Armenian Travel Bureau

Inbound travel to the Republic of Armenia

Armenia What to see? Monasteries and Temples Havuts-Tar Monastery

Havuts-Tar Monastery

Havuts Tar Monastery, 11-13th c., is an impressive walled monastery, half ruined, on a promontory across the Garni river gorge from Goght. It is situated a few kilometers from the temple of Garni, and can be seen from the temple.

Within the walls of the Havuts Tar monastic complex is a church located in the middle, ruins of another building adjacent to it, monastic buildings situated around a portion of the walls, vaulted guest rooms, and a large underground chamber. There are numerous inscriptions and beautiful carvings to be found all over the complex. Just outside of the monastery walls, are remnants of the stone foundations of other smaller structures. The majority of the monastic complex was built between the 12-14th c. After being destroyed by a large earthquake in 1679, it was rebuilt in the early 18th c. by the Catholicos Astvatsatur Hamadantsi.

On the western outcrop upon a hill is the Amenaprkich Church with a small number of graves nearby. Amenaprkich was built in 1013 by the young Grigor Pahlavuni (ca. 990-1058), son of the lord of Bjni and nephew of the sparapet Vahram Pahlavuni. a fascinating character who went down in history as Grigor Magistros from the Byzantine imperial titles he received after the Armenia kingdom of Gagik II Bagratuni passed into Byzantine hands in 1045. Having given his own lands to the Emperor, Grigor Magistros received estates in Mesopotamia and was ultimately appointed governor of large tracts of historical Armenia. He was also a major scholar of the period, author of a grammatical treatise, a 1000-line verse rendition of Holy Scripture, and a book of letters in an erudite but untranslatable style.

The bulk of the monastic complex is 12-14th c., rebuilt in the early 18th c. by the Katholikos Astvatsatur after being ruined in the great 1679 earthquake. The walled enclosure preserves a rich trove of inscriptions and carvings from earlier times, as well as vaulted guest rooms.

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