Harichavank Monastery

Harichavank stands in the village of Harich, about 10 kilometres northeast of Gyumri, in the middle of the Shirak plain. The landscape is open and windy: wheat fields and treeless pastures stretching to the horizon, with the Caucasus mountains in the background on clear days. It is a total contrast to the forested monasteries of northern Armenia.

The compound is compact but reveals centuries of history in its walls. The main 7th-century church is the oldest building, constructed in dark basalt with irregular coursing; the different phases of repair are visible to the naked eye. In the 13th century the Zakarids added a second church and the gavit connecting both, with geometric decoration on the arches.

The monastery is active: there are resident monks and candles burning inside give the place a contemplative atmosphere. It is not part of the usual tourist circuits, so there is almost always silence. From outside the compound, the Shirak plain stretches in all directions, with Gyumri visible in the distance on clear days.

Harichavank was founded in the 7th century, in the early centuries of Armenian Christianity, and its original church is one of the best-preserved examples of early Christian architecture in the Shirak region. In the 13th century Prince Vache Vachutian, of the Zakarian family, enlarged the complex with a second church dedicated to Saint Gregory the Illuminator and a porticoed gavit. The monastery maintained an active monastic community throughout the Middle Ages and has continued as a place of worship uninterruptedly to the present day.

• Ancient church (7th century) The oldest building in the complex, with walls of dark basalt in irregular courses. The interior is austere: light entering through narrow windows, bare stone, no exuberant ornamentation. Worth pausing to examine the stonemasons' marks on the blocks.
• Church of Saint Gregory (13th century) The Zakarian addition, more elaborate than the ancient church. It has khachkars — Armenian stone crosses — on the exterior facades and traces of frescoes inside.
• Medieval gavit A 13th-century covered porch with stone columns and geometric decoration on the arches. It connects the two churches and is the most elaborate space in the complex.
• Views over the Shirak plain From outside the compound, fields extend in every direction. The openness and silence are what set Harichavank apart from the monasteries of northern Armenia.

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Harichavank is 10 km northeast of Gyumri. Local taxis depart from the centre of Gyumri to the village of Harich; the journey takes about 15 minutes. By car, take the road heading towards Artik. The visit can easily be combined with Gyumri on the same day. By public transport, some planning is required.

The Shirak plain has cold winters with snow — January can drop to −15 °C — and dry, sunny summers. Spring, when the wheat is green, and autumn are the most pleasant seasons. In summer the sun is intense and there is little shelter on the open plain. Harichavank Monastery is accessible year-round with no fixed closing time.