Akhtala Monastery

Akhtala Monastery of the Holy Mother of God rises on a high promontory in Lori Province and was one of the significant spiritual and cultural centres of its time. The area was first called Agarak and later Pghndzahanq, the Copper Mine. In the Middle Ages it was known as a religious and educational centre for Chalcedonian Armenians under Georgian rule, though the monastery's historical foundation is rooted in the Armenian Apostolic faith. The complex is enclosed by pyramid-shaped walls built as early as the 10th century, in the Kyurikian Bagratuni period, and a three-storey pyramid-shaped tower adjoins its vaulted northern entrance hall on the east. The main Church of the Holy Mother of God stands at the very centre of the fortress: its dome has been lost over time, but the foundations, columns and wall supports remain, and the façades carry niches, cross-reliefs and rich decorative stone carving. Travellers come to explore this fortified monastery on its promontory. See Akhtala Monastery for yourself on a tour with ONE WAY Tour.