Aruchavank

Aruchavank was built around 666 by Grigor Mamikonian and it was very large for its date, a single-nave hall with a dome on a wide span, now standing open to the sky since the dome fell. Fragments of the original wall painting survive in the apse, which is rare for the seventh century in Armenia. Beside it are the foundations of Mamikonian's palace and, across the road, a caravanserai from the thirteenth century.

Background

The church is also called the Cathedral of Aruch or Surb Grigor, and it stands at the western base of Mount Aragats on a rocky plateau. Inscriptions on its east wall, together with the historians Ghevond, Hovhannes Draskhanakerttsi and Stepanos Asoghik, record that Prince Grigor Mamikonian and his wife Heghine, or Heline, commissioned the church and the palace beside it between 661 and 682 AD. Because the inscription names the Byzantine Emperor Constantine III, the completion date is uncertain, and some scholars think Constans II (641-668) was meant. Earthquakes caused heavy damage. The church was restored in 1946-1948, apart from the drum and cupola, and the palace ruins were excavated in 1947 and from 1950 to 1952.

Source: Wikipedia, "Aruchavank"

What you'll find

• The seventh-century hall - a wide domed church, now roofless, with the walls standing full height.
• The apse painting - surviving fragments of seventh-century wall painting.
• The palace ruins - foundations of the princely residence beside the church.
• The caravanserai - a thirteenth-century travellers' hall nearby.

When to go

April to November is comfortable; the plain is exposed and very hot in midsummer. Morning light reaches into the apse and shows the painting best. Winter is cold and windy here.

Practical notes

The church is roofless and there is no shelter on the site. The wall paintings are faint and easy to miss without knowing where to look. Interpretation is minimal.

Nearby

Talin Cathedral is west along the same road, and Ashtarak is east.

Key facts