Gavit of Haghpat Monastery

The Great Gavit (Narthex) of Haghpat Monastery is a unique specimen of medieval Armenian architecture. It was built adjoining the Surb Nshan (Holy Sign) Church, immediately on its western side. The gavit is distinguished by its historical significance, high level of architectural sophistication, and refined ornamentation.

Royal Mausoleum Initially, the gavit had a different appearance. In 1185, Princess Mariam, daughter of King Kyurike III of Lori, built the gavit-mausoleum of the Kyurikian royal house with the help of her sister, Rusugan. In an inscription carved on the wall, Mariam asks visitors to Haghpat Monastery to remember the Armenian kings and Catholicoses in their prayers.

The gavit built by Mariam was rectangular, vaulted, and had a gable roof, located about 2.5 meters from the Surb Nshan Church. Two opposing walls from this structure have been preserved on the southern and northern sides of the current great gavit. They are distinguished by their double-arched, ornamented entrances. Later, the open sections of the walls were sealed with dressed basalt, leaving only the upper parts of the arches open.

Chapel Adjoining the Gavit In 1189, David, the nephew of Barsegh, the abbot of Haghpat Monastery, built a small chapel-mausoleum over the graves of his father, Vasak, and his sister, Burdukhan. It was located between the gavit built by Queen Mariam and the Surb Nshan Church, adjacent to the current great gavit. Vasak was the son-in-law of the Kyurikian kings—the husband of Vaneni, daughter of Kyurike III. It is due to this circumstance that he and his sons were permitted to be buried there.

Construction of the Great Gavit After 1208, the monastery’s abbot, Hovhannes Khachentsi, partially dismantled the small “Mariamashen” (Mariam-built) gavit and began constructing the present-day great gavit, completing it in the 1210s. The new gavit not only replaced the old one but became one of the most successful examples of architecture in medieval Armenia.

Architectural Description The Great Gavit is a spacious, rectangular hall with external dimensions of 21×18 meters. It is directly adjacent to the Surb Nshan Church. The main beauty of the gavit is its ceiling, which is supported by two pairs of intersecting arches with a 12-meter span. These arches rest on pilasters attached to the walls and, on the western side, on two columns standing about 3 meters from the wall. In the central section, small arches raise the ceiling, creating a majestic and luminous space. In the center of the roof, a small rotunda (dome) rises on six columns, serving as the gavit’s main source of light.

In the corners of the wall adjoining the church, there are two-story sacristies (vestries) with four altars, which were used for liturgies. Inside the gavit, valuable khachkars (cross-stones) are placed on the walls and pedestals.

The entrance to the gavit is from the western side, decorated with columns and ornaments. Above the entrance, an Armenian inscription by Zakare Zakaryan has been preserved. Inside and out, the structure is covered with numerous crosses, inscriptions, and ornaments that express the high level of medieval Armenian art.

Tombstones The floor of the gavit is almost entirely covered with tombstones. Armenian kings, queens, princes, and clergy are interred there. The gavit serves as the main mausoleum for the Kyurikian royal house and the second mausoleum for the Zakaryan princely house.

Buried on the northern side of the gavit:

• Kyurike II (King of the Tashir-Dzoraget Armenian Kingdom, great-grandson of Ashot III the Merciful, King of Bagratid Armenia)
• Rusugan (sister of King Kyurike II of Armenia)
• Abas I (King of the Tashir-Dzoraget Armenian Kingdom, Prince of Tavush)
• David (son of King Kyurike II of Armenia, Prince of Matsnaberd)
• Queen Tamar of Armenia (wife of King Kyurike III of Armenia and Prince of Matsnaberd)
• Mariam (daughter of King Kyurike III of Armenia and Prince of Matsnaberd)
• Rusugan (daughter of King Kyurike III of Armenia and Prince of Matsnaberd)
• Bavrina (daughter of King Kyurike III of Armenia and Prince of Matsnaberd)
• Queen Vaneni of Armenia (wife of King Abas II of Armenia, sister of Zakare and Ivane Zakaryan)

Buried on the southern side of the gavit:

• Kyurike III (great-grandson of King Kyurike II of Armenia, King of Armenia and Prince of Matsnaberd)
• Abas II (son of King Kyurike III of Armenia, King of Armenia and Prince of Matsnaberd)

Buried in the middle of the gavit: (All are from the Bagratuni dynasty)

1. Amir Grigor, 2. Amir Kurd, 3. Atabek Sadun, 4. Vasak, 5. Purdukhan, 6. Hamza, 7. Tayik, 8. Kavtel, 9. Nusti, 10. Dol, 11. David, 12. Khosrovik, 13. Khoras-Hasan, 14. Rusugan, 15. Sasnay.

Buried in various parts of the gavit:

1. Ter (Lord/Priest) Grigoris, 2. Brother of Ter Grigoris, 3. Archbishop Pilippos Arnjetsi, 4. Smbat son of Ukan, 5. Matuni, 6. Nana, 7. Abl-Hasan, 8. Tsetvasan, 9. Minas Vartapet (Archimandrite), 10. Smbat son of Garbaniel, 11. Bishop Hovhannes (son of the sister of Zakare and Ivane Zakaryan, abbot of Haghpat Monastery, builder of Kayanberd), 12. Mother of Bishop Hovhannes and sister of Zakare and Ivane Zakaryan, 13. Sevada, 14. Senekerim (grandson of Avag Senekerim, brother of the wife of Desumyan Hasan).