Հառիճի Վանք/Аричский монастырь/Harich Monastery

The Harichavank (Armenian: Հառիճավանք; transliterated as Harijavank or Harichavank) is a 7th-century Armenian monastery located near the village of Harich (Armenian: Հառիճ) in the Shirak Province of Armenia. The village is 3 km southeast of the town of Artik.
Harichavank is known as one of the most famous monastic centers in Armenia, and it was especially renowned for its school and scriptorium. Archaeological excavations of 1966 indicate that Harich was in existence during the 2nd century BC, and was one of the more well-known fortress towns in Armenia.

The oldest part of this Armenian monastery is the Church of St. Gregory the Enlightener (Սբ. Գրիգոր Լուսավորիչ); it is a domed structure that is usually placed in the category of so-called "Mastara-style" churches (named after the fifth century church of St. Hovhannes in the village of Mastara, in the southern part of Shirak). The founding date of the monastery is unknown, but it was probably built no later than the 7th century, when St. Gregory was erected.
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