Spitakavor Monastery

Spitakavor Monastery Սպիտակավոր վանք
Spitakavor Surp Astvatsatsin Monastery
Basic information
Location	near Vernashen, Vayots Dzor, Armenia
Affiliation	Armenian Apostolic Church
Architectural description
Architectural style	Armenian
Completed	1321 (church), 1330 (vestibule, bell-tower)
Dome(s)	1

Spitakavor Monastery (Armenian: Սպիտակավոր վանք), is a 14th-century Armenian monastic complex, 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) north of Vernashen village, near the town of Yeghegnadzor of Vayots Dzor Province, Armenia.

The Spitakavor Monastery is located on the slopes of Teksar mountain of the Vayots Dzor Province. The terrain is difficult, but the monastery can be reached on foot or with an all-terrain vehicle. It is about 8.4 kilometres (5.2 mi) from the University of Gladzor's Museum and Tanahat Monastery and about 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) to the Proshaberd fortress.

Behind fortified walls lies buildings of white shaved (felsite, including the monastery, church, a bell-tower and vestibule.

Its main monument is the Spitakavor Church of the Holy Mother of God (Spitakavor Church of Surp Astvatsatsin). Due to the number of springtime flowers that surround the monastery, it is sometimes called Tsaghkavank (the Monastery of Flowers) by the villagers of Vernashen. An image, described as "a remarkable example of mid-century Armenian sculpture" of Mary (mother of Jesus), is chiseled into the headstone of the church's entrance. Other interesting artistic works included a sculpture of Jesus with his disciples and a relief of Eachi and his son. The History Museum of Armenia in Yerevan now holds a wall hanging that depicts Prince Hasan. The relief of the prince and his father is at the Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg, Russia.