Aghjots Monastery: A Ruined Medieval Sanctuary

Aghjots Monastery, or Aghjots Vank, is a partially ruined 13th-century monastery located near the village of Mets Gilanlar, within the protected Khosrov State Reserve in the Ararat Province of Armenia. The monastery, also known as the Saint Stephen Monastery of Goght, is situated along a tributary of the Azat River Valley. Local legend suggests the monastery's origins trace back to the 4th century when Grigor Lusavorich (Gregory the Illuminator) founded a religious site on the burial ground of Stepanos, a priest who sought refuge from King Trdat III's persecutions. The existing monastic complex largely dates to the 13th century. Prince Grigor Khaghbakian and his wife Princess Zaz commissioned much of the construction in 1217. The complex comprises the main church of Surp Stepanos (Saint Stephen), the Church of Saints Paul and Peter, and a gavit (a type of narthex or entrance hall). Surp Stepanos church, built in the early 13th century, features a cruciform plan. The Church of Saints Peter and Paul was constructed in 1270. A distinguishing feature, uncommon in Armenian architecture but found in Romanesque and Gothic churches, is the presence of two full-length 14th-century reliefs of Apostles Peter and Paul flanking the portal of a roofless nave. Aghjots Monastery has faced numerous challenges throughout its history. It was sacked by Persians in 1603 and subsequently restored. The earthquake of 1679, which devastated the region, also damaged the monastery. It suffered further despoliation in the 18th century and was left in ruins following the Armenian-Tatar massacres of 1905–1906. Today, the ruins lie within the Khosrov State Reserve.