Sevanavank

Sevanavank

The churches of Surb Arakelots (left) and SurbAstvatsatsin.

Shown within Armenia

Basic information

Location Sevan Peninsula, Lake Sevan,Armenia

Geographiccoordinates

40.563917°N 45.010808°E

Affiliation Armenian Apostolic Church

Status Active

Architectural description

Architectural style Armenian

Completed 9th century

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Sevanavank (Armenian:

Սևանավանք; meaning

Sevan Monastery) is a

monastic complex located on a

peninsula at the northwestern

shore of Lake Sevan in the

Gegharkunik Province of

Armenia, not far from the town

of Sevan. Initially the

monastery was built at the

southern shore of a small

island. After the artificial

draining of Lake Sevan, which

started in the era of Joseph

Stalin, the water level fell about

20 metres, and the island

transformed into a peninsula.

At the southern shore of this

newly created peninsula, a

guesthouse of the Armenian

Writers' Union was built. The

eastern shore is occupied by

the Armenian president's

summer residence, while the

monastery's still active

seminary moved to newly

constructed buildings at the

northern shore of the

peninsula.

Due to easier accessibility

(once it became a peninsula),

good highway and railway

connections with the Armenian

capital Yerevan, a well-

developed tourist industry in

the nearby town of Sevan, and

its picturesque location (although less picturesque than it was before the lake

level drop), Sevanavank is one of the most visited tourism sights in Armenia.

Coordinates: 40.563917°N 45.010808°E

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Contents [hide]

1 History

2 Architecture

3 Gallery

4 References4.1 Bibliography

5 External links

History [edit]

According to an inscription in one of the churches, the monastery of

Sevanavank was founded in 874 by Princess Mariam, the daughter of Ashot I

(who became a king a decade later). At the time, Armenia was still struggling to

free itself from Arab rule.

The monastery was strict as it was mainly intended for those monks from

Etchmiadzin who had sinned. Jean-Marie Chopin, a French explorer of the

Caucasus, visited there in 1830 and wrote of a regimen restraining from meat,

wine, youth or women. Another explorer visited the monastery in 1850 and

wrote of how manuscripts were still being copied manually.

Architecture [edit]

The two churches, Surb Arakelots meaning the "Holy Apostles" and Surb

Astvatsatsin meaning the "Holy Mother of God", are both cruciform plan

structures with octagonal tambours. Both are quite similar in appearance.

Adjacent are the ruins of a gavit whose roof was originally supported by six

wooden columns. Some of the remains of the gavit and its columns can be seen

in the Yerevan Museum of History.

Reconstruction and restoration efforts took place from 1956 to 1957.

Gallery [edit]

The island and themonastery of Sevanduring the 19th century(Paris, 1869, T. Deyrolle)

Sevanavank andpeninsula along LakeSevan.

Sevanavank monasteryviewed from the lake.

Wikimedia Commons hasmedia related to Sevanavank.

View of peninsula

Surb Arakelots church

Sevanavank (S.Arakelots)

Door of Arakelots church

Surp Astvatsatsin church

Altar of S. Astvatsatsin.

Khachkars along theruins of the gavit.

References [edit]

Bibliography [edit]

Kiesling, Brady (2005), Rediscovering Armenia: Guide, Yerevan, Armenia:

Matit Graphic Design Studio

External links [edit]

ArmeniaInfo entry

Armenian Architectural Studies: Sevanavank

Armeniapedia.org: Sevanavank

Sevan Pictures at Armenia Photos.info

Armenica.org: Sevanavank

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This page was last modified on 20 December 2014, at 20:49.

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[show]V · T · E Historical Armenian monasteries andchurches

Categories: Christian monasteries in Armenia

Visitor attractions in Gegharkunik Province 874 establishments

Christian monasteries established in the 9th century

Oriental Orthodox congregations established in the 9th century

Buildings and structures in Gegharkunik Province