Sevanavank ( hy, Սևանավանք; meaning ''Sevan Monastery'') is a monastic complex located on a
peninsula at the northwestern shore of
Lake Sevan
Lake Sevan ( hy, Սևանա լիճ, Sevana lich) is the largest body of water in both Armenia and the Caucasus region. It is one of the largest freshwater high-altitude (alpine) lakes in Eurasia. The lake is situated in Gegharkunik Province, ...
in the
Gegharkunik Province
Gegharkunik ( hy, Գեղարքունիք, ) is a province ('' marz'') of Armenia. Its capital and largest city is Gavar.
Gegharkunik Province is located at the eastern part of Armenia, bordering Azerbaijan. It includes the exclave of Artsvashe ...
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 ...
, not far from the town of
Sevan. Initially the monastery was built at the southern shore of a small island. After the artificial draining of Lake Sevan, which started in the era of
Joseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Ioseb Besarionis dze Jughashvili; – 5 March 1953) was a Georgian revolutionary and Soviet political leader who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until his death in 1953. He held power as General Secreta ...
, the water level fell about 20 metres, and the island transformed into a
peninsula
A peninsula (; ) is a landform that extends from a mainland and is surrounded by water on most, but not all of its borders. A peninsula is also sometimes defined as a piece of land bordered by water on three of its sides. Peninsulas exist on all ...
. At the southern shore of this newly created peninsula, a guesthouse of the Armenian Writers' Union was built. The eastern shore is occupied by the Armenian president's summer residence, while the monastery's still active
seminary
A seminary, school of theology, theological seminary, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called ''seminarians'') in scripture, theology, generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as clergy, ...
moved to newly constructed buildings at the northern shore of the peninsula.
Due to easier accessibility (once it became a peninsula), good highway and railway connections with the Armenian capital
Yerevan
Yerevan ( , , hy, Երևան , sometimes spelled Erevan) is the capital and largest city of Armenia and one of the world's List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest continuously inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Y ...
, a well-developed tourist industry in the nearby town of
Sevan, and its picturesque location (although less picturesque than it was before the lake level drop), Sevanavank is one of the most visited tourism sights in Armenia.
History
According to an inscription in one of the churches, the monastery of Sevanavank was founded in 874 by
Princess Mariam, the daughter of
Ashot I[ Sergio La Porta. Monasticism and the construction of the Armenian intellectual tradition // Monasticism in Eastern Europe and the Former Soviet Republics / Edited by Ines Angeli Murzaku. — Routledge, 2015. — P. 332 "''One of the earliest instances of a princely foundation for a monastic complex was the monastery of Sewan. Its foundation also provides the earliest explicit reference to the use of the Basilian Rule, translated in the sixth century, by an Armenian monasctic community (Garsoian 2005—7: 183). The monastery was built in 874 on the island of Sewan in Lake Sewan by Princess Mariam, daughter of Prince of Princes Ašot Bagratuni and widow of Prince Vasak Gabur Siwni (Pogossian 2012).''
''Mariam's example was followed by her son Grigor Sup'an II as well as by other members of the Bagratuni royal family and princess of Siwnik'.''"] (who became a king a decade later). At the time, Armenia was still struggling to free itself from
Arab
The Arabs (singular: Arab; singular ar, عَرَبِيٌّ, DIN 31635: , , plural ar, عَرَب, DIN 31635: , Arabic pronunciation: ), also known as the Arab people, are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in Western Asia, ...
rule.
The monastery was strict as it was mainly intended for those monks from
Etchmiadzin
Vagharshapat ( hy, Վաղարշապատ ) is the 4th-largest city in Armenia and the most populous municipal community of Armavir Province, located about west of the capital Yerevan, and north of the closed Turkish-Armenian border. It is comm ...
who had sinned.
Jean-Marie Chopin
Jean-Marie Chopin (russian: Иван Шопен; born in 1796 in Saint Petersburg; died 15 February 1871 in Paris) was a French-Russian explorer of the Caucasus. Son of a French sculptor and employed by Catherine II of Russia, Chopin began his c ...
, a French explorer of the
Caucasus
The Caucasus () or Caucasia (), is a region between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, mainly comprising Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and parts of Southern Russia. The Caucasus Mountains, including the Greater Caucasus range, have historically ...
, visited there in 1830 and wrote of a regimen restraining from meat, wine, youth or women. Another explorer visited the monastery in 1850 and wrote of how
manuscript
A manuscript (abbreviated MS for singular and MSS for plural) was, traditionally, any document written by hand – or, once practical typewriters became available, typewritten – as opposed to mechanically printing, printed or repr ...
s were still being copied manually.
Architecture
The two churches of the complex, Surp Arakelots meaning the "Holy Apostles" and Surp Astvatsatsin meaning the "Holy Mother of God", are both cruciform plan structures with
octagon
In geometry, an octagon (from the Greek ὀκτάγωνον ''oktágōnon'', "eight angles") is an eight-sided polygon or 8-gon.
A '' regular octagon'' has Schläfli symbol and can also be constructed as a quasiregular truncated square, t, whi ...
al
tambour
In classical architecture, a tambour ( Fr.: "drum") is the inverted bell of the Corinthian capital around which are carved acanthus leaves for decoration.
The term also applies to the wall of a circular structure, whether on the ground or raised ...
s. The two are quite similar to each other in appearance. Adjacent are the ruins of a
gavit
A ''gavit'' (Armenian ) or ''zhamatun'' (Armenian: ) is often contiguous to the west of a church in a Medieval Armenian monastery. It served as narthex (entrance to the church), mausoleum and assembly room.
History
The ''gavit'', the distinctive ...
whose roof was originally supported by six wooden columns. Some of the remains of the gavit and its columns can be seen in the
Yerevan
Yerevan ( , , hy, Երևան , sometimes spelled Erevan) is the capital and largest city of Armenia and one of the world's List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest continuously inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Y ...
Museum of History.
Reconstruction and restoration efforts took place from 1956 to 1957.
Gallery
File:Sevanakmonasterys.jpg, The island and the Sevan Monastery during the 19th century (Paris, 1869, T. Deyrolle)
File:Monasterio de Sevanavank, Armenia, 2016-10-02, DD 98.jpg, Sevanavank and peninsula along Lake Sevan
File:Sevanvank in late March, view from Sevan shore.JPG, Sevanavank monastery viewed from the lake
File:Chsevan2.jpg, View of the peninsula
File:Monasterio de Sevanavank, Armenia, 2016-10-02, DD 103-105 HDR.jpg, Surp Arakelots church
File:Monasterio de Sevanavank, Armenia, 2016-10-02, DD 106.jpg, Surp Arakelots church
File:Sevanavank Arakelots door closed.jpg, Door of Surp Arakelots church
File:Monasterio de Sevanavank, Armenia, 2016-10-02, DD 108.jpg, Surp Astvatsatsin church
File:Monasterio de Sevanavank, Armenia, 2016-10-02, DD 107.jpg, Altar of Surp Arakelots
File:366 Khatchkars à l'église de Sevanavank.JPG, Khachkars along the ruins of the gavit
File:20160606 039-Sevan-Kloster-Armenien-027.jpg, alt=Churches of Sevanavank, Church of Surb Arakelots and Church Astvatsatsin
References
Bibliography
*
External links
About SevanavankArmenian Architectural Studies: SevanavankArmeniapedia.org: SevanavankSevan Pictures at Armenia Photos.infoArmenica.org: Sevanavank
{{Armenian Churches
Christian monasteries in Armenia
Tourist attractions in Gegharkunik Province
874 establishments
Christian monasteries established in the 9th century
Oriental Orthodox congregations established in the 9th century
Buildings and structures in Gegharkunik Province
9th-century establishments in Armenia