Sevanavank Monastery

Sevanavank is a monastery on the northwestern shore of Lake Sevan in Armenia, standing on a peninsula that was once an island. It was founded in 874 by Princess Mariam, daughter of Ashot I Bagratuni. King Ashot II the Iron lived here for a time and joined the monks in resisting an Arab invasion during the Battle of Sevan. Two churches survive—Surb Arakelots and Surb Astvatsatsin—surrounded by ruins of monastic cells, khachkars, and an old oil press. Walls of tuff and basalt give the complex an almost black appearance, earning it the name Black Monastery. Today, Sevanavank houses the Vazgen I Theological Seminary, while carved church elements are preserved in the History Museum of Yerevan. The monastery is listed as a UNESCO cultural heritage site.

According to the legend of Sevanavank, the monk Mashtots of Yeghvard lived as a hermit on the peninsula for ten years. One night, the twelve apostles appeared to him in a dream and ordered him to build churches in their honor. Mashtots told Princess Mariam, widow of Prince Vasak Gabur, and she was so moved that she vowed to build 30 churches, including Surb Arakelots, Surb Karapet, and Surb Astvatsatsin.