Agarak monastery


Destroyed Armenian monastic complex of a few churches in Iĝdir province of modern Turkey.

Word formation

Monastery of Agarak was named by its settlement's name. Name Agarak is a historical name of the Egrek settlement in Iĝdir province of modern Turkey. Agarak in Armenian for farm.

History

The monastery of Agarak was founded by Nerses Shinarar catholicos of Armenia sometime between 649-653 A.D. Agarak situated in the Jakatk' district of Historical Armenia's Ayrarat province that in 1918-1920 was attached to Surmari district of Republic of Armenia in the 1920.

Current condition

The monastery today is a completely ruined structure in the village of Ekrek in Iĝdir province of Turkey.

Appearance

The monastery had a few churches and many well carved khachkar-monuments nearby. Main church was named as Sourb Stephanos . Cross-domed church's roof had been tiled, and dome's top was made of a spherical stone crowned with a cross. Many architectural fragments had been found around the churches, including remains of a medieval stele with a statue of a woman holding a model of a basilica-church in her arms.