SANAHIN MONASTERY COMPLEX
Region Lori
Alaverdi
state index N.5 .2.33
The Monastery Complex was founded by Armenian King Ashot G. Voghormats in 966 CE. It became the Kyurikyans’ administrative center and the family mausoleum as well as the bishop’s seat of the church of the kingdom. The monastery was a spiritual and educational center. Sanahin got its name after the construction of Haghpat Monastery –meaning (“sa qan zna hin”).
The monastery is one of the outstanding works of medieval Armenian architecture. The complex played significant role in spiritual and cultural life of Armenia.
The monastery complex consists of religious and civil buildings reconstructed in 10-12th centuries- 3 churches, library-matenadaran, church-porch, fore-church, belfry, mausoleums, halls of religious schools and library. Outside the group of monuments there are located the source of the monastery, chapels, cross stones and a number of small churches with sculptured cross stones which are spread around the district and beyond it, as well as the popular bridge of Sanahin.
Saint Astvatsatsin Church is one of the ancient buildings of the complex. After the construction of the church Sanahin became illuminative, scientific-educational center of the clergy of Lori, which had its seminary and matenadaran, then- university and academy.
In the halls of church porch all memory- gravestones of spiritual leaders are distributed in paved forms.
Saint Amenaprkich Church stands out for its large sizes and the ruling position in the complex. It has the same longitudinal stretched, cross-domed structure as Saint Astvatsatsin.
Saint Grigor Church is located on the eastern border of the complex (12meters east from Saint Astvatsatsin). It is round from outside, inside- with four-sacristy, cruciform plan allocated on 3 stored wall anchors.
In the library-matenadaran were preserved not only books and manuscripts, but also valuable items, relics, remains of the monastery. It is the oldest library among the Armenian libraries and the largest –for its planning sizes.
Library-Matenadaran is located in the northern part of Saint Grigor Church. It is a building with a square plan which is similar to belfry due to its construction style. Saint Grigor Church and the Library are connected with the main group through the hall of the library.
Religious school: Traditionally known as Grigor Magistros Pahlavuni Seminary.
It is located between Amenaprkichand Astvatsatsin churches. The oblong hall served as a spiritual high school of monastery. The floor is covered with gravestones. In the eastern part there are 3 cross stones.
The Church porch is adjacent to Amenaprkich church from the western side. It is a square hall with a centripetal structure rested upon 4 columns. The main entrance opens from the northern part. It was reconstructed in the same place of the church porch built in the earlier stage.
The fore-church is adjacent to Saint Astvatsatsin church and the hall of seminary from the east, it is adjacent to the church porch from the south, and partly to belfry from the north.
The belfry –is situated in the northern part of the fore-church. It is a 3 stored structure with a square plan crowned with refined bell tower rested upon the bunch of columns. Inwardly it has stone stairs. The vaulted first store (the stairs are adjacent to it) is divided into 2 parts with partition, which are connected with the main embrasure.
In the eastern part of the second store there are 3 vestries with a little horseshoe altars.
Besides the core monuments of the monastery, the mausoleums of Arghutyan-Erkaynabazukner and Zaqaryan Princes, the source of the monastery, a number of cross stones with delicate ornaments, Saint Hakob, Saint Harutyun, Saint Karapet churches and Saint Sargis chapel are protected in the territory surrounded with the walls.
The mausoleum of Zaqaryans is situated in the south-east part from the monastery, in the territory of cemetery.
Saint Harutyun Church is situated in the territory of cemetery (a little east from Zaqaryans’ mausoleum). These are the one of few monuments of Armenia which have double altars in the eastern side.
The memorial monument of Grigor Tuteordi is a cross stone with 2 stored high pedestal with 4.85 m. total height ( the height of the main cross stone is 2.3 m.).
The source of Sanahin is situated outside of the walls of the monastery. It is a transversely stretched rectangular hall with the frontal 2 arch embrasure edged with the deaf walls. At a depth it is covered by 2 semi-cylindrical vaults. On the edges the latter are rested upon the transverse walls and in the average –on the lower arch.
The Bridge of Sanahin was built on the old road of Alaverdi-Sanahin-on Berd river. It is the biggest bridge among number of bridge-monuments of Lori which has one arch (18.6).
The complex was included in the World Heritage list of UNESCO in 2001.
The main literature:
I. Harutyunyan, Sanahin, book 3, 1989.
K. Ghafadaryan, The monastery and its inscriptions, Yerevan, 1957.
V. Harutyunyan, The caravanserais and bridges of medieval Armenia, Yerevan,1960.
O.KH. Khalpachyan, Sanahin, M., 1973.
O. Ghalpakhtchian, A. Alpago Novelo, Sanahin, Milan, 1973 (Document of Armenian Architecture,3).
