Ushi Surb Sargis Monastery, Saghmosavank Monastery, Hovhannavank Monastery, Alley of Letters

• Ushi Surb Sargis Monastery
• Saghmosavank Monastery complex
• Hovhannavank Monastery
• Alley of Letters

The excursion will start from Surb Sargis Monastery, which is a large monastic complex located just outside Ushi village in the Aragatsotn region. It sits at the far side of what was once a settlement site from the 3rd - 1st millennia BC. The monastery is a well-known pilgrimage site, and was one of the centers of spiritual education in Armenia. According to the memorials, inscriptions and lithographs found during the excavations, the monument dates back to the 5th-17th centuries.

The complex includes Surb Sargis Church, which was built in the 5th century, and the main Catholic church, which was built in the 13th-14th centuries. The vestibule, bell tower, guest house and other auxiliary buildings were also part of the monastery complex. In 1827, after a devastating earthquake, the complex was neglected and over the years it has been covered with several meters of soil layer. Only in 1999-2001, thanks to excavations, it became possible to clean the monastery complex from that soil layer, and the church of the 5^th century was restored in 2004.

Then we will move to the Saghmosavank Monastery. This Armenian apostolic monastic complex, like the Hovhannavank Monastery, is located near the Kasakh River above a high canyon. The Hovhannavank and Saghmosavank monasteries are located at a distance of 5 km from each other. The Saghmosavank Monastery was founded in 1215, when Prince Vache I Vachutyan ordered  to  construct the Holy Sion Church here. Later, the temple was overgrown with outbuildings from the western and southern sides: a vestibule (1250), a book depository (1255) and the Surb Astvatsatsin Church  (1235).

The word "saghmosavank" comes from the Armenian word "saghmon", meaning "psalm". This is the only monastery in the world named after the psalms resounding here. This monastery has excellent acoustics.

The main temple of the Saghmosavank monastery complex belongs to the type of cross-domed churches. Powerful portals and small khachkars inserted into the walls enliven the monumental simplicity of the walls. It is a severe building of dark brown stone, each of its four sides represents a cruciform façade. And a dome on a cylindrical drum rises in the middle.

In the Middle Ages Saghmosavank was famous as one of the centers of Christian culture in Armenia.

The next stop is the Hovhannavank Monastery, which, along with the Saghmosavank Monastery, is a major spiritual center of the Vachutyans, is located in the gorge of the Kasakh River, in Hovhannavank village. The monastery was built in the IV-XIII centuries. According to Arakel Davrizhetsi (XVII century), Hovhannavank was named so in honor of Hovhan, whom Ghazar Parpetsi appointed instead of himself as the abbot of the monastery. The oldest building of the monastery is dated back to the 5th century. It is a one-nave basilica, the wooden roof of which was replaced by a stone vaulted roof in the 6th century.

The  last stop of the tour is Surb Gevork Monastery in Mughni. According to the 17th century historian Zakaria Sarkavag, Surb Gevork Monastery was founded by the monastic order of the Hovhannavank Monastery. In all likelihood, this happened in the first half of the 13th century, as a copy of the manuscript was made in Surb Gevork Monastery in Mughni already in 1278. Manuscripts were created here in the XIII-XV centuries, and the monastery itself became a place of pilgrimage. In the 17th century the monastery flourished and was rebuilt twice. In 1632-55, the abbot of the monastery, Bishop Martiros, demolished the dilapidated church and other buildings and erected new ones: a three-nave basilica with two pairs of pylons, walls and cells. However, vardapet Hovhannes completely demolished the building in 1664, and a new one made of  hewn tuf was erected in 1664-69.

We will finish the tour with a visit to the famous Armenian Alphabet Alley, The Alley is a monument to the Armenian alphabet, which celebrated its 1600th anniversary in 2005. The unusual monument is located near the north-eastern slope of Mount Aragats. The Alley consists of 39 capital letters of the Armenian alphabet, carved from tuff.

Departure: 11:00

Arrival: 18:00

Place of departure: Hakob Hakobyan str. 1/ next to Mergelyan Institute