After enjoying a few days exploring the city of Gyumri, we were excited to see what else this part of Armenia had to offer. Visiting the historic Harichavank and Marmashen Monasteries, at the base of Mt. Aragats, turned out to be the perfect day trip to complete our wonderful time in Gyumri.
We had already visited a few sites on the other side of the mountain, and were curious to see if the monasteries were different on this side of Mt. Aragats. You can read about those two monasteries, Hovhannavank and Saghmosavank here.
Since Harichavank and Marmashen are located close to each other, you can easily see both on the same day trip from Gyumri.
Harichavank Monastery
As we approached the town of Harich, we gazed up at the double peaks of Mt. Aragats. At 4,090m, Mt. Aragats is the highest mountain in Armenia, and its name means “Ara’s throne”, for the ancient Armenian God. We had already seen it from Gyumri, but were glad we were able to see it from a closer vantage point. We found that the views of this side of the mountain are much better than the one we had on the east, closer to Yerevan.
We could still see the mountain’s peaks poking above the hills around Harichavank Monastery.
After walking through the gate of the fortified Harichavank Monastery, we stared upon its collection of tightly packed buildings. It was frequently updated, restored and expanded over its 800 year existence, resulting in a blend of different designs.
The first church built on the site was the 7th century St. Gregory the Illuminator. From the outside, the little church with its domed roof is overshadowed by the large main church. It was being restored inside, so unfortunately, we couldn’t enter.
The main church, St. Astvatsatsin Cathedral (Holy Mother of God), was built in the 13th century by Princes Ivane and Zakare after they purchased the town of Harich. On the rear walls of the church, we found a sculpture of the founding princes. Also on the exterior walls, you can find old etchings of scripture.
Exploring the rest of the monastery from the outside, we looked up to see an umbrella dome. These roofs seem to be unique to this region. We saw them on other monasteries at the base of Mt. Aragats and on Gyumri’s Cathedral, but only saw this feature on one or two others in the entire country.
Also on the rooftop is a cute replica church. Either we haven’t noticed them before, or they aren’t very common.
Once you enter the large gavit (foyer), you are in for a big surprise. Its multiple small domes showcase wonderful details, including Islamic-style muqarnas. In contrast, the nave is rather plain, but we felt lucky to witness a baptism when we visited.
In medieval times, the complex was an important centre of learning and culture, renowned for its scriptorium. The monastery remains active today, and its restored monastic buildings line one side of the complex.
Also on the grounds are the ruins of a 5th century chapel and cemetery. A 4-sided stelae that once stood in this yard is now on display in the Armenian History Museum in Yerevan. A picture of it is below.
The monastery is located on the edge of a steep gorge. From its edge, we looked down to see a hermitage precariously placed on a large boulder. We thought the monk who lived there must have been a great climber. Either that, or it was once attached to the ground and an earthquake detached the boulder from the cliff face.
Entrance is free. Since it is an active monastery, conservative dress is appropriate.
Marmashen Monastery
Beginning in the 19th century, most of the population moved away from this part of Armenia, leaving it almost completely uninhabited. As a result, the monastery has a very rural setting, and as we wandered through the complex, it was very quiet and peaceful. The only sound came from a farmer’s tractor plowing his fields on the other side of the Akhuryan River.
It was obvious that the monastery is no longer in use when we saw grass growing from the churchs’ roofs.
Originally, there were five churches on the site, but only three are still standing or partially standing. Similar to Harichavank Monastery and other churches under the shadow of Mt. Aragarts, the main church has an umbrella roof. It is called Katoghike, which translates to cathedral. The other churches have no names; they are merely numbered.
Not much is known about the monastery’s beginnings, but it is believed to have been designed in the 10th century by Trdat. He is the architect who built Ani Cathedral as well as St. Amenaprkich Church in Gyumri. Trdat also worked on Hagia Sophia in Istanbul and the Debed Canyon monasteries, Sanahin and Haghpat.
Built from red stone, Katoghike’s exterior walls feature accents similar to Ani, with blind arches and colonettes adorning the façade. Ani Cathedral was once an important centre in the Armenian Apostolic Church, but since the borders were redrawn, it lies in Turkey and is mostly in ruins.
Even though the church is not in great condition, in addition to the blind arches, we can still see many more details on its outer walls.
At its side is one of the ruined buildings, but from its exposed walls we can see the construction techniques used at the time. Brick and stone were used to build the walls, and were covered on both sides by a veneer-like red, polished stone. More ruins of the monastic complex are scattered around the grounds.
Getting to Harichavank and Marmashen Monasteries
It would be difficult to reach these monasteries by public transit, and we haven’t seen them offered on any of the tours either. So, to reach them, we hired a taxi from Gyumri to take us to both monasteries. Including wait times, the driver charged us 10,000AMD (€22.50), which we think was quite fair.
Harichavank is located on the left side of the map below. Marmashen is only a few kilometres away. It is an interactive map, so you can zoom-in, or click on a marker.
Click on the link to read our Travel Tips For Armenia.
To read more of our adventures in Armenia, click here.
Coming Next – Best Places To Visit In Armenia
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