VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Francis will formally proclaim a 10th-century Armenian mystic monk as a doctor of the church during a liturgy held today. As such St. Gregory becomes the first Doctor of the Church to have lived outside direct communion with the Bishop of Rome as St. Gregory was not a Catholic but a member of...
Photographs of Armenian Priests
In the spirit of Armenian Christmas on 6th of January, I’d like to share these beautiful photographs of Armenian Priests taken by Suren Manvelyan.
Hovhannavank Monastery (Armenia – 1216 AD.)Â
The oldest part of the monastery is the single nave basilica of St. Karapet was founded at the beginning of the fourth century by St. Gregory the Enlightener. The monastery walls are covered with rich lapidary inscriptions. One large engraved text high on the northern wall of one of the monastery’s auxiliary structures reads:...
Monastery of Bardzrakash St. Gregory in Armenia among ‘Europe’s most threatened heritage’
The Monastery of Bardzrakash St. Gregory in Dsegh, Armenia is among the 11 monuments and sites shortlisted for ‘The 7 Most Endangered’ 2014 program of the leading European heritage organisation Europa Nostra and the European Investment Bank. This monastic complex, dedicated to St. Gregory, the first official head of the Armenian Church, dates from...
Noravank Monastery
Noravank (meaning “New Monastery”) is a 13th-century Armenian monastery, located 122km from Yerevan in a narrow gorge made by the Amaghu river. The gorge is known for its tall, sheer, brick-red cliffs surrounding the monastery. Noravank was founded in 1205 by Bishop Hovhannes, a former abbot of Vahanavank and became the residence of the Orbelian princes. The architect Siranes and the miniature painter and...
Tatev Monastery
Since I recently watched The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug , I would like to make a post inspired by the beautiful scenery of the movie. With only one exception namely; this being a real place. The Tatev Monastery is an 8th-century monastery located on a large basalt plateau near the Tatev village in Syunik...
Early Christian Armenian Church – The 4th c. Yererouk Basilica
The Yererouk basilica is one of the earliest surviving Christian monuments in Armenia. It was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List on August 25, 1995. The Basilica is located on the eastern banks of the River Arax, facing the City of Ani, in the Shirak Province of Greater Armenia. It has a very...
