Kobayr monastery complex (XII-XIIIvv.) is located in Lori region of Armenia, on steep hillside gorge of Debed river. Kobayr monastery was an important cultural and correspondence center. As a monastery, it was formed in the first half of the 13th century.
The main complex consists of three churches, a bell tower tomb, a dining room, chapels, cross-stones and the ruins of the fortress wall. In the surrounding cliffs you can find inaccessible caves and shelters. On the eastern facade of the big church (built somewhere between the 12th and 13th centuries) there is a remarkable coated braided ornament cross covering almost the entire height of the facade. Later, a chapel and a portico were added to the chapel from the north.
Single-nave vaulted church Mariamashen is located in the eastern part of the big church on the edge of the cliff. It was built in 1171 by the daughter of the king Kyurike II, Mariam and is the oldest of surviving buildings.
The bell tower-tomb, located in the middle part of the complex, was built in 1279.
The dining room (13th century) is located in the northwestern part of the sublime big church, while the single-nave church is located to the north of the monastery. The ruins of the fortress wall, height 4-5m, have been preserved in the northern and north-eastern part. The main entrance is an arched opening in the wall with a pair of towers on each side.
Monastery of Kobayr is glorified with its highly artistic frescoes that adorn the large church, the chapel, the columned hall and the bell tower-tomb.The frescoes on the altar of the big church, which depict the Virgin, archangels next below, two rows of “Communion” and the saints on the wall of the altar of elevation – the prophets are the best preserved parts of the monastery building. On the west wall and the bottom row of the north wall the portraits of customers are preserved.
Artistic features of the frescoes of the two churches have many similarities, which indicate the fact that they are painted by the master of one workshop. Due to the exceptional artistic value Kobayr murals are important monuments of Armenian medieval monumental painting.
In front of Kobayr lies the town of Tumanyan. It is named in honor of the writer Hovhannes Tumanyan, who was born in a village nearby called Dsegh.
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