Karmravank ( hy, Կարմրավանք, meaning ''Red Monastery'') is an abandoned 10th century Armenian monastery in the
Vaspurakan
Vaspurakan (, Western Armenian pronunciation: ''Vasbouragan'') was the eighth province of the ancient kingdom of Armenia, which later became an independent kingdom during the Middle Ages, centered on Lake Van. Located in what is now southeaster ...
province of historic
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 ...
(now in the
Van Province
Van Province ( tr, Van ili, ku, Parezgêha Wanê, Armenian: Վանի մարզ) is a province in the Eastern Anatolian region of Turkey, between Lake Van and the Iranian border. It is 19,069 km2 in area and had a population of 1,035,418 at ...
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 ...
). It was founded by
King Gagik I (908-943) of the
Artsruni dynasty
The Artsruni ( hy, Արծրունի; also transliterated as Ardzruni) were an ancient noble (princely) family of Armenia.
Background and history
The Artsruni's claimed descent from Sennacherib, King of Assyria (705 BC–681 BC). Although ...
.
It is located 12 kilometers west-northwest of
Akhtamar Island
Akdamar Island ( tr, Akdamar Adası, ku, Girava Axtamarê), also known as Aghtamar ( hy, Աղթամար, translit=Aġt’amar) or Akhtamar ( hy, Ախթամար, translit=Axt’amar), is the second largest of the four islands in Lake Van, in east ...
.
Gallery
Image:Karmravank Armenian monastery (Lake Van) - setting.JPG, Karmravank in its natural setting
Image:Karmravank Armenian monastery (Lake Van) - closeup.JPG, View of the church from the south
Image:Karmravank Armenian monastery (Lake Van) - another view.JPG, View of the church from the south-west
Image:Karmravank Armenian monastery (Lake Van) - view2.JPG, View of church from the west
Image:Karmravank Armenian monastery (Lake Van) - dome closeup.JPG, Closeup of the damaged dome
Image:Karmravank Armenian monastery (Lake Van) - khachkar.JPG, An Armenian khachkar
A ''khachkar'', also known as a ''khatchkar'' or Armenian cross-stone ( hy, խաչքար, , խաչ xačʿ "cross" + քար kʿar "stone") is a carved, memorial stele bearing a cross, and often with additional motifs such as rosettes, in ...
reused as a lintel
Image:Karmravank Armenian monastery (Lake Van) - closeup of stonework.JPG, Upper level doorway leading to the north-west gallery
Image:Karmravank Armenian monastery (Lake Van) - drum and support.JPG, Drum of the church and its supporting vaults
Image:Karmravank Armenian monastery (Lake Van) - interior of dome.JPG, View of dome from the inside
Image:Karmravank Armenian monastery (Lake Van) - apse.JPG, The apse of the church
Image:Karmravank Armenian monastery (Lake Van) - view of lake.JPG, View of Lake Van
Lake Van ( tr, Van Gölü; hy, Վանա լիճ, translit=Vana lič̣; ku, Gola Wanê) is the largest lake in Turkey. It lies in the far east of Turkey, in the provinces of Van and Bitlis in the Armenian highlands. It is a saline soda lake ...
and Mount Artos seen from the monastery
See also
*
Narekavank
Narekavank ( hy, Նարեկավանք, "Monastery of Narek", Western Armenian: ''Nareg'') was a tenth-century Armenian monastery in the historic province of Vaspurakan, near the southern shores of Lake Van, in present-day Gevaş district in the Va ...
, a nearby 10th century Armenian monastery also founded by King Gagik
*
Akhtamar Island
Akdamar Island ( tr, Akdamar Adası, ku, Girava Axtamarê), also known as Aghtamar ( hy, Աղթամար, translit=Aġt’amar) or Akhtamar ( hy, Ախթամար, translit=Axt’amar), is the second largest of the four islands in Lake Van, in east ...
, a nearby island on Lake Van with the 10th century Armenian ''Church of the Holy Cross''
References
External links
Recent pictures
{{Armenian Churches
Armenian culture
Armenian Apostolic Church
Armenian Apostolic churches
Armenian Apostolic monasteries
Armenian churches in Turkey
Kingdom of Vaspurakan
10th-century churches
Armenian buildings in Turkey