Saghmosavank Monastery: A Sanctuary of Psalms

Saghmosavank Monastery, a 13th-century Armenian monastic complex, is located in the village of Saghmosavan in the Aragatsotn Province. The monastery is situated on the edge of the deep Kasakh River gorge. Its location provides a picturesque view of the surrounding landscape. According to legend, Gregory the Illuminator founded the church in the 4th century. He saw the location from the slopes of Mount Aragats and decided to build a church there. He then taught psalms to clergymen there, hence the name Saghmosavank, with "saghmos" meaning psalm. Historical records, however, only mention Saghmosavank at the end of the 12th century. The monastery complex includes the Church of Saint Zion, the Church of Saint Astvatsatsin (Holy Mother), a gavit (courtyard), and a repository of manuscripts. Prince Vache Vachutyan built the main church, Saint Zion, in 1215. The church is a cross-domed structure with two-story vestries. Vache Vachutyan also constructed the gavit in the first quarter of the 13th century. Prince Kurd Vachutyan, Vache's son, built the Church of Saint Astvatsatsin in 1235. The repository of manuscripts was built in 1255 by Prince Kurd Vachutyan and his wife, Khorishah, in memory of their daughter. The monastery housed a medieval higher school from the 13th century. Saghmosavank was damaged in 1988 by an earthquake but has since been restored.