Bardzrakash Monastery

Dsegh, Armenia

Open to visitors

The interior is normally open, possibly ticketed.

Strollie cannot guarantee access — always check before you travel.

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ReferenceKulturenvanteri↗

Bardzrakash is a 10th–13th century Armenian monastery nestled between Dsegh village and Tumanyan town in Lori marz, built on a steep slope above the Marts river within the Tavut forest. The complex comprises two churches, a vestibule, a chapel, the ancestral cemetery of Mamikonyan, and khachkar remains arranged in a linear grouping. The oldest surviving structure—a one-nave hall church at the complex's north end, now reduced to a 3–4 meter-high wall of rough-hewn basalt—is believed to date to the 10th century based on its construction method. The centerpiece, the 13th century Holy Astvatsatsin, built from finely cut felsite slabs, preserves its entrance, sections of southern and western walls, flying arches, and pillars; inscriptions on its walls indicate the monastery had ceased functioning by the mid-13th century. The site underwent renovations in 1939 and cleanup efforts in 1950 and 1969, and was designated a cultural heritage monument at risk by the World Monuments Fund in 2014.