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Photos: Սարո Հովհաննիսյան (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Wikimedia Commons

Sanahin Monastery

Armenia · Religion

Getting there
About 110 km (2.5–3 h including the Sadakhlo–Bagratashen border) from Tbilisi
Best time
April–October
Recommended stay
45 minutes–1 hour

About Sanahin Monastery

Sanahin is a 10th–13th-century Armenian monastery on the plateau above Alaverdi in the Debed canyon of northern Armenia, about 110 km from Tbilisi. Together with neighbouring Haghpat it is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Its dark basalt churches, vaulted gavits and a library building are joined into one complex, and the floors are paved with carved gravestones. Most visitors spend about 45 minutes here on a day trip from Tbilisi, often with a short stop at the Mikoyan Brothers Museum in the same village.

Tours Including Sanahin Monastery

See the tour

Must-See Attractions

  • Church of the Holy Saviour

    The 966 church at the heart of the complex, with carved donor figures on the east gable.

  • Gavits

    Large vaulted entrance halls with khachkars and gravestones set into the floor. Library (matenadaran): A domed 11th-century book depository with niches for manuscripts.

  • Khachkars

    Carved cross-stones around the churches, some from the 12th–13th centuries.

  • Mikoyan Brothers Museum

    A small museum a few hundred metres below the monastery, with a MiG-21 jet outside.

Nearby

  • Haghpat Monastery

    The UNESCO-listed partner monastery across the Debed canyon, about 15 km by road (25 min).

  • Sanahin Bridge

    A stone bridge over the Debed river in Alaverdi, built in 1192, about 5 km (10 min).

  • Akhtala Monastery

    A fortified monastery with rare interior frescoes, about 25 km north (35 min).

Location41.0872° N, 44.6661° EView on map

Good to know

Getting there

About 110 km (2.5–3 h including the Sadakhlo–Bagratashen border) from Tbilisi; paved road along the Debed canyon, then a short climb from Alaverdi to the plateau.

Best time

April–October

Best time

Late spring and early autumn are mild and green in the Debed canyon; summer can be hot at the border, and winter visits work but the plateau can be icy.

Recommended stay

45 minutes–1 hour

Border and passport

Sanahin is in Armenia, so you cross the Sadakhlo–Bagratashen border with your passport; check the visa rules for your nationality, and we confirm them when you book.

Money

Armenia uses the Armenian dram (AMD); bring a little cash in AMD for the museum and cafés, as lari are not accepted.

Language

Armenian is spoken, and many older people also speak Russian.

Fees

The monastery is free; the Mikoyan Brothers Museum charges about 500–1,000 AMD (sources differ).

What to wear

Covered shoulders and knees in the churches; the stone floors inside are uneven and dim.

History & culture

History

The main church, the Holy Saviour (Amenaprkich), was built in 966 under King Ashot III the Merciful and Queen Khosrovanush; the Church of the Mother of God nearby is slightly older. From the 10th to the 13th century Sanahin was a major centre of learning of the Kyurikian and later Zakarid princes, with a school, a scriptorium and a library building added in 1063. Haghpat, a rival monastery across the canyon, was listed by UNESCO in 1996, and Sanahin was added to the same listing in 2000. The village is the birthplace of Anastas Mikoyan, a Soviet statesman, and his brother Artem, co-designer of the MiG fighter aircraft.

Accommodation

Most travellers visit on a day trip from Tbilisi. Alaverdi and the Haghpat plateau have a few small hotels and family guesthouses for an overnight stay in the Debed canyon.