Kobayr Monastery

The Kobayr Monastery, located in Lori Province, near the village of Kobayr, is built on a high and hard-to-access cliffside. The monastery was founded in 1171 on the initiative of Princess Mariam, daughter of King Kyurike II of the Kyurikian dynasty. Kobayr Monastery stands out with its unique architectural features, which meet the high standards of Armenian medieval art. The Zakarian dynasty had a strong influence here, especially during the 12th–13th centuries, when the monastic complex passed from the Kyurikians to the Zakarians. The main group of monuments consists of three churches, a belfry-mausoleum, a refectory, chapels, khachkars (cross-stones), remains of fortification walls, a chapel-vestry, and a columned hall. In the 10th–12th centuries, the interiors of churches in Armenia were sparsely decorated. However, influenced by Georgian artistic traditions, this changed in the 13th century. Kobayr is renowned for its high-quality frescoes, which adorn four structures: the apse of the main church, the chapel-vestry, the open hall, and the first floor of the belfry.