Sevanavank Monastery

The blue-eyed beauty of Armenia- the lake Sevan is one of the top tourist attractions you may not want to miss during your trip in Armenia. Beautifully situated 70km far from city Yerevan, in the embrace of majestic Geghama Mountains, in Gegharkunik province, the Lake Sevan is the largest in Armenia, and one of the major freshwater high-altitude lakes in the world. Alongside with the Lake Van and Lake Urmia, Sevan was considered one of the three major lakes of the historical Armenian Kingdom. Nowadays, the picturesque Sevan Peninsula houses the medieval Sevanavank Monastery (“The Black Monastery”) which is one of the most-visited sights in Armenia. The inscription in one of the churches says that the monastery was built in the 9th century AD founded by Princess Mariam, daughter of the founder of Bagratuni dynasty Ashot I, who used to live in the monastery for a while. From the territory of the peninsula you can enjoy the changing colors of Lake Sevan. This architectural monument is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.