Lmbatavank

Saint Stephen Church of Lmbat Monastery Լմպատի վանքի Սուրբ Ստեփանոս եկեղեցի
Saint Stephen church, the southwestern façade
Shown within Armenia
Basic information
Location	Artik, Shirak Province,  Armenia
Geographic coordinates	40°36′30″N 43°57′28″E / 40.608354°N 43.957871°E / 40.608354; 43.957871Coordinates: 40°36′30″N 43°57′28″E / 40.608354°N 43.957871°E / 40.608354; 43.957871
Affiliation	Armenian Apostolic Church
Status	active
Architectural description
Architectural type	Small cruciform central-plan
Architectural style	Armenian
Completed	7th-century
Specifications
Direction of façade	west
Dome(s)	1

Officially, the Saint Stephen Church of Lmbat Monastery (Armenian: Լմպատի վանքի Սուրբ Ստեփանոս եկեղեցի), more commonly known as Lmbatavank (Armenian: Լմբատավանք), is a church located on a hillside southwest of the town of Artik in the Shirak Province of Armenia. It was constructed in the 7th-century and was dedicated to Saint Stephen.

The church of Saint Stephen has a cruciform centralised plan under a single octagonal drum with an octagonal-conical dome above. The four arms of the church have gable roofs. There is a single portal that leads into the building, and adjacent to the main entry of the church is another portal to a side chapel.

Decorative elements are mostly circular shield-type patterns on the exterior of the structure, and are limited to the bell style arches above some of the windows, eaves, and cornices. On the eastern exterior façade of the church are some inscriptions, as well as a design of a low-relief cross pattée resting in the center of a circle located to the left of the lower window. This same cross variant can be seen on other churches in the Artik area; for example, on the rear façade of the 5th-century Surb Astvatsatsin Church/Surb Marine Church in the center of Artik, and also on the walls of the 7th-century Pemzashen Church.

The apse of the church has important 7th-century frescoes, with remnants of scenes depicting Jesus in the center surrounded by symbols of heavenly powers. There is also an image of Saint George riding on a horse while holding a staff topped with a cross.