Monastic complex of Bardzrakash St. Grigor

Region

Lori

Distance from Yerevan

138.2 km

Type

Monastery/Church

Just 2 km northeast of the village of Dsegh, on a plateau on the left slope of the Martz River gorge, stands the large medieval monastic complex of Bardzrakash St. Grigor. Built between the 10th and 13th centuries, the main group of the complex includes two adjacent churches — St. Grigor and the main Holy Mother of God Church — along with a narthex. To the south are the chapel of St. Resurrection (popularly called ""Crow’s Ark""), the Mamikonian family cemetery, and the monastery’s oil mill, while a bridge belonging to the monastery is preserved in the gorge. St. Grigor Church is the oldest monument in the complex, dating back to the 10th century. It is a single-nave hall constructed from roughly hewn basalt stones, with walls 3–4 meters high — a testament to the craftsmanship of medieval Armenian architects. A bit later, in 1221, Martpan, a descendant of the noble Mamikonian family, built the Holy Mother of God Church, which is a domed basilica with a triple-nave prayer hall and a five-sided apse. The narthex, a separate structure, is unique in its positioning — attached to the southern side of the church rather than the western side as is traditional in Armenian monasteries. Completed in 1247, it is rich in high-relief decorative carvings and features a western entrance lintel adorned with five-pointed star motifs. The spiritual structures of the complex also include the Chapel of the Resurrection, built in 1234, and the Mamikonian family cemetery, filled with 13th-century khachkars (cross-stones), while the oil mill, built in 1266, is among the economic buildings of the site.