Varagavank

Varagavank was an Armenian monastery on the slopes of Mount Erek, 9 km southeast of the city of Van, in eastern Turkey. The monastery was founded in the early 11th century by Senekerim-Hovhannes Artsruni, the Armenian King of Vaspurakan, on a preexisting religious site. Initially serving as the necropolis of the Artsruni kings, it eventually became t…
Varagavank was an Armenian monastery on the slopes of Mount Erek, 9 km southeast of the city of Van, in eastern Turkey. The monastery was founded in the early 11th century by Senekerim-Hovhannes Artsruni, the Armenian King of Vaspurakan, on a preexisting religious site. Initially serving as the necropolis of the Artsruni kings, it eventually became the seat of the archbishop of the Armenian Church in Van. The monastery has been described as one of the great monastic centers of the Armenian church by Ara Sarafian and the richest and most celebrated monastery of the Lake Van area by Robert H. Hewsen.
  • Location: Yukarı Bakraçlı, Van Province, Turkey
  • Affiliation: Armenian Apostolic Church
  • Status: several buildings destroyed, continuous deterioration of others
  • Style: Armenian
  • Founder: Senekerim-Hovhannes Artsruni
  • Groundbreaking: early 11th century
Data from: en.wikipedia.org