Description of the attraction
The Noravank Monastery is located near the city of Yeghegnadzor, 120 km from Yerevan, in a deep gorge of the Arpa River among huge sheer cliffs.
The monastery was founded in the XII century. During the reign of the Orbelian princes, the monastery was a major religious center. In the XIV Art. it was the residence of the bishops of Syunik. The temple had close ties with many educational institutions, but primarily with the famous university and the Gladzor library. There is a legend that in Noravank there is a piece of a cross sprinkled with the blood of Christ.
The name of the monastery is translated from the Armenian language as “new monastery”. Although at the moment it hardly justifies its name, because the age of this temple is over seven centuries. Sometimes the monastery is called Amagu Noravank, and all this is due to the fact that it can somehow be distinguished from the Noravank monastery located near the city of Goris.
The buildings of the Noravank monastery were repeatedly destroyed and restored. The last restoration was carried out quite recently. The main temple of the monastery was built in 1216-1223 - Surb Karapet. In 1275, the Surb Grigor church was added to the north side of the main church.
The most magnificent building of the monastery is considered to be the two-storey church of St. Astvatsatsin, erected in 1339 during the reign of Prince Burtele Orbelian. The rectangular building of the St. Astvatsatsin Church is a highly artistic monument of architecture. It stands on a high, powerful foundation, which gives the temple grandeur and monumentality. The main facade of the church is cruciform. The temple is decorated with a beautiful dome. The first floor of the building is occupied by a tomb, and the second - by a chapel. The western façade of the church is especially prominent. There are two cantilever staircases that lead to the second tier. The fortress wall that has survived to this day and the nearby buildings were erected in the XVII-XVIII centuries.
There are many khachkars around the Noravank monastery complex, among which the khachkars carved by Momik deserve special attention.
