Gandzasar (Armenian: Գանձասար)[a] is a 13th-century Armenian Apostolic cathedral (historically a monastery) near the village of Vank in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh in Armenian).
It has historically been the region’s most important church. One of the best pieces of Armenian architecture of the mid-1200s, the building is best known among scholars for its richly decorated dome.
The name Gandzasar, which means “treasure mountain” in Armenian, is believed to have originated from the tradition that the monastery was built on a hill containing ores of silver and other metals.[7][8]
The site was first mentioned in written records by the tenth century Catholicos Anania of Moks (r. 946-968),[7] who listed Sargis, a monk from Gandzasar, among the participants of a 949 council convened in Khachen to reconcile Chalcedonian and non-Chalcedonian Armenians.[1] Khachkars dated 1174, 1182, 1202 have been found around the monastery which also point to the existence of a church or monastery at the site.[1]
Բարի Գալուստ Նատալի Տագեսյանի Բլոգ 