Ohanavank Monastery is a medieval monastery located in the Aragatsotn Region, about a 40-minute drive from Yerevan. The monastery stands in a picturesque spot, on the edge of the Kasagh River Canyon.
The oldest part of the monastery, named after John the Baptist, was founded at the beginning of the 4th century by Gregory the Illuminator, the first Catholicos of Armenia.
The locals love this monastery as according to legend, Gregory the Illuminator, buried the relics of John the Baptist here. He probably appointed a man named Hovhan to oversee the site, and that’s how the monastery came to be called Hovhannavank.
Later, in 554, the chapel was restored, and in 1216 the main church and dome were added through the donations of Armenian prince Vache Vachutyan.
The monastery is famous for its carvings and bas-reliefs. The most well-known among them is found on the tympanum of the main church — a depiction of the Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins (Matthew 25:1–13).
It goes like this:
Ten young women — virgins — are waiting for the arrival of a bridegroom, as was the custom in ancient Jewish wedding traditions. Their role was to meet him with lamps and escort him to the wedding feast. Five of these women are called “wise” because they brought extra oil for their lamps. The other five are called “foolish” because they didn’t bring any extra.
As the bridegroom takes longer than expected to arrive, all ten fall asleep. But suddenly, at midnight, there’s a cry: “Here comes the bridegroom!” They all wake up and trim their lamps — but the foolish ones realize their oil is running out. They ask the wise ones to share, but there isn’t enough for everyone. So, the foolish virgins leave to buy more oil. While they’re gone, the bridegroom arrives. The wise virgins go in with him to the wedding feast, and the door is shut. Later, the foolish ones return and knock, but they’re told, “Truly, I don’t know you.”
The parable ends with Jesus saying, “Therefore, keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour“.
This is not the only meaningful ornament of the church. The walls of the monastery are covered with rich inscriptions. One large engraved inscription, found on one of the auxiliary structures, was added by Prince Vache Vachutyan and provides valuable insights into historical events.
The monastery experienced its most prosperous phase in the 17th century, during the time of Zakaria Vagharshapatsi. Under his name, the churches were repaired and several additional structures were built. He also organized the monastery’s library and established a school, turning the complex into an important educational center.
In 1679, a powerful earthquake caused significant damage to the church. Some of the monastery’s buildings collapsed, and by the early 19th century, the site gradually fell into decline and was eventually abandoned.
Although the monastery was renovated in the 1990s, it remained a humble place of worship and never regained the same level of attention or activity it once had.
Ohanavan Monastery tours are available all year
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