Haghpat
Encyclopedia
Haghpat is a village in the Northern Lori province of Armenia
, close to the city of Alaverdi
and the state border with Georgia
.
It is notable for Haghpat Monastery
, a religious complex founded in the 10th century and included in the UNESCO
World Heritage List along with monasteries in nearby Sanahin
. The monastery is an outstanding and magnificent example of medieval Armenian architecture that has been attracting increasing numbers of tourists.
Haghpat Monastery is listed among the UNESCO World Heritage List (1996).
The village itself receives little benefit from these tourists and remains impoverished, with the majority of its residents keeping livestock and growing vegetables for food. Some residents are able to find work in the city of Alaverdi
, about 10 km from Haghpat, while others gather berries (mainly blackberries
and Cornelian cherry dogwood
) from the nearby forests and sell them. Water is gathered from the numerous mountain spring
s, which are abundant in the area.
The village lies on a dissected plateau
, a large flat area dissected by deep "cracks" formed by rivers, including the river Debed
. The villages of Sanahin
and Akner
, as well as a part of Alaverdi
, lie in plain view on neighbouring sections of the plateau, however a steep and long descent to and ascent from the river is required to travel to them.
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
, close to the city of Alaverdi
Alaverdi
Alaverdi formerly Manes, is a city situated in the northeast of the Armenian province of Lori, not far from the border with Georgia. This mining and industrial city with approximately 16,500 inhabitants -down from 26,300 of the 1989- situated at the bottom of the Debed river gorge, is one of the...
and the state border with Georgia
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
.
It is notable for Haghpat Monastery
Haghpat Monastery
Haghpat Monastery, also known as Haghpatavank , is a medieval Armenian monastery complex in Haghpat, Armenia....
, a religious complex founded in the 10th century and included in the UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
World Heritage List along with monasteries in nearby Sanahin
Sanahin
Sanahin is a village in the northern province of Lori in Armenia, now considered part of the city of Alaverdi...
. The monastery is an outstanding and magnificent example of medieval Armenian architecture that has been attracting increasing numbers of tourists.
Haghpat Monastery is listed among the UNESCO World Heritage List (1996).
The village itself receives little benefit from these tourists and remains impoverished, with the majority of its residents keeping livestock and growing vegetables for food. Some residents are able to find work in the city of Alaverdi
Alaverdi
Alaverdi formerly Manes, is a city situated in the northeast of the Armenian province of Lori, not far from the border with Georgia. This mining and industrial city with approximately 16,500 inhabitants -down from 26,300 of the 1989- situated at the bottom of the Debed river gorge, is one of the...
, about 10 km from Haghpat, while others gather berries (mainly blackberries
Blackberry
The blackberry is an edible fruit produced by any of several species in the Rubus genus of the Rosaceae family. The fruit is not a true berry; botanically it is termed an aggregate fruit, composed of small drupelets. The plants typically have biennial canes and perennial roots. Blackberries and...
and Cornelian cherry dogwood
Dogwood
The genus Cornus is a group of about 30-60 species of woody plants in the family Cornaceae, commonly known as dogwoods. Most dogwoods are deciduous trees or shrubs, but a few species are nearly herbaceous perennial subshrubs, and a few of the woody species are evergreen...
) from the nearby forests and sell them. Water is gathered from the numerous mountain spring
Spring (hydrosphere)
A spring—also known as a rising or resurgence—is a component of the hydrosphere. Specifically, it is any natural situation where water flows to the surface of the earth from underground...
s, which are abundant in the area.
The village lies on a dissected plateau
Dissected plateau
A dissected plateau is a plateau area that has been severely eroded so that the relief is sharp. Such an area may be referred to as mountainous, but dissected plateaus are distinguishable from orogenic mountain belts by the lack of folding, metamorphism, extensive faulting, or magmatic activity...
, a large flat area dissected by deep "cracks" formed by rivers, including the river Debed
Debed
The Debed or Debeda is a river in Armenia and Georgia. It also serves as a natural boundary between Armenia and Georgia at the village Sadakhlo, Georgia....
. The villages of Sanahin
Sanahin
Sanahin is a village in the northern province of Lori in Armenia, now considered part of the city of Alaverdi...
and Akner
Akner, Lori
Akner is a town in the Lori Province of Armenia....
, as well as a part of Alaverdi
Alaverdi
Alaverdi formerly Manes, is a city situated in the northeast of the Armenian province of Lori, not far from the border with Georgia. This mining and industrial city with approximately 16,500 inhabitants -down from 26,300 of the 1989- situated at the bottom of the Debed river gorge, is one of the...
, lie in plain view on neighbouring sections of the plateau, however a steep and long descent to and ascent from the river is required to travel to them.