Avazan Church in Geghard Monastery

The first of Geghard’s cave churches, Avazan—meaning “basin” or “cistern”—lies northwest of the gavit. Carved around 1240, it stands on the site of an ancient spring once revered during Armenia’s pagan era.

This rock-hewn sanctuary, accessed through the left-hand door in the gavit’s northern wall, was likely cut directly into the cliff around the 1240s. How the builders accomplished this remains unclear. One theory suggests they worked from the top down, removing stone through an opening in the ceiling.

The roof is crowned with a finely carved stalactite vault, similar in style and craftsmanship to the dome in the gavit. The walls are adorned with decorative half-columns, which serve no structural purpose, as the entire ceiling is carved directly from the rock and requires no support.

Stone crosses—khachkars—as well as carvings of vine and pomegranate motifs and inscriptions in classical Armenian embellish the interior. One inscription details Prince Prosh’s acquisition of Geghard and notes that the church was commissioned at his request. Another inscription names a craftsman called Galdzag, who is believed to have overseen the construction of this church and possibly the entire monastic complex. His name appears on the base of the ceiling arch, which is decorated with pomegranate reliefs.

Inside the church, two small basins collect water from a sacred underground spring. The water is believed to possess healing properties, drawing pilgrims who come to wash in it or take it away in containers.