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Sanahin Monastery

Sanahin

The monastery of Sanahin was founded in the 10th century in a village of the same name and is presently within city limits of Alaverdi. According to tradition it was built in the same place where Grigor the Illuminator put a khachkar (cross-stone) in the 4th century. The monastery of Sanahin was built earlier than Haghpat according the testimony of Kirakos Gandzaketsi (historian). The oldest section of the monastery is the church of Sourb (S.t.) Astvatsatsin, dating to 915 A.D. In 979 A.D. Smbat Bagratouni acclaimed this monastery as the religious center of Tashir-Dzoraget kingdom.

The monastery expanded over the course of several centuries and new buildings were added. These include the church of Amenaprkich, the chapel of Sourb Grigor (10th century), the Academy of Grigor Magistros (beginning of the 11th century) and the scriptorium (middle of the 11th century) between the churches of Sourb Astvatsatsin and Amenaprkich. The scriptorium of the Sanahin monastery was the biggest medieval structure of its type.

The monastery of Sanahin was a major religious and cultural center of medieval Armenia. It was here, where Armenia's greatest singer Sayat-Nova was educated according to Khachatour Abovyan (writer). Between the 10th and 11th centuries its congregation numbered several hundred monks and the academy that enjoyed wide popularity, young men were thought to become servants of the Armenian Apostolic Church. The faculty included famous theologians and scholars.

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