Hayravank Monastery

Hayravank (also known as the Hayr Havanu or Mardaghavniats Monastery) is located on the northeastern shore of Lake Sevan, in the village of Hayravank in the Gegharkunik region of Armenia.

The Holy Stephanos Church of Hayravank was built in the 9th century. It features a four-cornered, central domed design and is considered one of the unique examples of Armenian architecture. The church is constructed of basalt, while the arches and the octagonal drum supporting the dome are made of finely hewn tuff.

In 1211, brothers Hovhannes and Nerses, the monks, renovated the church and built a two-column, vaulted, octagonal gavit with stone decoration.

The Hayravank monastery complex is surrounded by a small courtyard with a wall. In this courtyard, there are 16th-century tombstones and cross-stones. Outside the walls, the remains of cells and economic buildings can still be seen. The monastery operated until the 19th century. In the 1980s, the monastery was renovated, and the church’s dome was reconstructed.

Tradition

The name "Mardaghavniats" of Hayravank is associated with a legend recorded by Catholicos Ghazar A. Jakhketsu. According to the tradition, in 1381, during Tamerlane’s invasion, the abbot of Hayravank, Hovhannes, used a relic of the True Cross to transform thousands of captured Armenians into doves and set them free.