paul Church, the Holy Trinity pillar was built, also known as the “Pastoral Staff.” Owing to its 8-meter height and the precise alignment of its center of gravity, this octagonal obelisk has a unique architectural feature: it oscillates like an inverted pendulum when set in motion by earthquakes or, according to legend, the troop movements of invading armies.

Over the course of time, Tatev Monastery became a walled structure with hiding places, basements, tunnels, and storehouses. By the 9th century, it was one of the largest and the most famous monasteries in Armenia with over 1000 monks, and by the 14th century it had become a major theological university with an impressive list of alumni: St. Hovhannes (Hovhan) Vorotnetsi and St. Grigor Tatevatsi, who are remembered in the Badarak each Sunday, as well as the historian Mattheos Jughayetsi.