Arates Monastery
XII - XIII AD - Vayots Dzor Marz
The monastery of Arates in the middle of Armenia (Vayots Dzor/Siunik), consists of two little churches and between them small funeral chapels, side by side. The group terminates, in the west, with a gavit. The southern church once possessed a cupola which has not been preserved. Its date of construction remains uncertain (7th century?), but a wall inscription informs us that it was reconstructed in 1270. The northern church, of single-naved basilican type, was also reconstructed in the Middle Ages. The gavit, the most interesting of the monastery buildings, was built in 1270 by Abbot Hayrapet. One characteristic is its roofing which rests on two parallel double arches, connected to the pilasters on the east and west walls by arcades. [Paragraph Source: Monuments of Armenia]
Arates Vank* has the 7th c. S. Sion church; Astvatsatsin of 10th c. church; and S. Karapet of 13th c. church; a ruined gavit built in 1265/70, by order of Prince Smbat Orbelian, architect Siranes. Dirt roads lead beyond into the mountains. [Paragraph Source: Rediscovering Armenia Guidebook.]
