Tatev Monastery

The photograph shows Tatev Monastery, a historical and architectural monument of the 9th–13th centuries in Syunik Province, on the edge of the Vorotan River gorge. For centuries it was a major spiritual, political and educational centre of the region. The monastery was founded in the 9th century, although according to tradition the first buildings appeared as early as the 4th century over the grave of Saint Eustathius, a disciple of the Apostle Thaddeus.

The complex includes the Cathedral of Saints Paul and Peter and the churches of the Holy Mother of God and Saint Gregory the Illuminator. In the 14th–15th centuries the University of Tatev operated here. The monastery grounds also hold the 9th-century swaying column called Gavazan. Today the monastery is active and can be reached by the “Wings of Tatev” cable car, opened in 2010.

The photograph shows the main church with its conical dome, a small arched structure, the monastery walls and mountain slopes behind.