Sanahin Monastery (Armenian: Սանահին վանք, romanized: Sanahin vank') is an Armenian monastery established in the 10th century in Sanahin, a village in the Lori Province of Armenia. The name Sanahin means "this one is older than that one" in Armenian, suggesting it may have been built before the nearby Haghpat Monastery, which is located about 3 kilometers (1.9 miles) to the east. Together, Sanahin and Haghpat form a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The two villages and their monasteries share many similarities and are visible to each other on a rocky area divided by a deep crack created by a small river that flows into the Debed River.
Like Haghpat, Sanahin has become a popular destination for tourists because it is now included in the travel plans of many Armenian tour companies. The monastery complex is part of the Armenian Apostolic Church and features many khachkars, which are stone carvings with detailed designs of crosses, as well as the graves of bishops scattered throughout the area.
History
The first church of the monastery, Surb Astvatsatsin ("Holy Mother of God"), was built in the 30s and 40s of the 10th century under King Abas I Bagratuni. In 966, King Ashot III the Merciful and Queen Khosrovanuysh built the Surb Amenaprkich ("Holy Savior"). Their sons, Kiurike (Gurgen) and Smbat, started a congregation, a high school, and invited clergymen, scholars, and writers. The first abbot was Polycarp, who was later replaced by the scholar Hovhannes.
In 979, King Smbat II of Armenia declared the Sanahin monastery complex the seat of the new bishop of the Kyurikian kingdom (until the middle of the 11th century). Isaiah became the bishop of Tashir. Dioscoros Sanahnetsi (1039–1063), known as a "great orator," was one of the patriarchs. During his time, the library and chapel of St. Gregory were built, the caring school became a major educational center, the library grew, and many manuscripts were created. Scholars such as Anania Sanahnetsi and Hakobos Karapnetsi studied, taught, and wrote at the school. The school also taught subjects like philosophy, rhetoric, music, medicine, and calendars. Grigor Magistros Pahlavuni is believed to have taught there, and a seminary built between the churches of Surp Astvatsatsin and Surb Amenaprkich was named after him.
During the Seljuk invasions and rule, which began in the second half of the 11th century, and after the fall of the Kyurik kingdom in 1113, the Sanahin monastery faced difficult times. By the end of the 12th century, the monastery became part of the Zakarid (Zakaryan) princes in the Tashirk province and regained its role in education and culture. Large construction projects took place during this time. From the 1280s to the 1330s, the vestibules of the Holy Savior and Surb Astvatsatsin churches were built, along with a bell tower, bookstore, guest house (now lost), Zakarid family tomb, and khachkars by Grigor Tuteord and Sargis. The Church of the Holy Savior was also renovated. A famous bridge over the Debed River, used to reach the monastery, was built in the late 12th century.
In the 12th and 13th centuries, Grigor Tuteord, Hovhannes Khachents, and Vardan were notable figures at the monastery. Grigor Rabunapet, who led the monastery from 1214, was well-respected. His writings on saints were used as textbooks. He donated 13 manuscripts to the monastery and wrote other works. The monastery’s activities were disrupted again during the Mongol invasions starting in the 1230s and under their rule. By the end of the 14th century, the Zakaryan ruling family fell, and Sanahin and its monastery became part of the Arghutyan-Yerkaynabazuk family (until the early 20th century).
Between the 14th and 15th centuries, writing flourished at the monastery, with 35 manuscripts preserved in the Matenadaran. One important manuscript, "Kotuk" (No. 3032), records the monastery’s history and its congregation.
In the mid-17th century, Archbishop Sargis Arghutyan led major renovations of the monastery’s damaged buildings. In 1831, Archbishop Harutyun Ter-Barseghyants, the tribal leader of the monastery, built a spring near the northern wall. He also repaired structures and preserved his verse inscription on the wall. By the early 20th century, the monastery’s activities stopped.
During the Soviet era, Sanahin Monastery was protected as a historical and cultural site. Structures were reinforced and restored. In 1998, the Armenian government transferred the monastery to the administration of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.
Architecture
The Sanahin monastery complex was built over about three centuries. Each new building was designed with consideration for how the previous buildings were used, the space available, and the style of the earlier structures. The complex includes the Church of St. Astvatsatsin and Surb Amenaprkich churches with their entrance halls, a seminary, St. Grigor chapel, bookstore, bell tower, St. Hakob church, St. Harutyun chapel, and family tombs of the Kyurikyans, Zakaryans (Zakarid), and Arghutyan-Yerkaynabazuk.
Most buildings were made from local gray basalt, a type of rock that was polished and used for roofing. The buildings have simple, large designs with minimal decoration on the walls, doors, and windows. Inside, the spaces were shaped by the use of roofs, vaulted arches, domes, and columns arranged in a logical, symmetrical way.
The oldest building still standing is the Church of the Holy Mother of God, built during the rule of King Abbas I Bagratuni around 930–950. This church is one of the earliest examples of a cross-shaped dome design common in Armenian medieval architecture. The base of the dome was originally shaped like a many-sided figure, but it was changed to a cylinder during a renovation in 1652 and topped with a simple cone. Some old wall paintings remain inside. The church has four entrance halls at its corners and a tall structure on its eastern side.
The entrance hall (gavit) of St. Astvatsatsin Church was built in 1211 by Prince Vache Vachutyan, as noted by an inscription inside the hall. It is located next to the western walls of the church and Saint Amenaprkich, which is in the corner between them. The buildings are arranged symmetrically, and their size from east to west makes the group look like a single structure.
The entrance hall has a rectangle shape that is slightly longer from north to south, divided into three equal sections by two arched columns. Each section has a cylindrical roof with a gabled top, creating a row of high, pointed ridges on the western side. The only visible front of the hall has three pairs of wide arched openings that served as entrances. The hall also had a corridor leading to the church and another for the seminary. The interior is simple, with short, thick columns that have different decorative details. This hall is a rare example in Armenian architecture.
St. Amenaprkich (Holy Savior, also called Katoghike) Church is the largest and most important building in the complex, located 4 meters south of St. Astvatsatsin Church. It was built in 966 by Queen Khosrovanush, the wife of King Ashot III, and marked the start of the Sanahin Monastery. The church has a large, powerful shape and is the central focus of the complex. Its design is a cross-shaped dome, but it has two-story rounded ends. The church originally had two entrances on the northwestern side, but one was later closed due to the addition of a hall between the churches. The eastern side and parts of the southern and northern sides have decorative arches supported by elegant columns. The original dome and a tall structure above it were damaged by an earthquake and later rebuilt in a simpler style.
Above the eastern side of the church, near the top of the building, is a carved image in a rectangular frame showing Kyurike and Smbat, whose names are engraved above the frame. Kyurike later founded the Kyurikian kingdom, and Smbat ruled in Ani and was called "Cosmic." The carving shows them standing tall, facing each other, holding a model of a church. This artwork is a significant example of Armenian medieval art and inspired similar sculptures in other places.
The walls of the Holy Savior Church were once covered with wall paintings, though only small traces remain. In 1181, the church was completely renovated by the monastery leader Hovhannes Vardapet with support from Grigor Tuteord, a Kurdish ruler. The southern wall damaged by an earthquake was rebuilt, the dome was replaced, and parts of the building were repaired. Another major renovation happened in 1652 during a monastery-wide restoration led by Archbishop Sargis Arghutyan. Smaller repairs were made in 1815 by Captain Solomon Arghutyan and Prince Zakare, and again in 1881 by Arghutyan Hovsep Parsadanyan.
Surb Astvatsatsin and Surb Amenaprkich churches shared a common entrance hall in the 80s of the 10th century, as mentioned in a proclamation by King Kyurike I in "Kotuk" of Sanahin, where he gifted two large chandeliers to the monastery. This hall was likely destroyed during a major renovation in 1181 when a new entrance hall for the Holy Savior Church was built. The new hall is a large, four-column room with a square shape, built next to the church's western wall. The main entrance is in the center of the north wall. Thick columns connect to opposite walls, dividing the space into a large central area and eight smaller square sections. The central area has a low dome, the corners have flat ceilings, and the middle parts have cylindrical sections. Decorative patterns on the columns and symbolic carvings of animal heads add artistic value. An inscription on a wall painting mentions the architect, Zhamhayr.
The entrance hall of St. Amenaprkich Church was built in 1181 by the Kyurikian family. Abbot Yovhannēs constructed it and left a dedication on the wall.
The corridor between the churches of Astvatsatsin and Amenaprkich was used as the academy or seminary. Its exact construction date is unknown, but it is believed to be from the first half of the 11th century. Tradition says that Grigor Magistros taught students here, sitting on stone benches arranged on both sides.
The library and St. Gregory's Chapel were built in 1063 by Father Dioscoros Sanahnetsi, with the support of David Anhoghin's daughter, Queen Hranush. These buildings are located in the northeastern part of the complex, about 3 meters apart. Between them, a lobby was built in the first quarter of the 8th century.
The library is the oldest and largest Armenian library in terms of size. It is a square-shaped hall with pillars placed in the centers of each wall. The pillars are connected to each other.