Noravank Monastery

Noravank is a 13th century Armenian monastery following the Apostolic Church. It is located 122 km from Yerevan, close to the city of Yeghegnadzor, in a narrow gorge created by the Amaghu river. The gorge is famous for its high, sheer, red cliffs that are located across the monastery. The monastery is best known for its two-storey Surb Astvatsatsin church, which gives access to the second floor by a way of narrow stones.

In the 13th–14th centuries the monastery became a residence of Syunik's bishops, which made it an important religious and cultural center of Armenia.

History

The Noravank monastic complex was founded in 1205 by Bishop Hovhannes, the former Abbot of Vahanavank. The complex consists of the church of S. Karapet, S. Grigor chapel, and the church of S. Astvatsatsin (Holy Mother of God). There are ruins of many civil buildings and khachkars on both inside and outside of the compound walls. Noravank was the residence of the Orbelian princes. The architect Siranes and the miniature painter and sculptor Momik worked here in the the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries.

Khachkars

There are several surviving, old khachkars in the complex area. The most compound of them is a 1308 khachkar by Momik.  Against the carved background there is a large cross over a shield-shaped rosette and salient eight-pointed stars vertically situated on its sides. It has a background ornament of flowers, fruit and vine leaves.