Lake Sevan Sights: Churches, Khachkars and Ruins
Sevanavank, the Peninsula Monastery
Sevanavank is on a peninsula about 5 km by road from Sevan town. An inscription dates it to 874 and credits Princess Mariam, daughter of Ashot I. Its two churches are Surp Arakelots, the Holy Apostles, and Surp Astvatsatsin, the Holy Mother of God, both cruciform with octagonal drums. The headland was an island until the lake level dropped about 20 m, starting in the Stalin era.
Entry costs nothing. Published opening hours disagree, so treat the site as open in daylight and check locally. The climb is about 200 stone steps, uneven and in places without railings. This is a working church site: cover shoulders and knees, keep quiet and leave beachwear at the shore. Scarves are often available at the entrance.
The Writers’ House
On the same peninsula, the Writers’ House was a guest house for the Armenian Writers’ Union. Architects Gevorg Kochar and Mikael Mazmanyan built it between 1932 and 1935, and Kochar added a lounge in 1963 to 1965. Guests describe a round dining room with floor-to-ceiling windows set on a concrete pillar, plus rooms in a separate wing. Today it is also a small hotel.
Hayravank
The monastery stands on a rock outcrop over the water in Hayravank village, about 20 km along the western shore from Sevan town. Its late 9th-century church has four apses in a cruciform plan, with an octagonal drum and a conical dome. The wider complex spans the 9th to the 12th centuries. Visiting is free. Read more: Day trips from Sevan .
Noratus Cemetery
About 30 to 35 km south of Sevan, and roughly 90 km from Yerevan, Noratus holds from several hundred to almost a thousand khachkars over about 7 ha. The earliest stones go back to the late 10th century, and many date from the 16th and 17th centuries. Sources call it the largest surviving khachkar cemetery since Old Julfa was destroyed. A village church of St Astvatsatsin, from the late 9th century, stands beside it. The carver Kiram Kazmogh (1551 to 1610) is associated with the site.
Local tradition says villagers leaned helmets and swords against the khachkars, and Tamerlane’s army, seeing apparent defenders, turned back. Walk quietly and do not climb on the stones. Entry is free.
Lchashen
A Bronze Age fortress and burial ground a few kilometres south-west of Sevan town, Lchashen is a set of ruins with little interpretation. Its wooden wagons, dated to the 15th and 14th centuries BC, are in the History Museum of Armenia in Yerevan.
Visitor Tips
- A hired driver links the four sites easily.
- Wear a windproof layer, since the lake sits at about 1,900 m.
- Carry cash in dram.
Browse sightseeing tours on GetYourGuide . Background on Noratus is on Wikipedia , and the park is at sevanpark.am .