The monastery of Dadivank (Monastery of St. Dadi) or Hutavank is located on the northern part of an eponymous village, about 100 km. from Stepanakert and 60 km from Gandzasar. It’s rather far from Yerevan – it takes about 6 hours to get there. But the monastery is for sure worth it.
According to one version, the names of the monastery are connectied with an Armenian tradition and the name of the place. According to the tradition, the monastery was built in the first century in the place where St. Dadi , who was one of the 70 disciples of St. Thaddeus, was buried. St. Dadi brought Christianity to Artsakh (Karabakh). The name Hutavank is connected with the word “hut”, which means a small hill.
In June, 2007, the grave of St. Dadi was discovered under the holy altar of the main church.
Like the overwhelming majority of Armenian monasteries, Dadivank is in a fantastic beautiful place and is in complete harmony with the surrounding landscape. The monastery was actively being restored in 2004-2005.
According to the legend, the first basilica that still exists today, was built in the middle of I century.
In the Vth century the monastery became the seat of Afghan bishop and one of the major cultural and educational centers of the district. During the Arab and Seljuk invasions, the monastery complex was repeatedly subjected looting and destruction. From X to the XV century the monastery was the spiritual center of Khachen principality. In the XIII century, the cathedral church for the wife of Prince Vakhtang Arzun Khatun (1214) was built in the eastern part of the cloister.
This is a domed hall, where the fragments of frescoes attributed to the very Arzun Khatun and her daughters remain. In 1241 Gavit was built to the church, the front wall of which is an arcade. One of the most interesting buildings of the complex – porch-Chapel St. Grigor – was also built in the XIII century.
The church Hassan Great is located in the southern part of the complex. This is one of the few monuments of Artsakh, where brick was used during construction.
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