Sanahin
Sanahin, located south of Alaverdi in Lori on the Debed River, is a medieval spiritual and educational center. The monastery was rebuilt in the 10th century on the ruins of an earlier church and became the religious center of the Kyurikian Kingdom. Several notable families, including the Zakaryans, Mamikonians, and Ashotyans, were established here.
The complex includes four churches — St. Astvatsatsin, St. Amenaprkich (Holy Savior), St. Hakob, and Grigor Lusavorich — as well as a bell tower, a scriptorium, and family tombs. St. Astvatsatsin is the oldest building from the 10th century, while St. Amenaprkich, built under the patronage of Ashot the Merciful, is the main church.
The scriptorium is the oldest and largest in Armenia, where manuscripts and relics were kept. The Magisterium Seminary served as an important educational center with great scholarly value.
According to the legend, the monastery was built by a father and son. The father laid the walls, and the son cut and shaped the stones. The son died before the monastery was finished. Without dismantling the stairs, the father left and disappeared. Later, abroad, he met a cunning man and revealed the secret to dismantling the stairs. The cunning man came to Sanahin, dismantled the stairs as instructed, and made a large profit from it.