Church of the Holy Mother of God

Among the structures of Haghpat Monastery is the Surb Astvatsatsin Church. Built in the 13th century, this church is located on the northern side of the Great Gavit and the southwest side of Hamazasp’s Gavit. According to the Armenian inscription on the eastern wall, the church was built with the funds of Khatun, the daughter of the Armenian Prince Desumian Hasan, in memory of her brothers who came from Artsakh and died there. In honor of its builder, it is often also called the Khatunashen Church (Khatun-built). The inscription also states that Princess Khatun’s husband was Blu Zakare Vahramyan, the lord of Gaga, Tavush, Gardman, and other fortresses in that region.The church, built from bluish, dressed basalt, has an external rectangular area of 4.7 \* 3.5 meters and an internal cruciform plan. The columns rising in the four interior corners form arches at the top, upon which the dome with a round drum soars. The entrance is decorated with an ornamented rectangular frame, an arch, and pilasters.