Tanahat - Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Tanahat - Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Tanahat Monastery (), is an 8th-century monastery 7 km south-east of Vernashen village in the Vayots Dzor Province of Armenia. It was built between the 8th and 13th centuries.Tanahat Monastery – Armeniapedia.orgTanahat Monastery | Historical and Cultural attractions in ArmeniaTanahat monastery – Armenia – Black Sea Silk Road Corridor The monastery was also called the Red Monastery because it was built of red stone. Tanahat monastery was built on the site of a pagan temple, which was dedicated to the Armenian goddess Anahit. A Christian temple was founded here in the 5th century. The early medieval cemetery is scattered next to the monastery. Tanahat Monastery functioned until the late Middle Ages and is now in good condition. According to the historian Stepanos Archbishop Orbelyan, in 735 the body of Stepanos Syunetsi was buried in Tanade monastery and a small chapel was built over the grave. In 1273–1279, on the place of the chapel, under the patronage of Prince Prosh and his family, with the help of the local residents, the church of St. Stepanos was built with dark bluish basalt hewn stones. The 13th century church called St Nshan or Varaga Surb Nshan is adjacent to the Saint Stepanos church from the north (probably, the famous holy icon of Varagavank was kept here for some time). On the stone of St Nshan's western entrance, a young horseman from the Proshian princely dynasty is carved, thrusting a spear into a lion's mare, and various birds are depicted above them. The sculptures of Tanade Monastery are valuable examples of medieval Armenian secular sculptures. Read more on Wikipedia
Source: en.wikipedia.org