Bgheno-Noravank
Forest church with rich biblical reliefs
- Area Syunik
- Type Monastery
- Time needed 40m
A small church standing in thick forest in southern Syunik, known for the density and quality of the biblical reliefs carved inside it. It is one of the harder sites in the country to reach, and the carving is the only reason to make the effort.
Open in the planner →Getting there
About 253 km from Yerevan, roughly 4h 36m by car, with the last section on a forest track off the road towards Bardzravan. The turning is not obvious and local directions help.
What you see
A plain exterior that gives no hint of the interior, where the walls carry carved figures and biblical scenes in unusually crowded compositions. The forest presses right up to the walls, and the building is small enough to take in at once. Light inside is poor, so a torch is genuinely useful.
What to pair it with
Best treated as part of a deep southern trip with Kapan, Vahanavank and the Shikahogh forest.
When to go
Dry weather from late spring to autumn. The forest track is the weak link and becomes difficult after rain or in snow.
What is hard about it
Finding it is the main difficulty: the track is rough, poorly marked and easy to miss. If the church is locked, which does happen, you will have made a long detour for an exterior that is unremarkable.
Common questions
Why is it worth the trouble?
For the interior relief carving, which is more elaborate than almost anything of comparable size in Armenia. Without seeing inside, the visit loses most of its point.
Will the church be open?
There is no reliable published information on access or a keyholder. [VERIFY — confirm current details]
Can I find it without a guide?
It can be done, but the forest track is confusing and asking locally in the nearest village is usually quicker than navigating by map alone.
Nearby
- Tatev Monastery9th-century monastery on a cliff above the Vorotan gorge
- Wings of TatevRecord-breaking 5.7 km reversible cable car to Tatev
- Tatev Great HermitageFortified hermitage in the gorge below Tatev
- Karahunj (Zorats Karer)Prehistoric standing stones, sometimes called Armenian Stonehenge
- Shaki Waterfall18-metre waterfall near Sisian
- Old KhndzoreskCave village linked by a swinging footbridge
More of the same kind
- Geghard MonasteryPartly carved into the rock face, a UNESCO World Heritage site
- Havuts TarRuined monastery reached by a hike across the Azat gorge
- Kecharis Monastery11th-century complex in the ski town of Tsaghkadzor
- Aghjots MonasteryMonastery tucked into the Khosrov forest edge