Karmravor St. Astvatsatsin Church

Karmravor St. Astvatsatsin Church stands on a high hillside in the northeastern part of the town of Ashtarak, near the area once known as old Berdatagh. It is a small, slender and well-proportioned building known for its harmonious architecture.

The church is a domed, cruciform building with a single apse on its eastern arm, built of reddish-brown tuff, and its walls bear frescoes, including a composition called "Christ in Glory". Its small size and simple decoration have led scholars to suggest it was first built as a mausoleum for a noble family. The courtyard holds a medieval cemetery with khachkars (cross-stones) and tombstones from the 13th–17th centuries; the oldest khachkar dates to 1184, and only its base and a five-line inscription survive.

Legend tells of three sisters in Ashtarak who all loved a young man named Sargis. To clear the way for the youngest, the two elder sisters put on apricot-colored and red dresses and threw themselves into the gorge; when the youngest learned of it, she put on a white dress and followed them, and Sargis, unable to overcome his grief, became a hermit. Over time, three churches were built at the edge of the gorge, Karmravor, Tsiranavor and Spitakavor, symbolizing the colors of the sisters' dresses and their sacrifice.