Sevanavank

The Sevan lake is one of the most beautiful sightseeings of Armenia. Very often tourists visit here to see its wonderful image. From the shore, one can see the island of Sevan Lake. There is a nice monastery with a name of Sevanavank. Sevan lake has a great reputation in the country and every year many tourists go there to see it and visit the monastery.

Lake Sevan

Lake Sevan is in Gegharunik province of Armenia. It is the second largest freshwater high-altitude lake in the world after Lake Titicaca. Sevan had different names during the course of the history: Gegharquni, Laknitis etc.
The length is 70 km. It is the largest lake in the Southern Caucasus. According to the genealogical facts of the lake, it was originated in the fourth era.

For a long time, the linguists explained the name of the lake dividing its name into “sev” (black) and “vank” (monastery) relating it to the Sevanavank monastery. Princess of Syunik Mariam Bagratuni built the monastery from black tufa (a type of stone).

There are two traditions about the origin of Sevan.

Tradition 1

According to the first tradition, there was a land in the place of the lake with forested hills, fields full of flowers and mellow tillages. Near to the village, there was a source. When the villagers wanted to take water from it, they opened the big plug of its outfall. After taking the water they closed it very carefully.

One evening one of the women of the village goes to the source for bringing water, takes out the plug, pours the water and goes back home, without closing it. So, water overflows. The flood reaches to the houses. While the people were running away leaving their houses behind, they are shouting “Whoever left the outfall open may become a stone”. So, the uncareful women become a stone. The water gathers and gather. So Lake Sevan originated.

Tradition 2

People from Van migrate to the shores of Sevan thinking that it is also a “Van”. But later, they don’t like the cold and cruel climate. They remember the mild weather of their country, so they start shouting ” Սև Վան եկավ մեր գլխին, սև Վան (sev Van)”. So the lake got “Sevan” name.

Sevanavank

Sevan Lake has a rich history, as well as “rich view” for those who visit there. Not only the lake but also its peninsula has great historical heritage.

Sevanavank was established in the peninsula of Sevan lake, from Sevan town to the east. During the excavations, archaeologists found out that there were residents there in new stone and bronze ages.

When, in 301, Armenian king Tirridates III got repentance from St Grigor I Illuminator and accepted the Christianity, in Armenia Christianity became a national religion. Everywhere people established monasteries and churches. Grigor Illuminator established first two churches of Sevanavank: St Harutyun and St Karapet (after St Hovhannes Mkrtich).

The Dream

According to the inscription on the southern wall of St Araqelots church, in the 9th-century princess Mariam – the daughter of Ashot I Bagratuni – enlarged and constructed the monastery. Metropolitan bishop of Syunik S. Orbelyan who was 13th century-bibliographer, describes like this:

“In this time blessed Mashtots was popular with his grace in Sevana peninsula… After many endeavours, in her dream, she gets an order to build a church after the names of 12 disciples and establish a unity. And for that, in her dream, walking on the lake, 12 disciples come to her and show the place of the church.

After this dream and motivated by divine influence Mariam – wife of Vasak Syuni – comes to St Mashtots, convinces him and they establish the beautiful churches. One of them got the name of St Astvatsatsin, the other one got the names of 12 disciples”.

During the invasion of Mongols and Timurid, the monastery was plundered and destroyed. But, fortunately, in 1451 the Catechism of the monastery was established.

During the Soviet period, the monastery stopped its function (the building of St Astvatsatsin was destroyed in 1931 and they took the stones for building a resort House). The ruinous earthquake damaged the monastery in 1936. Since the 1990s, the monastery has its religious renascence, its theological Academy started working again. Sevanavank is one of the most popular historical cultural places of Armenia.

The Monastic Complex

The monastery consists of Sb Araqelots and Sb Karapet churches, the wrecks of the yard, partly rebuilt monastic cabins, the ground of St Harutyun church. St Astvatsatsin church and the yard next to it doesn’t exist. There is also the basis of inner and outer walls, some residential and economic buildings.

Princess Mariam and Sevanavank

Till the 9th century, the monastery consisted of 2 churches. One of them, St Harutyun church, was established in 305. During the reign of Ashot, I Bagratuni and the 200 years period of Bagratunyats kingdom was advantageous for the economic and cultural rise of Armenia. Many monasteries and churches were built, including in Sevanavank.

According to the Armenian narrators, princess Mariam had decided to build 30 churches on the memory of her husband who died when he was young. Meeting the abbot of Sevanavank, future catholicos Mashtots Eghivardetsi, he took the responsibility to sponsor the reconstruction of the monastery and enlargement and establish St Araelots and St Astvatsatsin churches.

Monastic Houses, economic institutions and a yard with four pillars attached to St Astvatsatsin church were built.

St Karapet Church

The date of the full renovation of this church is the end of the 9th century. The central part of the church has a “leaf” shape.

St Araqelots Yard

The wrecks of the yard are in the western part of the church. The establishment date of the yard is the 9th or 10th century. On the floor, there are the grounds of six pillars. The central part had a special way of construction, people called it “yerdik”.

St Araqelots

St Araqelots and St Astvatsatsin churches’ establishment date was the same. The western part which is long has a rectangular hall.
The open space of the western side is remarkable. Its vault is wider and keeps the whole weight of the cupola on it. After the successful construction of this type of church, in all western Armenia people started building churches in this type, only bigger than this one.
According to the inscription of the southern part, the establishment date is 874, by princess Mariam who was the daughter of Ashot Bagratuni.

Khachkars

There are many khachkars and their pieces in Sevanavank. From every period of the history of the monastery came magnificent examples. One of the most magnificent examples are the sculptures. In the base of these sculptures is a green fragile stone. The complication of the khachkars proves the luxury of the sculptures and monuments. One can suppose how the monks took care of the artworks, considering their ecclesiastical worth.

St Harutyun

This is the oldest church of Sevanavank. Grigor I the Illuminator built this church, in 305.
The church doesn’t exist now. from the grounds of it, one can conclude that it had great size. In Armenia this type of church was rare.

So, if you want to be one of the luckiest tourists who visited this must-see monastery, than plan your way to Lake Sevan.