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Photos: Diego Delso (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Wikimedia Commons

Haghpat Monastery

Armenia · Religion

Getting there
About 110 km (2.5–3 h including the border) from Tbilisi via the Sadakhlo–Bagratashen crossing and the Debed canyon road, then a short paved climb from the valley to the plateau
Best time
April–October
Recommended stay
1–1.5 hours

About Haghpat Monastery

Haghpat is a 10th–13th-century monastery on a plateau above the Debed canyon in Armenia's Lori province, about 40 km from the Georgian border at Sadakhlo–Bagratashen. Its domed Church of the Holy Sign, large gavit halls, library, refectory and bell tower form a remarkably complete medieval monastic complex, and it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site together with nearby Sanahin. You walk through the halls, see the finely carved khachkars (cross-stones) and look across to the Caucasus foothills. It is the main stop on our day trip to Armenia from Tbilisi.

Tours Including Haghpat Monastery

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Must-See Attractions

  • Church of the Holy Sign

    The main domed church (976–991), with a relief of the founding queen's sons holding a model of the church on the east gable.

  • Amenaprkich khachkar

    A cross-stone of 1273 carved with Christ and the apostles in fine detail, often cited as a masterpiece of khachkar carving.

  • Gavits and library

    Vaulted halls with carved stone roofs; the library, later used as a storeroom, still has large clay jars sunk into its floor.

  • Bell tower

    The three-storey tower of 1245 on the slope above the churches.

Nearby

  • Sanahin Monastery

    The sister monastery on the opposite side of the canyon, about 15 km by road via Alaverdi (25 min).

  • Akhtala Monastery

    A fortified monastery with fine 13th-century frescoes, about 20 km north towards the border (30 min).

  • Odzun Church

    A 7th-century basilica on the plateau south of Alaverdi, about 20 km (35 min).

Location

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Good to know

Getting there

About 110 km (2.5–3 h including the border) from Tbilisi via the Sadakhlo–Bagratashen crossing and the Debed canyon road, then a short paved climb from the valley to the plateau; a full day trip takes 10–11 h.

Best time

April–October

Best time

April–June and September–October are mild and green in the Debed canyon; the monastery is open all year, but winter brings snow on the plateau.

Recommended stay

1–1.5 hours

Border and documents

Haghpat is in Armenia; bring your passport, and check whether your nationality needs a visa. If you have a single-entry Georgian visa, you need a new one to come back.

Currency

Armenian dram (AMD); change a little money at the border for coffee or lunch, as some village cafés only take cash.

Language

Armenian, with Russian widely spoken.

Fees

Entry is free.

What to wear

Shoulders and knees covered; it is an active monastery.

Time needed

About 1 hour.

History & culture

History

Queen Khosrovanuysh, wife of the Bagratid king Ashot III, founded Haghpat in 976, and the Church of the Holy Sign (Surb Nshan) was finished in 991. The monastery became a centre of learning with a large scriptorium; the scholar Hovhannes Imastaser taught here. Most of the other buildings, including the gavits, library and three-storey bell tower of 1245, date from the 12th–13th centuries under the Zakarian princes. The 18th-century poet and musician Sayat-Nova lived here as a monk after leaving the Georgian royal court. UNESCO listed Haghpat in 1996 and added Sanahin in 2000.

Accommodation

Haghpat village has a few family guesthouses and small hotels on the canyon edge; most travellers visit on a day trip from Tbilisi.

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