Haghartsin Monastery is one of Armenia’s  most  evocative. After  passing the decaying  remains  of  an ill-advised cable car, note funerary shrines with khachkars.  Reaching the monastery complex proper, first building on the left is the large vaulted dining room of 1248, one of only two such in Armenia (the other at Haghpat), beyond which is a ruined service building with working oven.  The gavit (end of 12^th c.) was built at the behest of Ivane Zakarian against the small domed 10^th c. church of S. Grigor.  The small S. Stepanos church of 1244 is behind.  S. Astvatatsin church on the right, built or rebuilt in 1281, has high on the outside of the E wall a donation relief sculture showing the Zakarian brothers. Though the churches are locked, a local caretaker has the keys. Near contemporary Kirakos Gandzaketsi (tr. R. Bedrosian) had warm praise for:

• "the blessed vardapet Khachatur Taronatsi, director of the holy congregation of Haghartsin, a holy, virtuous man renowned for his learning, especially for his musical knowledge. He made the holy congregation which he directed sparkle; prior to his coming it was desolate and withered. The king of the Georgians, Giorgi, Tamar's father, especially esteemed Khachatur; and he gave to the church, under his own signature, two villages, Abasadzor and Tandzut, and a vineyard in Mijnashen. And by all the saints he placed a curse on anyone who dared to shore these properties from the monastery. ... [Khachatur] passed to Christ and is buried on the western side of the church."

   
   There is an ancient nut tree just E of the Astvatsatsin, shading a fine view point, and various remains of graves, including “royal” graves of the Bagratuni family S of the S. Grigor church.  Admire the fine families of pigs rooting on the surrounding hillside.