Kobayr Monastery, Armenia

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Just N of the modern industrial town of Tumanian (1389 v.), on the W side of the main Alaverdi road, almost invisible in the trees, is the tiny hamlet of Kober. About 80 m before the elevated little train station, a little paved spur leads up beside the railroad tracks. Crossing them, a flight of steps leads up and back, finally climbing up steeply up the side of the gorge. The reward for the strenuous (and sometimes muddy) 10-minute scramble is one of the most beautiful places in Armenia, Kobayr Monastery. Perched on a shelf of the gorge, in an ancient and sacred place where springs seep out of the rock, trees and vines twine among the intricately carved blocks of the monastery. The Katoghike church at the S end, partly fallen into the gorge, was built in 1171 by two Kyurikian princesses, but became a property of the Georgian Orthodox Zakarian family soon after. Shahnshah Zakarian is buried here. Most of the beautifully carved inscriptions are in Georgian, as is the manner of the splendid (albeit restored) fresco decoration in the churches. The bell-tower/mausoleum in the middle of the complex was built in 1279 to house the tombs of Mkhargryel and his wife Vaneni. Note the little sacred spring flowing within. On the ledge above is the refectory building.

The Kobayr cloister belongs to a number of remarkable architectural complexes of medieval times, the history of which is closely connected with activities of famous medieval Armenian feudal houses- Kyurikid's, Bagratid's and Armenian representatives of Georgian religion from Zakharid's kin (Shahnshah, Georgi, Mkhagrdze) and others. It was one of the most important seats of written language and cultural centers of Armenia.

The refectory's entry from the western side was built without any decorations.

A one-nave vaulted church with a tunnel was situated to the west from the main complex (XIII c).

In the eastern part there is a deviated from longitudinal axis deep semicircular apse, to which from the west joined the side-chapel with a half-cylindrical vaulted floor.

The only entrance opened from south, the bulkhead was bordered with a two-row stalactite horse-shoe-shaped belt. The tunnel occupied the middle part of the southern facade. From the eastern and southern sides it has two vaulted openings.

The cloister was surrounded with a serf (fortress) wall, the remainders of which 4-5 m high are preserved in the northern and northeastern parts of the territory of the complex. The main entrance was a tunnel-like vaulted opening with half-cylindrical towers.

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