Church on lake sevan armenia. Sevanavank Monastery. What is there now

The largest in the Caucasus (area 1240 km², depth up to 83 m). It is located at an altitude of 1900 m and is surrounded on all sides by mountain ranges: from the north-west - Pambak, from the north-east - Sevan and Areguni, from the west and south - Geghama and Vardenis.

Lake Sevan is the only large guaranteed source of fresh water in Armenia and the largest in the entire Caucasus. 28 rivers flow into the lake, one river flows out - Hrazdan (a tributary of the Araks).

The Shorzhinsky underwater rampart and two capes protruding into the lake - Artanishsky (from the east) and Noratussky (from the west) - divide the lake into two parts: Small and Big Sevan.

Small Sevan is distinguished by its great depth and rugged banks. It is in this part that the largest volume of lake water is concentrated. The deepest place of Sevan is located near the foot of the Areguni ridge.

In Big Sevan, the bottom is flat, the shores are slightly indented, and the depth does not exceed 30 meters.

Lake Sevan is famous for its cultural monuments and recreational resources located on the coast: mineral springs, clean air, beautiful nature. An artificial forest grows on the shore (pine, broad-leaved species and sea buckthorn).

Sevanavank Monastery- a monastery on the northeastern coast, 3 km from the city.

The monastery was originally built on the southern coast of a small island. After the artificial drainage of Lake Sevan, which began during the Stalinist period, the water level dropped by 20 meters, and the island turned into a peninsula.

At the end of the 8th century, several monks settled on the island of Sevan and built their cells and chapel here. Thanks to the favorable position of the island, their number increased, and active construction of the monastery began. To build the walls, a ledge was cut out of the rock around the island, on which large stone blocks were laid. The wall surrounded the island, and a watchtower with a gate was built above it. Next, the monks built three churches, cells and outbuildings.

At the end of the 9th century, the King of Armenia Ashot the Iron lived in the monastery for some time. Near the walls of the monastery, he gave battle to the Arab soldiers who approached the shore of Sevan.

In the 16th-17th centuries, the walls of the monastery were destroyed, and in 1930 the last monk left the island.

Today the monastery is operating again, and there is a theological seminary named after Vazgen I.

Two small three-apse cross-domed churches have survived to this day - Surb Arakelots and Surb Astvatsatsin (871-874). The carved wooden doors of the Arakelots Church and the carved capitals of its gavit are kept in the Historical Museum in Yerevan.

Hayravank Monastery- a small monastery on the western shore of Lake Sevan, located 25 km south of the city, near the village of Hayravank.

The Hayravank monastery complex was founded in the 9th century and consists of a church, a chapel and a vestibule.

Near the monastery there are many khachkars and tombstones, which are part of a small cemetery.

Sevanavank Monastery, one of the main attractions of Lake Sevan. It is located 6 km east of the city of Sevan, on the Sevan Peninsula. The name Sevanavank supposedly arose from the phrase “sev” (black) and “vank” (monastery). The walls of the monastery buildings are black. It is worth noting that around the entire monastery complex there were fortress walls with a watchtower, permitted in the 16th-17th centuries. The history of this monastery is connected with the adoption of Christianity in this country. When in 854 (301 according to the Armenian calendar) the Armenian king Trdat III the Great adopted Christianity and proclaimed it the state religion. Monasteries and churches began to be built everywhere in Armenia. The Sevanavank monastery complex was founded by Gregory the Illuminator, the first Armenian Catholicos. He also built the first two churches here: St. Harutyun and St. Karapet. Only ruins of them have survived to this day. The expansion of the monastery is associated with the name of Princess Miriam, the daughter of the founder of the Bagratuni dynasty - Ashot I Bagratuni. It was with her funds that Surb Arakelots (Holy Apostles) and Surb Astvatsatsin (Virgin Mary) were built in 874. Princess Mariam vowed to build 30 churches in memory of her deceased husband. The churches of Surb Arakelots and Surb Astvatsatsin have survived to this day. These are small three-apse cross-domed churches. They are distinguished by the nature of the masonry, which was made in the Surb Astvatsatsin church from stones that were cleanly hewn and well fitted at the seams. In contrast, the Sevanavank monastery is quite modest and small in size. The roof is made of red tiles, and is crowned with a small silver cross. Inside, decorative elements from the Middle Ages have been preserved. This fact makes it popular among travelers. The observation deck, which doubles as the monastery's courtyard, offers stunning views of the lake and the local surroundings.

“Not going to Lake Sevan while in Armenia in the summer is the same as visiting this country and not eating dolma” - that’s what I decided for myself when planning a route around Armenia. It is very important for me to “be by the water” in any place I visit, and Sevan is the only “sea” that Armenians have. And yes, I planned to swim in it, what kind of vacation is this if you never swim while being in the warmest time of the year in Armenia. Lake Sevan promised this in absentia.

To see Sevan you don’t have to go somewhere specific. Sevan appeared to us when we were just driving to Noratus Cemetery, almost immediately after Selim Pass.

Yes, this is not a classic view of the lake that can be seen on the Internet, but this is a lake-lake without a resort booth.

The lake is huge and supplies water to the whole of Armenia. In the Soviet years, they wanted to irrigate it a little and make it smaller and used the water for agricultural needs. But the project has languished (and well), and the lake is currently overflowing in the spring, flooding the coastal strip. This is very clearly visible near the Hayravank monastery, then sometimes you can’t drive up to it and it looks like it stands on a peninsula.

Lake Sevan may not be a sea, but it is a resort in Armenia, and you are especially convinced of this when you come to the Sevanavank monastery. There is a concentration of restaurants, people, boats and speedboats for rent, and in general people come there to relax on major holidays. But as the locals told us, a vacation on Lake Sevan is not a cheap pleasure and not every Armenian family can afford it, and if they can, it’s only for a couple of days once a year. Of course, there are options for inexpensive tourist centers on the banks of Sevan, but if Armenians go on vacation with their families, they do not save). In fact, when we were near Sevan, and later at Lake Parz in Dilijan, we realized that in Armenia everything really is paid, not only for parking, but also just to sit at a table.

But we went to Sevan to swim (we didn’t manage to, we were late and the water was still cold) and for the sights of Sevan - the monasteries of Hayravank and Sevanavank.

Hayravank

Hayravank Monastery is also known as the Monastery of Mardakhavnyats (pigeon people) and this name is associated with the legend according to which, during the invasion of Tamerlane, the abbot of the monastery turned thousands of captive Armenians into pigeons. And if you give historical data, why else is it worth coming here, then the Hayravank monastery was founded on this site back in the 1st century BC.

If I understood a little more about architecture than “like it or not,” then I would be able to appreciate what is unique about the creation of Armenian architecture in this particular complex.

The church itself dates back to the 9th century, and the porch to it dates back to the 13th.

Near the church there are ancient khachkars, as well as the ruins of old fortifications built on the site of a Bronze Age settlement.

Remains of the old cemetery. The red color of the stones and the blue of the lake attract the eye in such a way that you don’t really want to be inside the church itself, among the black walls smoked with candles.
Therefore, we spent most of our time in Hayravank watching the seagulls circling here over the fishing nets.

The views are incredible, don't you agree?

Sevanavank Monastery

The most party place on Lake Sevan is located next to the ancient Sevanavank monastery. And I love this juxtaposition of churches in Armenia with ordinary life, when you can remain human. Gregory the Illuminator, the same one who sat in a pit in Khor Virap founded the churches of St. Karapet and St. Harutyun here.

We arrived here already at sunset. Pop music was playing all around and the air smelled of fried meat. It was a day off. We climbed the mountain along a fairly high staircase to the monastery. Now the monastery complex consists of the churches of St. Arakelots (right) and St. Karapet (left), the ruins of the vestibule, partially restored monastic cells and the remains of the foundation of the church of St. Harutyun. The Church of St. Astvatsatsin, which was founded by Gregory the Illuminator, and its vestibule no longer exist.

Sunset time is not at all conducive to studying religious architecture and all you want to do is watch seagulls with dreams of local crayfish. And seagulls and crayfish, by the way, are endemic to Lake Sevan, by the way.

Despite the fact that the churches are already closed after sunset, the chapel in the St. Harutyun Church remains open, where you can come and light candles, which is what the locals use. In the courtyard you can see many ancient khachkars, including those made of green stone, which were made from andesite mined in the area of ​​Lake Sevan.

The monastery was damaged during an earthquake in 1936 and many ruins can be seen around the two restored churches. In the photo are the ruins of the Church of St. Harutyun.

Church of St. Karapet and partially restored monastery cells.

Crayfish from Lake Sevan

Well, another one of the attractions of Lake Sevan is its crayfish. We were on the lake after sunset and we still needed to get to Dilijan in time, so we bought crayfish right in the kitchen of the closing restaurant from the back door, our driver did his best. Not to say that they are somehow different from our crayfish, and they cost a lot, but against the background of what you can try in Armenia, among vegetables, meat and fruits, I really want fish. And where can you eat it if not here?!

How to get to Lake Sevan

My answer to Chamberlain is to rent a car. For example here in .

Dilijan is located 67 kilometers from Yerevan.

Minibuses for 800 drams and 1 hour from the Yusisain bus station depart to Sevan as they fill up. On Abovyan Street next to the Yeritasardakyan metro station. You must understand that Sevan is not only a lake, but also a city 6 kilometers from the lake and public transport goes there.

During the season, from June 15 to October 1, a train runs to Sevan. From Yerevan from the Almast railway station at 8-30, except Wednesdays. In Sevan, the train arrives at the Shorzha station on weekends and at the Tsovagyugh station on weekdays. It costs 600 drams and takes 2 hours.

A taxi from the city of Sevan to Yerevan will cost approximately 7,000 drams. To the Dilijan resort 4000 drams and to Tsaghkadzor about 3000 drams.

Travel from the city to the lake, between hotels and from Sevan to the Sevanavank and Hayravank monasteries will cost about 1000 drams one way. If you take a driver with a return and a short stop at the monasteries, then the cost will be about 2500-3000 drams.

If you choose public transport, you will have to go on transfer buses. One day you can turn around, but at a gallop. Or you will have to spend the night on the lake, and accommodation there is not the cheapest, although there is plenty to choose from and with a view.

Well, a very good option is to rent a car with a driver in Yerevan. Then you can turn around one day and not be too tired.

If you are used to booking transfers in advance, then you may find the information on prices to Sevan below useful:

Where to stay on Lake Sevan

If you want to make a stop at the lake, you must understand that this is the main summer vacation spot in the country. Perhaps the only place where you can swim, sunbathe, relax, dive, kite, yacht and much more. Therefore, hotel prices here are higher than the average in Armenia, and it is advisable to book good options in advance.

I have prepared a selection of hotels for you: popular according to reviews, with a view of the lake and cheap but good options. We ourselves did not stop there for the night and went to Dilijan, which I wrote about.

Sevanavank Monastery, located about 6 km from the city of Sevan, on the Sevan Peninsula, is one of the religious attractions of this region.

In VIII Art. Several monks, having settled on the island, began to build their churches. Soon they were joined by other monks who began active construction of the monastery. First of all, the monks began to build walls; for this they cut out a large ledge in the rock and laid huge stone blocks on it. As a result, the wall encircled the island of Sevan. Later, the monks built a watchtower with a small gate above the wall and erected three churches, cells and several outbuildings.

The temples of Surb-Astvatsatsin and the temple of Surb-Arakelots were built in 874. The initiator of the construction was the daughter of King Ashot I - Mariam.

In 925, a terrible battle with an Arab army took place near the island - the Battle of Sevan. Then King Ashot II the Iron completely defeated the Arabs and from that time on the Armenian “golden age” began. Throughout its history, the monastery was destroyed several times. During the Soviet years it was closed. In 1931, a terrible thing happened: the Surb-Astvatsatsin temple was dismantled into stones, from which a sanatorium was soon built.

In 1981, construction of a drainage tunnel began, as a result of which the water level in the lake dropped by almost 20 m and the island turned into a peninsula.

The churches of Surb Astvatsatsin and Surb Arakelots have survived to this day. All that remains of the Surb-Harutyun Temple is the foundation. The surviving temples, the largest of which is the Surb Arakelots temple, are built of dark volcanic stone. The design of the temples is quite unusual. They are small three-apse cross-domed churches. The temples differ from each other only in the nature of the masonry.

Sevanavank Monastery, unlike other monastic complexes, is small and modest. At the same time, the main highlight of the monastery is the amazing views of the lake and the surrounding area that open from its windows.

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Gegharkunik

Two churches on the peninsula of Lake Sevan

At a distance of about 3 kilometers from the coast, in the then deserted northwestern tip of the Sea of ​​Geghama, near the source of the Hrazdan River, a small rocky island, barely five hundred steps across, stood alone. The island was uninhabited, only occasionally fishermen landed on it, climbing the rocks, and sometimes those fleeing from justice were hiding.

At the very end of the 8th century, several monks settled here, who built a chapel and several cells. The position of the island was so convenient - isolated, with waters rich in fish, not far from the trade route, that the increasing monastic brethren began to build a monastery on the island. The construction was carried out from the walls of the fortifications by cutting out a ledge in the rock around the island and laying large stone blocks on it. The wall surrounded the island, and a watchtower with a small gate was built above it.

After this, three churches, cells and outbuildings were erected. The churches of Surb Arakelots and Astvatsatsin have survived from those times to the present day. These are small cross-domed structures with three apses and a rectangular western aisle. They are distinguished by the nature of the masonry, which was made in the Astvatsatsin church from cleanly hewn stones well fitted at the seams. It can be assumed that masonry of walls made of roughly processed stones was in use at that time in the area of ​​Lake Sevan; it was used in most of the buildings of the monastery; in churches it was combined with purely hewn cladding of drums and the same cornices and arches; An example of this is the preserved church of Surb Arak lo ts. The life of this monastery is not particularly eventful; the brightest dates back to the end of the 9th century, when the Armenian king Ashot the Iron lived there for some time. From here they were given battle to the Arabs who came to the shore of Sevan. In this battle, in addition to the small detachment of the Armenian king, the monastic brethren also took part. The victory over the Arabs was complete, the monks attributed it to the will of providence, Ashot - to his valor, history has not yet judged them.

The Arabs, Tamerlane's hordes, and then the Persians often harassed and ravaged the coast. It happened that they got to the monastery. The monastic brethren defended themselves, repelling raids, and the monastery lived, although over time it lost its walls, which, in all likelihood, happened in the 16th-17th centuries. This church monastery ceased to exist in 1930, when the last monk left the island. The monks of Gegharkunik were skilled healers. Some of their recipes are still used by local residents centuries later. Here are just two of them, recorded by folklore collectors.