Hovhannavank

Hovhannavank is a medieval monastery built hard against a canyon edge, where the Kasagh River has cut a gorge deep enough that the walls look like they grew straight out of the rock. It's dedicated to Hovhannes Mkrtich — John the Baptist — and stands on the river's right bank, at the edge of Ohanavan village, close to Ashtarak in Aragatsotn province. Walk to the wall and you're looking straight down into the canyon; there's no buffer zone, no gentle approach — the drop starts where the stonework ends.

The valley itself has a longer paper trail than the monastery does. Historically it fell under the Aragatsotn district of Ayrarat, one of the provinces of Greater Armenia, part of an administrative map that's been redrawn many times since. Construction dates and the layout of the complex are best confirmed with a guide on site.

Hovhannavank stands beside Ohanavan village in Aragatsotn province, close to Ashtarak, about 20 km north-northwest of Yerevan as the crow flies.