AGENCY FOR CONSERVATION
OF HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL MONUMENTS
MONASTERY OF HAGHARTSIN
(11TH 13TH CENTURY)
NESTLED ON A WOODED SLOPE IN THE NORTH OF ARMENIA, THE MONASTERY OF HAGHARTSIN'S CLUSTER OF CHURCHES, CHAPELS, GAVITS (LARGE NARTHEXES), AND OTHER STRUCTURES ARE ALMOST HIDDEN FROM VIEW. ITS EARLY HISTORY IS UNKNOWN. ST. GREGORY, THE OLDEST CHURCH IN THE PRESENT MONASTERY COMPLEX, WAS BUILT IN THE ELEVENTH CENTURY. MEDIEVAL HISTORIANS AND HAGHARTSIN'S INSCRIPTIONS TELL US THAT BY THE 1230S, THE MONASTERY WAS THRIVING UNDER THE PRELATE KHACHATUR OF TARON AS AN IMPORTANT RELIGIOUS, EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOLARLY CENTER.
A LENGTHY AND PROUD INSCRIPTION ON THE GAVIT OF ST. GREGORY BY THE THIRTEENTH CENTURY ARMENIAN GENERAL, PRINCE IVAN ZAKARIAN, LISTS THE MANY CASTLES, CITIES AND LANDS WHICH HE AND HIS BROTHER ZAKAR LIBERATED FROM THE SELJUK TURKS. IVAN SPONSORED THE GAVIT CONSTRUCTION IN MEMORY OF HIS BELOVED BROTHER WHO DIED IN 1213. ZAKAR HAD WON MANY VICTORIES AS THE BRILLIANT COMMANDER-IN CHIEF OF THE GEORGIAN AND ARMENIAN ARMIES WITH IVAN AS HIS COMRADE IN ARMS. IN THEIR NEWLY FREED TERRITORIES ALL OVER ARMENIA, THEY IMMEDIATELY BEGAN TO REBUILD MANY OF THE SPLENDID MONASTERIES WHICH HAD BEEN RUINED BY THE SELJUK TURKS.
AT HAGHARTSIN, OTHERS CONTINUED TO ENLARGE THE MONASTERY AND BUILT THE DOMED CHURCHES OF ST. STEPHEN (DURING THE YEARS 1241 1244) AND ST. ASTVATSATSIN (MOTHER OF GOD) BY 1281 AS WELL AS THE REFECTORY (1248) WHICH WAS DESIGNED BY THE ARCHITECT MINAS. THE SCULPTURE ON THE HANDSOME CHURCH OF ST. ASTVATSATSIN INCLUDES THE IMAGES OF TWO MONKS THOUGHT TO BE ITS SPONSORS (HOVHANNES AND SARGIS) CARVED ON THE EAST WALL HOLDING A MODEL OF A CHURCH BETWEEN THEM. ON THE SOUTH WALL, A CARVED LION KEEPS CAREFUL WATCH OVER THE CHURCH FROM HIS PERCH ABOVE THE PORTAL.
(WITH THE GENEROSITY AND ASSISTANCE OF THE ARMENIAN LIBRARY AND MUSEUM OF AMERICA, IN WATERTOWN, MASSACHUSETTS.)
