Churches and Monasteries

Geghard Monastery, XII-XIII Century, Armenia. The main chapel was built in 1215, the monastery complex was founded in the 4th century by Gregory the Illuminator at the site of a sacred spring inside a cave. Thus the monastery had been originally named Ayrivank, meaning "the Monastery of the Cave". The complex of medieval buildings is set into a landscape of great natural beauty, surrounded by towering cliffs at the entrance to the Azat Valley. The Monastery of Geghard i is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site(2000). http://ylt.azhdahak.com