Varagavank
Varagavank (Armenian: Վարագավանք, 'Monastery of Varag'; Turkish: Yedi Kilise, 'Seven Churches') was an Armenian monastery on the slopes of Mount Erek, 9 km (5.6 mi) southeast of the city of Van, in eastern Turkey.
| Varagavank | |
|---|---|
The monastery c. 1913 | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Armenian Apostolic Church |
| Status | several buildings destroyed, continuous deterioration of others |
| Location | |
| Location | Yukarı Bakraçlı, Van Province, Turkey |
Shown within Turkey | |
| Geographic coordinates | 38.449636°N 43.460825°E |
| Architecture | |
| Style | Armenian |
| Founder | Senekerim-Hovhannes Artsruni |
| Groundbreaking | early 11th century |
The monastery was founded in the early 11th century by Senekerim-Hovhannes Artsruni, the Armenian King of Vaspurakan, on a preexisting religious site. Initially serving as the necropolis of the Artsruni kings, it eventually became the seat of the archbishop of the Armenian Church in Van. The monastery has been described as one of the great monastic centers of the Armenian church by Ara Sarafian and the richest and most celebrated monastery of the Lake Van area by Robert H. Hewsen.
During the Armenian genocide, in April–May 1915, the Turkish army attacked, burned, and destroyed much of the monastery. More of it was destroyed in the 1960s, although some sections are still extant.