Tegher Monastery

Founded in the 13th century, the Tegher Monastery is located in the village of Tegher, in Armenia’s Aragatsotn Province. The Tegher monastic complex consists of the Church of Surb Astvatsatsin (Holy Mother of God), a narthex, and defensive walls. The complex is built from dark gray basalt. Unlike other well-known medieval monasteries, there are no references to Tegher Monastery in literary sources. Instead, information about the monastery comes solely from inscriptions preserved on its walls. According to the inscription on the lintel stone above the narthex’s entrance, it was built in 1232 by Mamakhatoon, the wife of Vache Vachutyan. In 1766, Catholicos Simeon of Yerevan, head of the Armenian Church, visited the monastery and, seeing its dilapidated condition, initiated some restoration efforts. Over the centuries, the monastery has suffered damage and undergone repairs. Today, the structure still stands, though in some areas the roof slabs are damaged. Scholarly study of the lapidary inscriptions began in the 1830s. In total, 57 inscriptions have been recorded from the monastery’s walls, the earliest dating to 1213 and the latest to 1494. Inside the church and throughout the surrounding monastery grounds are khachkars (cross-stones) dating from the 11th to 16th centuries.