Hayravank

Armenia, Armenia

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Hayravank is a small village in the Gegharkunik Province of Armenia, best known for the nearby 9th–12th century Hayravank Monastery perched on a rocky cliff above the shores of Lake Sevan.

The monastic complex consists mainly of the 9th-century Church of Saint Stepanos, a compact, cruciform, central-domed church built from rough basalt with finely cut tuff arches and an octagonal dome drum, and a 12th-century gavit (narthex) made entirely of finely worked stone, which together form one of the most elegant and secluded medieval sites around the lake.

Early inscriptions on the church walls date to 1211 and mention repairs carried out by priests Hovhasap and Nerses, while the dome, which collapsed in the 19th century, was rebuilt in the 1980s during a major restoration. The monastery’s local legends give it several alternative names: it is sometimes called the “Monastery of Father Hovhan” (Hayravank) and the “Monastery of Human-Doves” (Martaghavnyats) because of a story that, when Tamerlane’s army approached in 1381, the abbot Hovhan used a relic of the True Cross to transform the villagers into doves so they could escape destruction.

Hayravank served as an active religious center until the 19th century, after which it fell into decline and was gradually abandoned, but its remote setting, dramatic basalt architecture, surrounding khachkars and old tombstones, and sweeping views over Lake Sevan have made it a popular destination for travelers seeking quiet, historic beauty.