Amaras Monastery

Amaras Monastery, located near the village of Machkalashen in the Martuni region of the Republic of Artsakh, lies in a valley between Mount Khazaz and Mount Lusavorich, on flat terrain covering approximately half a hectare. According to Armenian historians, it was founded in the 4th century by St. Gregory the Illuminator, though the original structure has not survived due to invasions and the building’s scale. The monastery is especially noted from the mid-4th century, when the body of St. Grigoris, the martyred grandson of Gregory the Illuminator, was buried here. In the late 5th century, King Vachagan the Pious built a chapel over the relics, which remains preserved to this day. For centuries, Amaras served as a major religious and cultural center of Artsakh. It was ravaged by Arab invaders in the 9th century, the Mongol-Tatars in the 13th century, and again during the invasions of Tamerlane in 1387. Despite the destruction, the monastery remained active, hosting a school, and the writing and copying of manuscripts continued into the 15th–16th centuries. In the late 17th century, the monastery and its surrounding infrastructure were restored through the efforts of Catholicos Petros. In the mid-19th century, after Artsakh was annexed to the Russian Empire, the monastery complex was used as a border fortress and customs office. This led to a gradual decline in monastic life. Although the church was damaged, it was renovated in 1858 with the support of Armenians from Shushi. In 1848, Amaras was entrusted to Metropolitan Baghdasar of Gandzasar. Following the Artsakh Liberation War, Amaras was revitalized, becoming a pilgrimage site and cultural hub for the region.