Harichavank
7th-century monastery near Artik
- Area Shirak
- Type Monastery
- Time needed 45m
Harichavank sits at the edge of Harich village near Artik in Shirak, with a small church going back to the 7th century and a larger 13th-century one beside it. Later ranges added when it served as a summer residence of the Catholicos give it the feel of a walled compound.
Open in the planner →Getting there
About 90 km from Yerevan, roughly 1h 39m of driving, up the Gyumri road and then east through Artik. The road reaches the gate.
What you see
The two churches stand side by side, the small early one squeezed against the later and taller building, with a gavit joining them. Carving around the drum and the west door is good, and there are reliefs of the founders on the exterior. Behind, a chapel perches on a rock outcrop above the gorge, and the 19th-century buildings enclose a courtyard.
What to pair it with
Combine with Artik's tuff quarries, Marmashen and Gyumri, or with Talin on the way back to Yerevan.
When to go
Any season, though Shirak winters are hard. Mid-morning light suits the pinkish stone.
What is hard about it
The 19th-century additions are plain and some are in poor repair, so the complex looks patchy. The village approach is unremarkable, and 45 minutes is enough.
Common questions
How old is the oldest part?
The small church beside the main one is attributed to the 7th century; the large church and gavit belong to the 13th.
Is it still in use?
It functions as a church with services, and part of the complex has been restored. [VERIFY — confirm current details]
Is the rock chapel accessible?
A short path leads up behind the monastery to it. The ground is uneven near the edge of the gorge.
Nearby
- Marmashen Monastery10th-century monastery in the Akhurian valley
- Holy Saviour's ChurchGyumri's landmark church, restored after the 1988 quake
- Yot Verk Church19th-century church on Vardanants Square
- Black FortressRound 19th-century Russian fort above Gyumri
- Yereruyk Basilica5th-century basilica near the Turkish border
- Lake ArpiHighland lake and national park famed for birdlife
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