Agarak monastery

The monastery Agarak (Armenian Ագարակի վանք ) is a ruined Armenian monastery complex of a few churches in the Armenian highlands, today. Province Igdir in Turkey

The monastery was built in 649 served until the Turkish conquest of the eastern part of Armenia in 1920 as an important monastery site. In 1922 it was destroyed by the Turkish government.

Morphology

The Monastery of Agarak was named after the village in which it was built. The name Agarak is a historical name of the settlement Egrek in the province of Igdir in Turkey today. Agarak (Armenian Ագարակ ) is in Armenian for farm.

History

The Monastery of Agarak was built by Nerses Schinarar, the Catholicos of Armenia in the years 649-653 AD. Agarak was located in the district Jakatk a province of historic Armenia, Ayrarat. The Republic of Armenia joined by 1920 - In 1918-1920, it was the district Surmari ( Holy Mary acronym of the words Surp Mariam ).

The monastery is completely ruined since the violent conquest of the western half of Armenia by Turkey.

Appearance

The Agarak Monastery existed alongside some churches from numerous finely carved khachkar Monuments (cross- stones ). The main church Sourb Stephanos (Armenian Սուրբ Ստեփանոս, Saint Stephen ) was a cross-domed church with Fliesenbedecktem tower, crowned with a cross roof of the cathedral consisted of spherical stones. Many architectural fragments were found at the churches around, including the remains of a medieval stele with a woman statue holding a model of a basilisk Church in her arms.