Kecharis Monastery Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Kecharis Monastery Կեչառիս Վանք

Religion
Affiliation	Armenian Apostolic Church
Location
Location	Tsakhkadzor, Kotayk Province, Armenia
Architecture
Architectural style	Armenian
Completed	11th-13th centuries

The Kecharis Monastery (Armenian: Կեչառիսի վանքային համալիր) is an old Armenian monastery complex. It was built a long, long time ago, between the 11th and 13th centuries. You can find it about 60 kilometers (about 37 miles) from the city of Yerevan. It's located in the popular ski resort town of Tsaghkadzor in Armenia.

This beautiful monastery is tucked away in the Pambak mountains. A prince from the Pahlavuni family started building Kecharis in the 11th century. People kept building it until the mid-1200s, especially after the Proshian family took over. In the 12th and 13th centuries, Kecharis was a very important religious place in Armenia. It was also a special school for higher learning. Today, the monastery looks brand new because it has been fully restored. You can easily see it from the ski slopes!

A Story of Rebuilding
Exploring the Complex
Images for kids
See also

A Story of Rebuilding

The round roofs (domes) of the two main churches were badly broken in an earthquake in 1927. People tried to protect the buildings when Armenia was part of the Soviet Union. Rebuilding work started in the 1980s.

However, the rebuilding stopped for about ten years because of many problems. A big earthquake hit Armenia in 1988. Then, the Soviet Union broke apart in 1991. After that, the First Nagorno-Karabakh War started. Armenia also faced blockades from its two neighboring countries.

Luckily, rebuilding work at Kecharis started again in 1998 and finished in 2000. An Armenian person from Vienna, named Vladimir Harutyunian, paid for the work. He did this to honor his parents, Harutyun and Arsenik.

Exploring the Complex

A view of the Kecharis Monastery complex.

A map showing the layout of Kecharis Monastery.

The main part of the monastery complex has three churches, two small chapels, and a gavit. A gavit is like a special entrance hall. A little distance to the west, there's another church with its own small room next to a road. You can still see many old tombstones around these buildings.

Saint Grigor Church

The main church, Saint Grigor.

The altar inside Saint Grigor Church.

The main church, called Saint Grigor, was the first building in the monastery. Grigor Magistros Pahlavuni built it in 1013. It's a typical church from that time in Armenia, with a dome. Inside, the church is divided into three areas. The biggest area in the middle has a wide dome on top. The dome and its supports were destroyed in the 1927 earthquake. They were rebuilt in 2000.

The altar area is shaped like a half-circle. It has two-story rooms on each side. Three triangle-shaped openings behind the altar let light in. The front of the altar has cool carved designs, like geometric shapes and flowers.

Surp Nshan Church

The small Surp Nshan Church.

The church of Surp Nshan (Armenian: Սուրբ Նշան, which means "Holy Sign of Cross" in Armenian) is south of the Saint Grigor church. It's a small church with a cross shape and a dome. Experts believe it was built in the 11th century, probably soon after Saint Grigor church.

Katoghike Church

The Katoghike Church.

Another view of the Katoghike Church.

The Katoghike (Cathedral) church is south of Surp Nshan, with a narrow path between them. An old writing tells us that Prince Vasak Khakhpakyan from the Proshyan clan built it. This was in the early 1200s. An architect named Vetsik helped build it. There's a special carved stone, called a khachkar, near the church to remember him.

The Katoghike church also has a cross shape and a dome. It has two-story rooms in all four corners of the main prayer hall. You can get to the upper eastern rooms from the altar area. Stone stairs lead to the western rooms on the first floor.

The decorations on the Katoghike church show the art style of its time. The round dome was also broken in the 1927 earthquake and rebuilt by 2000. It has 12 arches around it. The front wall of the altar has crosses carved into it, like khachkars. You can also see flower designs on the walls and on the dome's supports.

Gavit

Inside the Gavit, the entrance hall.

The gavit was built in the second half of the 12th century. It's attached to the front of the Saint Grigor church. This gavit is one of the earliest buildings of its kind. The large rectangular hall inside is divided into nine parts by four big columns.

The eastern corners of the gavit have small two-story rooms. This was a new design idea that first appeared in this gavit.

The building's details are simple but nice. The small windows have special edges. The middle window on the south side has eight-petal flower designs and sun dials. These were common in Armenia. The western side has carvings of jugs. The main entrance on the west side is different from the church entrances. It's a rectangular opening with a special frame. Inside, you'll notice the beautiful geometric designs on the tops of the columns and around the base of the dome.

Chapel of Saint Grigor

The small chapels between the churches of Grigor and Surp Nshan are rectangular. They have an altar area and arched ceilings. The chapel next to the Saint Grigor church was the burial place for Grigor Magistros Pahlavuni. This means it was built in the early 11th century. The chapels were connected by a small arched room. This room was probably where students of the monastery's school had their classes.

Surp Harutyun Church

The Surp Harutyun Church, located away from the main complex.

The church of Surp Harutyun (Holy Resurrection) stands in a forest clearing, a bit away from the main group of buildings. A son of Hasan built it in 1220. This is a small church with a dome and a rectangular shape on the outside. It has a tall dome. The only entrance is from the west, with a small room in front of it. This room has an arched ceiling and is narrower than the church itself. A special thing about this church is its western front. It has two openings with arches that rest on columns. This makes it look like an open walkway. There are many graves inside this church, so it was probably a family burial place.