Kayan Berd (also known as ''Kayanberd'' or ''Dsevank'', or ) is a fortress and a former

monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of Monasticism, monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in Cenobitic monasticism, communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a ...

of the

Armenian Apostolic Church The Armenian Apostolic Church () is the Autocephaly, autocephalous national church of Armenia. Part of Oriental Orthodoxy, it is one of the most ancient Christianity, Christian churches. The Armenian Apostolic Church, like the Armenian Catholic ...

in the province of Lori in Northern

Armenia Armenia, officially the Republic of Armenia, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of West Asia. It is a part of the Caucasus region and is bordered by Turkey to the west, Georgia (country), Georgia to the north and Azerbaijan to ...

Lage

The Berd lies between the monasteries

Haghpat Haghpat () is a village in the Lori Province of Armenia, located near the city of Alaverdi and the state border with Georgia. The village is notable for Haghpat Monastery, a medieval monastery complex founded in the 10th century, and included i ...

and

Sanahin Sanahin () is a district of the city of Alaverdi in the northern province of Lori in Armenia. Once a separate village, it is the location of the Sanahin Monastery complex, founded in the 10th century and listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, ...

. The Kayan Berd was strategically built at the edge of the ridge between two canyons above the

Debed The Debed () or Debeda ( ka, დებედა) is a river in Armenia and Georgia. It also serves as a natural boundary between Armenia and Georgia at the village Sadakhlo, Georgia. The Debed is long, and has a drainage basin. The river or ...

River.

Specifications

The exact year of construction of the castle is unknown. It was possible that King Ashot II. Yerkat built it at some point in the 10th century. The castle is largely destroyed. The wall ring is enclosed by a triangular area and was provided by semi-circular defense towers. Inside the area, the Church Surb Astvatzatzin remained (, "Holy God Mother"),

Western Armenian Western Armenian ( ) is one of the two standardized forms of Modern Armenian, the other being Eastern Armenian. It is based mainly on the Istanbul Armenian dialect, as opposed to Eastern Armenian, which is mainly based on the Yerevan Arme ...

''Surp Asdwadsadsin'', other transcriptions ''Surp Astvatsatsin, Surb Astuacacin'') of Dsevank. It was built of black tuff. Its blue, red, white dome was damaged in an earthquake in 1827. The dome was built in the right corner of the fortress, with which it shares an outer wall. One can also see in the vicinity numerous ruins of houses, cisterns and water pipes made of clay. In the associated village, there is a burial ground from the Early Iron Age.

Story

In the middle of the 11th century the Haghpat of the religious center of Lori was built and it competed with the brother monastery Sanahin. According to the medieval historian Kirakos Gandzaketsi, the Archbishop of Haghpat, Hovhannes, built the fortress in 1233 as a monastery with massive defensive walls on Sanahin soil. He came from the Georgian-Armenian Zakarid dynasty and was a son of the sister of the Armenian princes Zakare and Ivane Zakarian. The plant was initially named ''Monastery Surb Nshan''. ''Surp Nschan'' (

Armenian Armenian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia * Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent ** Armenian diaspora, Armenian communities around the ...

''Holy Sign'') is a saint name. The terms Dsevank and Kayan Berd or Kayanberd are of more recent origin. The situation on Sanahin soil led to a conflict between the two monasteries. After the bishop's death, the Tatars demolished the walls of the monastery in 1241. Subsequently, it was restored and destroyed by troops of

Timur Timur, also known as Tamerlane (1320s17/18 February 1405), was a Turco-Mongol conqueror who founded the Timurid Empire in and around modern-day Afghanistan, Iran, and Central Asia, becoming the first ruler of the Timurid dynasty. An undefeat ...

at the end of the 14th century; it was not rebuilt afterwards.

Gallery

File:Dsevanq 15.JPG, Dsevank File:Dsevanq 02.JPG, Dome of Dsevank File:Kayan Castle 09.JPG, The fortress from the village of Akner

References

{{coord, 41.095388, 44.699137, region:AM-LO_type:landmark, display=title Kayanberd Lori Province 13th-century architecture

Lage

Specifications

Story

See also

Gallery

References