Akhtala Monastery

Did You Know?

• The prominent Armenian filmmaker Sergei Parajanov filmed two episodes of his film The Color of Pomegranates at the monastery.
• The translator and scribe Simon of Pghndzahank, born in 1188, resided at the monastery and translated works by Gregory of Nyssa, Proclus Diadochos, John Damascene, and others.
• Inscriptions from nearby khachkars indicate the monastery was headed by Petreh in the 1240s.

The fortress

In the late 1880s, French archaeologist Jacques de Morgan uncovered 576 rectangular stone tombs and artifacts of clay, bronze, and iron near Akhtala, dating to the 8th century BCE. The modern settlement was called Agarak in the 5th century. The fortress likely rests on Bronze and Iron Age foundations, built in the late 900s by the Kyurikids, a Bagratuni branch named for Gurgen, son of King Ashot III the Merciful and Queen Khosrovanush. Ashot III established the Kingdom of Lori in Gugark and placed Gurgen on the throne in 982. After Seljuk raids toppled the Tashir-Dzoraget kingdom, the Kyurikids moved to Tavush and Metsnaberd but kept ties to Akhtala. The fortress stands on a rocky outcrop with deep canyons on three sides; accessible gaps are fortified with towers and walls. The sole northern entrance is guarded by bell-shaped towers and walls made of bluish basalt and lime mortar. By the late 1100s, the Kyurikids had lost influence under Seljuk rule. Monastic life revived when the Zakarians led Armenian and Georgian forces to liberate the region. Thirteenth-century historians Kirakos Gandzaketsi and Vardan Areveltsi called the area Pghndzahank, meaning copper mine, due to local deposits.

Surp Astvatsatsin (Holy Mother of God) church

At the heart of the Akhtala monastery complex stands the Surp Astvatsatsin church, dedicated to the Holy Mother of God. While no one knows exactly when it was built, scholars generally place it between the 11th and 13th centuries, noting it was constructed over an older foundation. The historian Kirakos Gandzaketsi recorded that Ivane Zakarian was buried there in 1227, and Stepanos Orbelian mentioned the church in 1216. Experts date the interior murals to 1205–1216. A khachkar from 1188, found in the nearby area of Ayor, bears an inscription from Princess Mariam, daughter of Gurgen II, stating she erected the church at Pghndzahank. Local legends, lacking solid evidence, credit the church to either the 7th-century Byzantine emperor Heraclius or the 5th-century Georgian king Vakhtang I Gorgasali. The church once held a cross that folklore claimed was used by John the Baptist to baptize Jesus.

Murals of Surp Astvatsatsin

The frescoes at Akhtala Monastery rank among the finest examples of Byzantine art found beyond Byzantium’s usual borders. Most of them carry inscriptions in Georgian and Greek. Commissioned by atabek Ivane Mkhargrdzeli, they were created between 1205 and 1216. Scholars have noted similarities between these works and the 11th-century Armenian miniatures of the Mugni Gospels. While the color palette follows typical Byzantine style, the thematic choices lean Armenian. The murals illustrate scenes from both the Old and New Testaments, along with several saints, including Gregory the Illuminator. In the dome, a large but heavily damaged image shows the Virgin Mary holding Jesus. Directly beneath, the Communion scene portrays Jesus twice—turning left and right to share bread with the Apostles. Surviving figures of the Apostles include Peter, John the Evangelist, Paul, and Matthew. Below that, common Christian saints appear: Pope Sylvester, Saint James (son of Alpheus), John Chrysostom, Basil the Great, Gregory the Illuminator, Jacob of Mtsbin, Clement of Rome, Gregory the Thaumaturgist, Cyril of Alexandria, and Eusebius of Caesarea. The western wall depicts the Kingdom of Heaven, while the northern wall shows Jesus’ trial before the high priest Caiaphas and Pontius Pilate. Some of these murals underwent restoration in 1979. The arches, niches, and columns are also covered with paintings.

Other structures

Beyond the main Holy Mother of God church, the most notable building is a rectangular chapel leaning against its western wall. Right next to it sits the surviving part of the main church’s facade, topped with a ridge roof. Inside this chapel, Ivane Mkhargrdzeli and his son Avak were interred in 1227. A small shed-roofed structure attached to the main church’s north side once held ceremonial objects. To the northwest stands a separate, single-nave church with a ridge roof; a now-lost building once stood beside it. The fortress grounds contain many ruined homes and support buildings, including a two-story structure thought to have housed guards. Like most medieval Armenian monasteries, the site has networks of tunnels, crypts, water tanks, and wine cellars. Nearby medieval landmarks include Holy Trinity monastery, Saint George church, a 13th-century spring monument, a 19th-century Russian chapel, a Greek church, and various khachkars and chapels.