|
The famous Gheghard monastery is one of the most significant testimonies in the history of Armenian architecture either for the richness of its typological scheme and for the complexity of the buildings and the stone chambers nearby. Much of the monasterial complex is hollowed into the rockface. In ancient times the monastery was known as the"the monastery of the seven churches" or "the monastery of the forty altars" or "Ayrivank" (the monastery of the cave), confirming the presence of extremely ancient caves dug into the rock, or otherwise known as "Gheghardavank" (the monastery of the spear). This last name derives from the reilics, for many years conserved in the monastery and now in the Edjmiatzin museum, of the spear that was said to have wounded the chest of Christ on the cross. In its most flourishing period Gheghard was a spiritual center of exceptional importance under which were vast and rich territories.
|
