Gndevank Monastery is located in the very picturesque Jermuk mountain gorge of the Arpa River. The monastery was founded in 962 and the ancient church of St. Stephen, surrounded by a powerful fortress wall, has been preserved here. This ancient monastery must be visited to see the beauty of the nature of mountainous Armenia.
There are two ways to get to the Gndevank Monastery. You can turn off the main road that connects Yerevan with Goris and drive along it for 11 kilometers. It used to be the main road to Jermuk. It is laid along the bottom of the gorge along the Arpa River. Now this road is abandoned, although it is possible to drive along it.
In Soviet times, the main road to Jermuk was laid along the high left side of the gorge. If you are going to Jermuk, then in the village of Gndevaz you can make a stop and go down to the Gndevank monastery along the mountain trail. The distance from the village to the monastery is only 1 kilometer, but you will have to overcome a very steep descent (and then ascent) into the gorge.
The Gndevank Monastery was built by Princess Sofia of Syunik in the 10th century as a monastery of hermit monks. However, in the Middle Ages it became one of the cultural centers of Armenia, as well as the Tatev Monastery in the Vorotan Gorge. In 1604, it was ruined by Shah Abbas, but later the Gndevank monastery was revived. The original buildings of the 10th century have survived to this day: the Church of St. Stephen, the fortress walls, the Refectory and the narthex-gavit (vaulted hall).
Numerous ancient slabs with stone carvings are installed on the ground around the church. The doors of the church and all buildings are open. There are few monks and tourists in the Gndevank monastery, but this creates a special atmosphere of comfort and beauty.
