Makaravank Monastery

"A. According to legend, in the 8th century, there was only a small church at the site of the monastery. Master Makar and his son began building the monastery around it. The son carved and decorated the stones, while the father laid the walls. Makar was so devoted to his work that he even lived on the unfinished walls of the monastery. Years later, he realized something was wrong—the stones were not fitting properly, and the carvings looked different. When he called for his son, he was told that the boy had fallen ill however Makar realized that he passed away. Overcome with grief, Makar completed the monastery and threw himself from the church, and he was buried beneath its walls. The monastery was then named Makravank in his honor.

On the southern wall of the Main Church, below the window, there is a sculpture of an eagle clutching a bull in its talons—the coat of arms of the Vachutyan noble family.

Makaravank is home to some of the finest masterpieces of medieval Armenian art, including the relief sculptures on the altar façade of the Main Church, mythical creatures with human heads, serpentine fish, a carved figure of a man holding tools, inscribed with the word “Youth”.