Sevanavank
Encyclopedia
Sevanavank is a monastic complex located on a peninsula at the northwestern shore
of Lake Sevan
in the Gegharkunik Province of Armenia
, 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
, the water level fell about 20 metres, and the island transformed into a peninsula
. At the southern shore of this newly created peninsula, a guesthouse of the Armenian Writers' Union was built. The eastern shore is occupied by the Armenian president's summer residence, while the monastery's still active seminary
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
, 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.
rule.
The monastery was strict as it was mainly intended for those monks from Etchmiadzin
who had sinned. Jean-Marie Chopin
, a French explorer of the Caucasus
, 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
s were still being copied manually.
s. Both are quite similar 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
Museum of History.
Reconstruction and restoration efforts took place from 1956 to 1957.
Sevan Island
Sevan Island , now Sevan Peninsula was an island in the northwestern part of Lake Sevan in Armenia. After the artificial draining of Lake Sevan, which started in the Joseph Stalin era, the water level fell about 20 metres, and the island transformed into a peninsula. At the southern shore of this...
of Lake Sevan
Lake Sevan
Lake Sevan is the largest lake in Armenia and the Caucasus region. It is one of the largest high-altitude lakes in the world.Lake Sevan is situated in the central part of the Republic of Armenia, inside the Gegharkunik Province, at the altitude of 1,900m above sea level...
in the Gegharkunik Province of Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
, not far from the town of Sevan
Sevan (city)
Sevan is a city and a popular resort in Armenia, in the Gegharkunik Province, lies on the northern shores of Lake Sevan. The town is founded on a height of over 1900 meters above sea level, 66 kilometers north-east of the capital Yerevan, and 40 kilometers north of Gavar, the administrative...
. 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 Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin was the Premier of the Soviet Union from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953. He was among the Bolshevik revolutionaries who brought about the October Revolution and had held the position of first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee...
, the water level fell about 20 metres, and the island transformed into a peninsula
Peninsula
A peninsula is a piece of land that is bordered by water on three sides but connected to mainland. In many Germanic and Celtic languages and also in Baltic, Slavic and Hungarian, peninsulas are called "half-islands"....
. At the southern shore of this newly created peninsula, a guesthouse of the Armenian Writers' Union was built. The eastern shore is occupied by the Armenian president's summer residence, while the monastery's still active seminary
Vaskenian Theological Academy
Vaskenian Theological Academy is a theological academy of the Armenian Apostolic Church on the Sevan peninsula on the shores of Lake Sevan in Armenia...
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
Yerevan is the capital and largest city of Armenia and one of the world's oldest continuously-inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Yerevan is the administrative, cultural, and industrial center of the country...
, a well-developed tourist industry in the nearby town of Sevan
Sevan (city)
Sevan is a city and a popular resort in Armenia, in the Gegharkunik Province, lies on the northern shores of Lake Sevan. The town is founded on a height of over 1900 meters above sea level, 66 kilometers north-east of the capital Yerevan, and 40 kilometers north of Gavar, the administrative...
, 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 the year 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 ArabArab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
rule.
The monastery was strict as it was mainly intended for those monks from Etchmiadzin
Ejmiatsin, Armenia
Vagharshapat , commonly known as Ejmiatsin in Eastern Armenian and Echmiadzin in Western Armenian , is the fourth-largest city in Armenia and the spiritual centre of the Armenians, as it is the seat of the Catholicos of All Armenians, the head of the Holy Armenian Apostolic Church...
who had sinned. Jean-Marie Chopin
Jean-Marie Chopin
Jean-Marie Chopin 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 librarian to Prince Alexander Kurakin, Russian ambassador to France...
, a French explorer of the Caucasus
Caucasus
The Caucasus, also Caucas or Caucasia , is a geopolitical region at the border of Europe and Asia, and situated between the Black and the Caspian sea...
, 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
Manuscript
A manuscript or handwrite is written information that has been manually created by someone or some people, such as a hand-written letter, as opposed to being printed or reproduced some other way...
s were still being copied manually.
Architecture
The two churches, Surb Arakelots meaning the "Holy Apostoles" and Surb Astvatsatsin meaning the "Holy Mother of God", are both cruciform plan structures with octagonal tambourTambour
In classical architecture, a tambour is the inverted bell of the Corinthian capital around which are carved acanthus leaves for decoration....
s. Both are quite similar in appearance. Adjacent are the ruins of a gavit
Gavit
A gavit or zhamatun is often contiguous to the west of a church in a Medieval Armenian monastery. It served as narthex , mausoleum and assembly room.-History:...
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
Yerevan is the capital and largest city of Armenia and one of the world's oldest continuously-inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Yerevan is the administrative, cultural, and industrial center of the country...
Museum of History.
Reconstruction and restoration efforts took place from 1956 to 1957.