AVC Multimedia e-Book Series eBook#4: Vayots Dzor | Page 23

A stone relief featuring a Bezoar goat on the

right (Photo by Vladimir Grigoryan, AMAP Human Development NGO)

Gndevank Monastery (Panorama by 360° Stories)

Gndevank Monastery

Extensive Bronze and Iron Age archaeological finds reveal that the lands Gndevank sit on hosted several centuries of occupants. Gndevank flourished in the 10th century when Princess Sophia of Syunik commissioned the construction of this complex (931-936). Princess Sophia also donated Gndevank and Atchar villages to the monastery to ensure economic independence and agricultural self-sufficiency. The construction of a 22-kilometer canal in 1008, which drew water from a nearby river, accomplished this.

Gndevank predates other famous churches and monastic complexes in the region, like Noravanak and Gladzor, by almost 400 years, making it a central focus of religious activity at the time of its construction. In fact, an inscription on the wall of St. Stepanos church reads: "Vayots Dzor was a ring without a (precious) stone. I [Princess Sophia] built this church and set the stone into the ring".

Many faded portraits of Jesus, the apostles and saints adorned the walls. Remarkably, a portrait of Jesus still partially exists above an altar in the eastern apse.

The monastery survived several periods of invasions and desertions, including the 12th-century Mongol sacking of the complex and the 17th-century migrations of Armenians to Persia. Gndevank was reconstructed in the late 17th century, where a wall with several rooms, including a wine cellar, kitchen and large hall, was added around the complex. In 1931, an earthquake severely damaged the church, which was later renovated in 1965-1970.

Historical Attractions