Tatev Monastery is located in Syunik Province, southern Armenia, 20 km from Goris town. The Monastery is part of a huge touristic complex which includes the Great Hermitage of the Tatev Desert (the Tatev Anapat), the “Wings of Tatev” ropeway, natural travertine bridge and caves of hot mineral springs.
Tatev Monastery is one of the ancient, most bewitching and mysterious temples with a centuries-old history. The Monastery is located 315km away from Yerevan which is five hours’ drive by car.&nbsp;
To get directly to the Monastery standing on a plateau is possible by car and the cableway “Wings of Tatev”.
The name Tatev is attributed to St Eustateus (the disciple of St. Thaddeus the Apostle), who, according to tradition, accompanied St. Thaddeus the Apostle in Armenia. It is here that a church was built on the spot where in the 4th century the holy relics of St. Eustateus were buried and which pilgrims began to visit since the 5th century. Yet, little was mention about the Monastery of Tatev in historical sources until the 8th century when Tatev became the bishopric seat of Syunik region.

In 839, thanks to charity of the princes and the construction of churches, the heyday of Tatev Monastery set in. In that very year the Monastery was given the lands of Tatev village situated in the immediate vicinity. Up to now the rural houses are only half a kilometre away from the monastery.&nbsp;
By the 10th century about a thousand monks and novices had been living in the cloister of the monastery. Food for the cloister inhabitants was provided by Tatev village. Even then, Tatev collected taxes from 680 villages.
Ashot, Prince of Syunik and Gregory Supan II, Prince of Gegharkunik, turned Tatev into the main monastery of Syunik over a decade. Nevertheless, the best times for the monastery were destined to come later. In the XIV-XV centuries the Monastery became the cultural centre of all Eastern Armenia. It happened after Gladzor, the first Armenian University established in 1282, had closed down because of the Tatar-Mongolian invasion in the second half of the 14th century.&nbsp;

Then, the famous philosopher and teacher of the Monastery Hovhan(ness) Vorotnetsi transferred the entire teaching staff to Tatev Monastery. The decision was made on the strength of two essential reasons. First of all, the Monastery was the most fortified among all the Armenian monasteries and secondly, it was located not far from Tanahat Monastery where Gladzor University had been founded. Thus, in 1390 Tatev Monastery was opened with three departments - philosophy and theology, calligraphy (the art of producing decorative handwriting or lettering with a pen or brush) and miniature painting, music.&nbsp;
Every year from 60 to 80 students received an education at the University of Tatev and many of them subsequently became Armenian artisans and scientists. The University printshop published its own textbooks some of which you can see in the Matenadaran, the repository of ancient manuscripts in Yerevan.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Following the death of Hovhan Vorotnetsi the administration of the University passed to Grigor Tatevatsi who turned it into the most distinguished centre of science and education throughout his 25-year governance. Unfortunately, the University was invaded by the troops of the Mongolian Khan Shah Rukh and burnt to the ground.
Since then, until the 18th century the Monastery ceased functioning.&nbsp;
From ancient Tatev Monastery only three churches have been preserved up to our days: domed-church Surb Poghos-Petros (Saints Paul and Peter Church, early 10th century), gate church Surb Astvatsatsin (The Holy Mother of God Church, 13th century) and St Gregory the Illuminator’s Church (13th century).
The significant structure of Tatev Monastery, the pendulous column-monument Gavazan is a unique exemplar of engineering. The main feature of this column is that it begins to swing at the slightest earth tremors. The Column warned the inhabitants of the monastery about the approach of enemies, saved them from earthquakes.&nbsp;
It’s noteworthy that the earthquake partially destroyed the monastery constructions but didn’t even damage the swinging column. There is a sundial on one of the sides of the column which has kept good time for so many centuries.

Tatev

Tatev Monastery is located in Syunik Province, southern Armenia, 20 km from Goris town. The Monastery is part of a huge touristic complex which includes the Great Hermitage of the Tatev Desert (the Tatev Anapat), the “Wings of Tatev” ropeway, natural travertine bridge and caves of hot mineral springs.

Tatev

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