Vardan Vardapet at the Surb Arakelots Monastery of Mush

The photograph was taken in the courtyard of the Surb Arakelots Monastery of Mush. Standing by the tombstone of the Mamikonians is the monastery’s last keeper, Vardan Vardapet, who was also known as a supporter of the Armenian liberation struggle and the fedayi movement.

The elderly white-bearded clergyman, holding a staff, stands beside a small stone structure with an arched entrance. Around him are tall upright stones, some of them carved, and behind is a hillside.

Vardan Vardapet had preserved and protected the monastery for many years. In 1915, during the Armenian Genocide, Turkish troops broke into the monastery on the pretext of searching for hidden treasure, weapons and gold, seized Vardan Vardapet and brutally killed him.