Haghartsin Monastery in Dilijan - this is one of the main historical architectural sights not only the city but also the whole Armenia. The monastery is located 18 km from Dilijan in the upper reaches of the river Haghartsin among the green mountain forests.

The monastery complex was built in XI-XIII Art. The medieval temple covers a large enough area. The monastery complex consists of the church of St. Gregory, built in the XI century., Church of St. Astvatsatsin g.postroyki 1281, the church of St. Stephanos, built in 1244, the chapel of XIII century., Tombs Bagratuni royal family, built in the XII century. , the refectory in 1248 and a number of other facilities for various services of the monastery, constructed in XII-XIII Art.

The oldest building of the monastery complex is Agartsinskogo Church of St. Gregory. The temple itself is a small, square at the base. Inner space was made in the form of a cross. The church is crowned with a cone-shaped dome on an octagonal drum. Around the end of the second half of the XII century. It was attached to the temple of a small church of blue basalt and porch. In 1244 it was built a small church of St. Stephanos, which is a miniature copy of the main church of St. Gregory.

A rare piece of architecture is the refectory, built in 1248 by the architect Minas. Its room consists of two parts, overlapped system intersecting arches. Near the door on the west side you can see a wide arched doorway, which is provided for the input and output of a large number of pilgrims.

Another church - St. Astvatsatsin - was originally built in the XI century., But in 1287 it was rebuilt again. The main decoration of the largest building of the monastery - a 16-sided dome with beautiful stucco arches. The building itself is the temple of the Holy. Astvatsatsin has a cross-domed architecture with a rich decoration of facades.

In the XIII century. Haghartsin Monastery in Dilijan has become the largest center of cultural and spiritual life of Armenia. Near the dining room you can see preserved to the present day ruins of the monastery kitchen and a few hours and near the southern wall of the porch of the temple of St. Gregory - base tombs of the kings of the dynasty Kyurikids.