Khoranashat Monastery, Tavush Region, ARMENIA

Khoranashat Monastery is an outstanding example of Armenian architecture from the Middle Ages, found in the north-east of the country, very close to the border with Azerbaijan and surrounded by a forested landscape. In the past, it was a noteworthy cultural centre, hosting both a monastery and a university. Today, the church still functions as the only place of worship for the nearby villages of Chinari and Aygedzor.

Of the numerous buildings built in the Middle Ages, only the church of Sourp Astvatsatsin and the little church of St. Kiraki are conserved, both in a severe state of deterioration and suffering the effects of inappropriate past restoration work.

The site is threatened both by its physical and political context. Its isolated location in a seismic zone that is prone to landslides makes conservation work especially challenging while the ongoing conflict at the border of Armenia and Azerbaijan poses considerable risks to visitors.

The Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of the Republic of Armenia is the nominator while the Swiss organisation Il Germoglio is already engaged in charity work in Armenia and this region and is committed to supporting a conservation and management plan to revitalise the site.