Tsakhats Kar monastery

Among the treasures of Armenia’s Vayots Dzor province, the medieval monastery of Tsakhats Kar stands out. Its name, meaning “Blooming Stone,” may stem from the lush orchards once granted to it in the 11th and 13th centuries. The complex is set six kilometers from the village of Yeghegis and two kilometers from the fortress of Smbataberd, perched in the mountains and shielded by silence.

Tsakhats Kar is made up of two clusters of structures, separated by a distance of about 200 meters. The eastern group has suffered heavy damage. The principal building here is a domed, four-apsed church dating back to the 10th century. To its south is a long, narrow vestibule, lined with arched burial niches along the walls—somber relics of its earliest days.

The western group, built in 1041, is better preserved. Among its most notable monuments is the domed Church of Saint Karapet, known for its architectural clarity and restrained reliefs. Another church, dedicated to the Holy Virgin and also dating from the 10th century, clings to the edge of a gorge. The heart of the monastery lies nearby—in the churches of Saint Hovhannes and Saint Karapet.

In the cemetery surrounding the churches, visitors will find early and medieval khachkars bearing intricate carvings. Scattered remains of workshops and oil presses offer a glimpse into the monastery’s past as a self-sustaining feudal institution.

During the Middle Ages, the great monastic estates of Syunik, including Tsakhats Kar, held extensive lands and profitable enterprises. Surviving royal charters and records from bishops and princes attest to this former wealth and authority.

The Church of Saint Hovhannes is adorned with traditional Armenian ornamentation—pomegranate vines intertwined with grape tendrils. Beside it lies a stone that once crowned the wall, carved with an eagle clutching prey in its talons. The façade of Saint Karapet’s church features a striking relief of a lion and bull locked in combat. Stretching nearly two meters across, the image is remarkable in scale and energy.

To the east of the monastery stands one of its most fascinating elements: a two-story burial chapel erected in 1041. It is among the earliest known structures of its type in Armenia. The complex includes a roofless sanctuary, a rectangular vestibule, and a small chapel above. The western entrance to the vestibule is flanked by two khachkars, each three meters tall and finely preserved. Between them opens a large niche topped with twin suspended arches. On the church’s northern edge survives a circular pedestal—likely the base of a once-standing tombstone.

The entire Tsakhats Kar ensemble, set high in the mountains, likely served as a stronghold during turbulent times, guarding the capital of the Syunik principality. From the ridge above, the old structures appear even before the descent from the monastery is complete. With a keen eye, one can still trace remnants of an ancient aqueduct, fed by mountain springs. But this water did not flow to the capital—it was directed to Smbataberd fortress, built farther along the ridge, east of Yeghegis.