Armenia17 Geghard Monastery1

1. 17 ARMENIA Geghard Monastery

2. The monastery complex of Geghard (meaning "spear") was founded in the 4th century by Gregory the Illuminator. It is a unique architectural construction in the Kotayk province of Armenia, being partially carved out of the adjacent mountain, surrounded by cliffs. It is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site There are many often richly ornamented khachkars cut on rock surfaces and on the walls of the structures or put up on the grounds of Geghard in memory of a deceased or in commemoration of someone’s donation to the monastery. Geghard is one of the most frequented tourist destinations in Armenia

4. Bartholomew and Thaddeus are considered to be the patron saints of Armenia The monastery was founded in the 4th century, according to tradition by Gregory the Illuminator. The site is that of a spring arising in a cave which had been sacred in pre-Christian times, hence one of the names by which it was known, Ayrivank (the Monastery of the Cave). The first monastery was destroyed by Arabs in the 9th century. Nothing has remained of the structures of Ayrivank.

5. Today the monastery complex is located at the end of the paved road, and the walk up from the parking lot is lined with vendors selling sweet bread, sheets of dried fruit (fruit lavash), sweet sujukh (grape molasses covered strings of walnuts) and various souvenirs

6. Armenian dried fruits  and “sour lavash”

7. Geghard sweets: fruit or sour lavash, thin sheets of dried fruit purée. Plum was the classic fruit to use but nowadays a wide range of fruits is employed

8. Selling freshly-made Armenian pastry or sweet bread, similar to a coffee cake, known as Katah (Gata) 

10. One popular variety is gata with koritz (khoriz), a filling that consists of flour, butter and sugar

11. The monastery is located literally at the end of the road. From here you walk up a path which has a few vendors of souvenirs and snacks and some beautiful free-standing khachkars

14. You then reach the entrance to the compound which is surrounded by high walls on three sides and the mountain on the fourth. Though there are inscriptions dating to the 1160s, the main church was built in 1215 under the auspices of the brothers Zakare and Ivane, the generals of Queen Tamar of Georgia, who took back most of Armenia from the Turks. The gavit, partly free-standing, partly carved in the cliff, dates to before 1225

15. Arched entrance to the caves adjacent to Geghard monastery

16. Arched entrance to the caves adjacent to Geghard monastery

18. This rock fell out of the mountains during one of the many earthquakes throughout history. As it didn't kill anyone, it was left there as a symbol of good luck

19. Geghard is the Armenian word for lance or spear, reflecting the legend that it housed one of the lances that was associated with the crucifixion of Jesus Christ

20. Khachkars inset in rock outcropping

21. St. Gregory the Illuminator

22. Armenia 1000 dram silver gold plated coin proof 2013 Holy Lance Saint Geghard The monastery was famous because of the relics that it housed. The most celebrated of these was the spear which had wounded Christ on the Cross, allegedly brought by the Apostle Thaddeus, from which comes its present name, Geghardavank ("the Monastery of the Spear"), first recorded in a document of 1250. Other spears lay claim to being the true spear, including ones in Vienna, Krakow and Rome but Geghard spear is celebrated in Armenia as the one True Lance

23. According to ecclesiastical tradition, Apostle St. Thaddeus, one of the 12 disciples of Christ, brought this sacred relic of the Lord to the Armenian world in the first century. For centuries the Holy Christian relic has been kept at different monasteries in historical (western) Armenia, and since the 13rd century in Ayrivank, which afterwards was renamed Geghardavanq in honor of the Holy Geghard. In the second half of the 18th century the Holy Geghard was brought to the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin and is still kept in the spiritual center of All Armenians. According to historical information, the Holy Geghard with is miraculous power has dispelled mental and physical illnesses. For that purpose, during the 18-19th centuries, it has been taken several times to different provinces of Armenia, as well as it has been sent to Tbilisi, Georgia. Holy Lance Echmiadzin

24. Puschkinia is native to the Caucasus and the Middle East The spectacular towering cliffs surrounding the monastery are part of the Azat River gorge, and are included together with the monastery in the World Heritage Site listing

26. The Katoghike Chapel (1215)

27. Geghard rock monastery wall with ancient Armenian inscriptions

28. The southern facade of the Katoghike Chapel (1215) entrance

29. The tympanum is elaborately carved with stylized trees and vines dripping with pomegranates and grape bunches - symbols of the blood of Christ, long life and prosperity

31. Above the portal is carved a lion attacking an ox (symbolizing the prince’s power), heralds for Ivaneh Zakarian, the monastery’s benefactor

32. The southern facade of the Katoghike Chapel and the entrance

33. The elaborate stone carving is attributed to two medieval sculptors, Timothy and Mkhitar and is dated 1213

38. Khachkars inset in rock outcropping

50. There are the very old caves to explore up the mountain. You do have to be very careful when climbing up to the many caves as there are no steps at all, not even a real path