FORTIFIED MONASTERY OF AKHTALA

Akhtala Monastery is as interesting for its religious buildings as for the fortress wall that protected them, which is a rare and well-preserved example of Armenian military architecture. Built by the Kiurikian princes from the 10th century onwards, the walls, pierced by windows and loopholes, have retained their battlements in places; they are defended by about ten round towers, the main entrance being dominated by a large, half-collapsed watchtower.

The Church of Saint Mother of God (Sourp Asdvadzadzine), located in the heart of the flat area where the citadel stands, is an elegant 13th-century building built by order of Prince Ivané Zakarian, and bears the obvious imprint of Georgian influence. The church has a richly carved decoration on its façades, with columns with tri-lobed arches surrounding the windows, or large crosses inlaid on the side façades chiselled with geometric motifs. The façade is preceded not by a narthex but by a porch-gallery with three arches. The interior is decorated with superb, brightly coloured frescoes in the Byzantine style, which bear the imprint of Chalcedonism in those regions that gravitated in the orbit of Orthodox Georgia. Scenes from the Gospels, especially in the apse, have retained the bright blue hues that are the dominant feature of these murals.

Pilgrimage. On 20 and 21 September, Akhtala Monastery attracts pilgrims, mostly Georgians, but also Greeks (whose ancestors, who were called to work in the nearby copper mines at the end of the 18th century, used to pray in Akhtala Monastery); in addition to these Orthodox pilgrims, the monastery also attracts Armenian pilgrims. The locality of Akhtala organizes a cultural festival on this occasion.

Khorovadz Festival. A much more secular event, dedicated to typically Armenian land foods, the khorovadz, this festival, created in 2008, has become a real institution and every year, in early September, attracts a growing number of people eager to see the leaders of Armenia and neighboring countries confront each other in skewer duels in the sumptuous decor of the monastery and the surrounding mountains, with dances and music. For beyond the culinary competition, orchestrated by a jury that awards a prize to the most talented chef, this festival is one of the great folklore events of Armenia.