AGENCY FOR CONSERVATION
OF HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL MONUMENTS
MONASTERY OF KECHARIS,
(11TH 13TH CENTURY)
NEAR THE PICTURESQUE TOWN OF TSAGHKATSOR, STAND THE CHURCHES, A GAVIT (LARGE NARTHEX), CHAPELS AND ORNATE STONE CROSSES (KHACHKARS) OF THE MONASTERY OF KECHARIS. THE REMAINS OF A FIFTH-CENTURY BASILICAN CHURCH DEMONSTRATE THAT THE MONASTERY HAS HAD A LONG HISTORY, BUT THE STRUCTURES STILL STANDING WERE CONSTRUCTED AT VARIOUS TIMES FROM THE ELEVENTH TO THE THIRTEENTH CENTURIES. THE MONASTERY WAS THE PROPERTY OF THE NOTED PAHLAVUNI FAMILY IN THE ELEVENTH CENTURY. MEMBERS OF THAT FAMILY WERE PATRONS OF IMPRESSIVE CHURCHES IN ANI AND ELSEWHERE. IN 1033, GRIGOR MAGISTROS OF THE PAHLAVUNI FAMILY, THE THEOLOGIAN, SCHOLAR, AND TEACHER, COMMISSIONED THE SPACIOUS CHURCH OF ST. GREGORY THE ILLUMINATOR AND ENDOWED IT WITH SILVER AND GOLD FURNISHINGS AS WELL AS PROPERTIES. (ST. GREGORY IS CREDITED WITH CONVERTING ARMENIA TO ADOPT CHRISTIANITY IN 301 AD, THE FIRST NATION IN HISTORY TO DO SO). THE SMALL CHURCH OF ST. NSHAN WAS ERECTED IN THE TWELFTH CENTURY.
IN 1201, THE ZAKARIAN PRINCES GAVE THE MONASTERY TO VASAK KHAGHBAKIAN FOR HIS SERVICES DURING THE WARS WITH THE SELJUK TURKS. THE KHAGHBAKIANS (OR PROSHIANS) WERE A NOTED FEUDAL FAMILY AND, AS GENEROUS PATRONS, REBUILT AND ENLARGED SOME VERY IMPORTANT ARMENIAN MONASTERIES (SUCH AS GEGHARD AND TANAHAT) AND ALSO UNDERTOOK NEW CONSTRUCTIONS AT KECHARIS. THE CHURCH OF ST. GREGORY WAS RENOVATED, AND A GAVIT (A NARTHEX) BUILT ON ITS WEST SIDE IN THE TWELFTH OR EARLY THIRTEENTH CENTURY THE KATOGHIKE CHURCH WAS BUILT IN THE EARLY THIRTEENTH CENTURY, ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF ST. NSHAN, BY THE ARCHITECT VETSIK WHOSE TOMBSTONE IS NEARBY, AND ST. HARUTIUN, A CHAPEL MAUSOLEUM, WAS ERECTED IN 1220 AT A DISTANCE FROM THE MAIN COMPLEX. DURING THIS PERIOD, KECHARIS BECAME A MAJOR RELIGIOUS CENTER AND ALSO HOUSED AN ACADEMY.
(WITH THE GENEROSITY AND ASSISTANCE OF THE ARMENIAN LIBRARY AND MUSEUM OF AMERICA, IN WATERTOWN, MASSACHUSETTS.)
