Sevanavank (; meaning ''Sevan Monastery'') is a monastic complex located on a
peninsula at the northwestern shore of
Lake Sevan
Lake Sevan () is the largest body of water in both Armenia and the Caucasus region. It is one of the largest freshwater Alpine lake, high-altitude (alpine) lakes in Eurasia. The lake is situated in Gegharkunik Province, at an altitude of abov ...
in the
Gegharkunik Province
Gegharkunik (, ) is a provinces of Armenia, province (''Administrative divisions of Armenia, marz'') of Armenia. Its capital and largest city is Gavar. Gegharkunik is inhabited by approximately 209,669 people and the majority are ethnic Armenian ...
of
Armenia
Armenia, officially the Republic of Armenia, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of West Asia. It is a part of the Caucasus region and is bordered by Turkey to the west, Georgia (country), Georgia to the north and Azerbaijan to ...
, 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 Dzhugashvili; 5 March 1953) was a Soviet politician and revolutionary who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until Death and state funeral of Joseph Stalin, his death in 1953. He held power as General Secret ...
, 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 only connected to land on one side. Peninsulas exist on each continent. The largest peninsula in the world is the Arabian Peninsula.
Etymology
The word ''peninsula'' derives , . T ...
. At the southern shore of this newly created peninsula, a guesthouse of the
Writers Union of Armenia
The Writers' Union of Armenia was founded in August 1934, simultaneously with the USSR Union of Writers and as a component part of the USSR Union.
1930s
The Constituent Assembly was held during 1 August - 5 August, after which the Armenian delega ...
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 college, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called seminarians) in scripture and theology, generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as cle ...
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 ( , , ; ; sometimes spelled Erevan) is the capital and largest city of Armenia, as well as one of the world's List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest continuously inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Yerev ...
, 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 (who became a king a decade later). At the time, Armenia was still struggling to free itself from
Arab
Arabs (, , ; , , ) are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in West Asia and North Africa. A significant Arab diaspora is present in various parts of the world.
Arabs have been in the Fertile Crescent for thousands of years ...
rule.
The monastery was strict as it was mainly intended for those monks from
Etchmiadzin who had sinned.
Jean-Marie Chopin
Jean-Marie Chopin (; 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 career as secretary and librar ...
, a French explorer of the
Caucasus
The Caucasus () or Caucasia (), is a region spanning Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is situated between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, comprising parts of Southern Russia, Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. The Caucasus Mountains, i ...
, 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 typewritten, as opposed to mechanically printed or reproduced in some indirect or automated way. More recently, the term has ...
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 () 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, which alternates two types of edges. A truncated octagon, t is a ...
al
tambours. The two are quite similar to each other in appearance. Adjacent are the ruins of a
gavit 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 ( , , ; ; sometimes spelled Erevan) is the capital and largest city of Armenia, as well as one of the world's List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest continuously inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Yerev ...
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:Carved walnut wood door (1486) from Church of the Holy Apostles, Lake Sevan, Armenia! exhibit, Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC.jpg, Carved walnut wood door (1486) from the Church of the Holy Apostles, Lake Sevan.
References
Bibliography
*
External links
About SevanavankArmenian Architectural Studies: SevanavankArmeniapedia.org: SevanavankSevan Pictures at Armenia Photos.infoArmenica.org: SevanavankDetails About Sevanavank MonasteryA Visit To Sevanavank Monastery
{{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