Tsakhats Kar Monastery

Tsakhats Kar sits on the hillside across the valley from Smbataberd, and it is not one building but two groups of them a few hundred metres apart: churches, a gavit and chapels of the tenth and eleventh centuries, with khachkars, carved cross-stones, standing among the grass between. Much of it is ruinous and unrestored. The walk between the two groups, with the fortress on the ridge opposite, is the shape of the visit.

Background

The monastery overlooks the Yeghegis River from the mountain foothills between the villages of Yeghegis, 6 km to the northeast, and Horbategh. Its church was built in the 10th century, in the time of the Bagratid kingdom, and the historian Asoghik wrote about its construction. In the Middle Ages it was a place of learning where painting was taught, and one theory ties the name to a phrase meaning flowered stone. The two groups of buildings stand 200 meters apart, and the western one, now half-ruined, is built of rough-hewn basalt. Surb Hovhannes church dates from 989, while Surb Karapet, also of the 10th century, is a domed hall with a sacristy in each of its four corners.

Source: Wikipedia, "Tsaghats Kar Monastery"

What to look for

• The two groups - church clusters a few hundred metres apart on the slope.
• The khachkars - carved cross-stones standing among the ruins.
• The gavit - the vaulted hall attached to the main church.
• The view across - Smbataberd on the ridge on the far side of the valley.

When to go

May to October is the season. Spring flowers and autumn colour are both good on this slope. Snow makes the track impassable in winter.

Good to know

The site is ruinous and there is no interpretation. The track up is rough and often walked. Finding both groups without a guide takes some casting about.

Nearby

Smbataberd is across the valley, and Yeghegis village is below.

Key facts