Haghpat and Sanahin

The jewels of the Debed Monasteries Pilgrimage, Haghpat and Sanahin, were among the largest of their kind and once renowned learning centres.

The two rival monasteries are preserved much as they were in their glory days of the 12th and 13th centuries. Sanahin was celebrated for its school of illuminators and calligraphers. Sanahin Monastery, perched on the wooded mountain slopes of Mt. Chantin, is right across the Gorge from Haghpat Monastery. Its name translates as “this one is older than that “, reminiscent of the past feuds of the kingdoms ruling each church. Haghpat Monastery, the second of the Debed Canyon’s World Heritage-listed monastery complexes, is in this picturesque village east of Alaverdi. Both Monastorys are listed under UNESCO as Outstanding Universal Value.