A Bagratid-era center of learning and architecture

Haghpat Monastery is located in Lori Province, on a height above the Debed gorge, with views over green slopes and deep ravines. It was founded by the Bagratids in the 10th century and for a long time was one of medieval Armenia’s important spiritual and educational centers.

The main church, Surb Nshan (Holy Sign), was built between 976 and 991 by order of Queen Khosrovanush, and in the following centuries the complex was expanded with gavits (narthexes), a belfry, a scriptorium, walls covered with khachkars, and other buildings.

Scriptorium, gavit, and khachkars

Haghpat is famous for its large gavit, where not only pilgrims but also students and scholars used to gather. The monastery’s scriptorium for a long time served as a place for writing and preserving manuscripts. The area is rich in khachkars and inscriptions that tell about the donors and monks who lived and worked here over the centuries.

Walking through the monastery’s rooms and corridors, you feel that this was an entire “village” with its courtyards, dwellings, and corners intended for daily life and learning, not just a single church.

UNESCO and its pairing with Sanahin

Haghpat and Sanahin monasteries together are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List as supreme architectural examples of Bagratid Armenia. The two monasteries are located close to each other on opposite sides of the Debed gorge, so they are usually visited on the same day and within the same itinerary.

Today

Today Haghpat is still an active monastery, but at the same time a quiet place with a rural atmosphere, featuring grass-covered roofs, stone paths, and an almost always slightly misty sky. If you love the landscapes of Lori, Haghpat is a very good “concentrate” of that feeling.