Destroyed Armenian monastic complex of a few churches in
Iĝdir province of modern
Turkey
Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...
.
Word formation
Monastery of Agarak was named by its settlement's name. Name Agarak is a historical name of the Egrek settlement in
Iĝdir province of modern
Turkey
Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...
. Agarak () in Armenian for farm.
History
The monastery of Agarak was founded by
Nerses Shinarar catholicos of
Armenia
Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia.The UNbr>classification of world regions places Armenia in Western Asia; the CIA World Factbook , , and ''Ox ...
sometime between 649-653 A.D. Agarak situated in the
Jakatk' district of
Historical Armenia's
Ayrarat
Ayrarat () was the central province of the ancient kingdom Armenia, located in the plain of the upper Aras River. Most of the historical capitals of Armenia were located in this province, including Armavir, Yervandashat, Artashat, Vagharshapat ...
province that in 1918-1920 was attached to
Surmari (acronym of words Saint Mary) district of
Republic of Armenia in the 1920.
Current condition
The monastery today is a completely ruined structure in the village of Ekrek in
Iĝdir province of
Turkey
Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...
.
Appearance
The monastery had a few churches and many well carved khachkar-monuments (cross-stones) nearby. Main church was named as ''Sourb Stephanos'' ({{Lang-hy, Սուրբ Ստեփանոս) (Saint Stephanus). Cross-domed church's roof had been tiled, and dome's top was made of a spherical stone crowned with a cross. Many architectural fragments had been found around the churches, including remains of a medieval stele with a statue of a woman holding a model of a basilica-church in her arms.
Armenian churches in Turkey
Christian monasteries established in the 7th century
1920 disestablishments in the Ottoman Empire
Armenian buildings in Turkey
7th-century churches in Turkey