Gandzasar monastery
| Gandzasar monastery | |
|---|---|
Գանձասարի վանք | |
Aerial view of the monastery in 2018 | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Armenian Apostolic Church |
| Rite | Armenian |
| Year consecrated | July 22, 1240 |
| Status | Active |
| Location | |
| Location | near Vank, Kalbajar, Azerbaijan |
| Geographic coordinates | 40°03′26″N 46°31′50″E / 40.0572862°N 46.5305449°E |
| Architecture | |
| Style | Armenian |
| Groundbreaking | 1216 |
| Completed | 1238 |
| Specifications | |
| Length | church: 12.3 metres (40 ft) gavit: 11.8 metres (39 ft) |
| Width | church։ 17.75 metres (58.2 ft) gavit: 13.25 metres (43.5 ft) |
Gandzasar (Armenian: Գանձասար) is a 13th-century Armenian Apostolic cathedral (historically a monastery) near the village of Vank, in the region of Nagorno-Karabakh, Azerbaijan. It has historically been the most important church of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) since its foundation. One of the finest pieces of Armenian architecture of the mid-1200s, the building is best known among scholars for its richly decorated dome.
In Azerbaijan, where it is referred to as "Ganjasar" (Azerbaijani: Gəncəsər), the history of the monastery is falsified. Azerbaijan authorities deny its Armenian heritage and instead call it a "Caucasian Albanian temple."