Hayravank Monastery

Hayravank Monastery tickets: which one to buy

Hayravank Monastery stands on a rocky headland on the western shore of Lake Sevan, Armenia, about an hour's drive north-east of Yerevan, and entry is free. It is a small, peaceful monastery, less visited than Sevanavank, the more famous monastery on the Sevan peninsula about twenty kilometres north. Visitors often combine Hayravank with Sevanavank, the Noratus cemetery with its field of medieval khachkars, and the beaches of Lake Sevan, on a day trip from Yerevan.

A car or tour is the easiest way to reach it. The views over the lake, one of the largest high-altitude freshwater lakes in the world, are beautiful, especially in the evening light. The monastery is simple, and a visit takes little time. Modest dress is appreciated. Tours from Yerevan to Lake Sevan usually stop at Sevanavank, and Hayravank can be added on request.

Visiting Hayravank Monastery: what to see

The monastery was built in the ninth to twelfth centuries, and it consists of a small church, a chapel and a gavit, or narthex, grouped together on the rocky promontory above the lake. The church, built in the ninth century, has a distinctive cross-shaped plan with a dome, and it is made of dark grey basalt stone typical of the Sevan region. The gavit was added in the twelfth century. Around the monastery, carved khachkars, cross-stones, stand among the grass and rocks. The site was inhabited long before the monastery was built, and archaeological remains of a Bronze Age settlement and fortress have been found nearby. The simplicity of the buildings and their setting above the blue lake, with mountains on the horizon, give the site a calm, timeless atmosphere.

The monastery is not usually served by resident monks. The church's dome rests on a drum with small windows. The carved khachkars include crosses decorated with interlaced patterns and rosettes. The gavit's roof is supported by pillars. The site's stones are dark basalt, weathered by wind and weather. Inscriptions carved on the walls record the names of donors. The monastery's promontory rises steeply above the water. The archaeological remains of the Bronze Age settlement can be seen as low walls on the hill. The lake's colour changes from deep blue to turquoise depending on the light. Local families picnic on the shore below the monastery in summer. The road from Yerevan to Sevan passes through the Hrazdan valley. Fish from the lake, especially trout, is served in restaurants along the shore.

Hayravank Monastery opening hours and the best time to go

The monastery can be visited during daylight hours. Lake Sevan is at an altitude of nearly two thousand metres, so it is cooler than Yerevan, and summer is the best season, when the beaches are open and the weather is warm. Winter is cold and snowy. Spring and autumn are pleasant but chilly. Sunset over the lake from Hayravank is beautiful. Allow about twenty minutes for the monastery, and combine it with Sevanavank and the Noratus khachkar cemetery. The Noratus cemetery, about twenty minutes' drive south, has hundreds of medieval khachkars in a field above the lake.