Geghard Monastery Gelard; Ayri vank'; Monastery of the Caves Iwane Zak'arean Rock-cut churches Monasteries Religious buildings Churches Rock-cut architecture Rock-cut tombs Inscriptive and documentary references to the monastery, also known as Ayrivank, date from the 7th and 10th centuries, respectively. Ayrivank has also been called 'the monastery of the the cave', 'the monastery of seven churches' and 'the monastery of the forty altars'. Alternately, it was also called Gheghardavank, 'the monastery of the spear or lance'. Though the monastery has been around since before the 4th century, the main cathedral was built in 1215. The monastic complex presently located within the existing walls dates to the 13th century and includes the main structures of the Katholike, a gavit, two rock-cut churches which were hollowed out of the steep cliffs on the north side of the monastery and a zhamatun. In the enclosure are numerous chapels and cells carved out of the natural rock on several levels of the mountain slope. Outside the walls to the west is the rock-carved chapel of St. Astvadzadzin (Mother of God) on which the earliest inscription is dated 1164 AD. Prince Pros Xalbakean 1934; 1969; 1972 1982 Images Digital Tiff; Jpeg2000 A-0037 Parsegian, V.L.. Armenian Architecture (Zug, Switzerland; IDC, 1980) Armenian Garni, Abovian region , Republic of Armenia 13th century Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY; Armenian Educational Council
Geghard Monastery
Gelard; Ayri vank'; Monastery of the Caves
Iwane Zak'arean
Rock-cut churches
Monasteries
Religious buildings
Churches
Rock-cut architecture
Rock-cut tombs
Inscriptive and documentary references to the monastery, also known as Ayrivank, date from the 7th and 10th centuries, respectively. Ayrivank has also been called 'the monastery of the the cave', 'the monastery of seven churches' and 'the monastery of the forty altars'. Alternately, it was also called Gheghardavank, 'the monastery of the spear or lance'. Though the monastery has been around since before the 4th century, the main cathedral was built in 1215. The monastic complex presently located within the existing walls dates to the 13th century and includes the main structures of the Katholike, a gavit, two rock-cut churches which were hollowed out of the steep cliffs on the north side of the monastery and a zhamatun. In the enclosure are numerous chapels and cells carved out of the natural rock on several levels of the mountain slope. Outside the walls to the west is the rock-carved chapel of St. Astvadzadzin (Mother of God) on which the earliest inscription is dated 1164 AD.
Prince Pros Xalbakean
1934; 1969; 1972
1982
Images
Digital
Tiff; Jpeg2000
A-0037
Parsegian, V.L.. Armenian Architecture (Zug, Switzerland; IDC, 1980)
Armenian
Garni, Abovian region , Republic of Armenia
13th century
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY; Armenian Educational Council