Harichavank Monastery

The Harichavank Monastery rises on a rocky promontory in the Arich village of Armenia’s Shirak Province, nestled in the valley of Mount Aragats. It stands between shallow ravines carved by streams, and in a place inhabited since the 2nd century BCE—remnants of ancient fortifications still visible today.

Though the exact founding date of the monastery remains uncertain, it likely predates the 7th century, when the first church was built. In the late 12th century, Armenian princes Ivane and Zakare Zakarian acquired Arich from the Pahlavuni noble house and transformed the site. They commissioned a new church, fortified walls, and auxiliary structures. With princely support and new privileges, Harichavank evolved into a significant cultural and educational center in medieval Armenia.

The 7th-century Church of Saint Gregory the Illuminator became the nucleus of the expanded complex. Later buildings were constructed around it, enclosing the original church without overshadowing it. The largest structure on the grounds, the Church of the Holy Mother of God (Surb Astvatsatsin), was completed in 1202. Its dome, soaring nearly 30 meters, dominates the site. Preceding the main church is one of Armenia’s largest medieval narthexes (gavit), resting on four massive columns.

Originally monolithic, the columns now bear clear signs of ancient cementwork at their bases—added in the 14th century, roughly two centuries after their installation. This unusual repair has a tale behind it:

According to one version, during the Mongol invasions—one of the most devastating, albeit brief, chapters in Armenian history—the invaders attempted to demolish Arichavank. They began with the gavit, fastening ropes to the columns and using oxen, horses, and manpower to topple them. The bases broke, but the columns remained suspended in mid-air. Shaken by what they interpreted as a miracle, the Mongols abandoned the site in fear. The columns remained floating for several months before they were secured to the ground with mortar, preserving the structure.

Between the late 12th and early 13th centuries, two monumental gavits were built from massive stone blocks, some as long as 3.5 meters. The monastery underwent several reconstructions over the centuries. The most extensive renovations occurred in the second half of the 19th century, after Arich was designated the summer residence of the Catholicos of Etchmiadzin in 1850.

The Church of Saint Gregory follows the domed cruciform plan typical of 7th-century Armenian architecture. In later centuries, two chapels were appended: a single-story one to the southeast in the 10th century, and a two-story chapel to the southwest in the 13th. The second, main church—Surb Astvatsatsin—was built in 1201. Its western annexes feature three-arched colonnades accessible by stone staircases. This design remains unique in Armenian architectural history.

Before 1224, Prince Vahram Hetschup added a narthex to the western side of Surb Astvatsatsin. The extension incorporated the northern branch of Saint Gregory’s Church. To the south lie the ruins of yet another gavit.

n the late 19th century, Arichavank’s role expanded. As the summer seat of the Catholicos, the monastery grew into a full complex: new surrounding walls, monastic cells, the Catholicos’s quarters, a refectory, guest rooms, bell tower, and various service buildings were constructed. A school also opened within the monastery walls—among its students was the future poet Avetik Isahakyan.

Today, Arichavank remains an active monastery. The buildings from 1850—cells, the Catholicos’s residence, the library, seminary, refectory, and guest halls—still serve their original purposes.