Bgheno-Noravank Monastery

The Bgheno-Noravank Monastic Complex represents one of the most distinctive and architecturally unique monuments of medieval Armenian ecclesiastical design. This exceptional historical site is situated within the Syunik Province, approximately three to four kilometers east of Bardzravan village, perched upon a triangular promontory on the high right bank of the Vorotan River, enveloped by densely forested gorges. The foundation of the sanctuary dates back to 936, when an initial cluster of religious structures was erected through the initiative of Father Stepanos of the Sisakan dynasty. Subsequently, in 1062, commissioned by King Grigor I Ashotyan of Syunik, the monastery was thoroughly reconstructed by the priests Gevorg and Hovhannes. Having been concealed deep within the thick forests and forgotten for centuries, this architectural gem was rediscovered in the 1920s by the prominent Armenian prose writer and agronomist, Axel Bakunts. The layout of the complex features an extraordinary spatial composition that is highly atypical for traditional Armenian church engineering. It is structured as an interconnected block of three parallel rectangular vaults, where the wider central nave functions as the primary church, flanked by symmetric side chapels or vestries. A fourth rectangular volume, serving as an arched open-air gavit or narthex, is appended to the western facade. The architectural style of Bgheno-Noravank is defined by the meticulous use of locally quarried bluish ash

near Bardzravan village, Syunik Province

Monasteries & Churches