Goshavank Monastery

Goshavank, in the village of Gosh about 18 kilometres from Dilijan, was founded in 1188 by the scholar and legal philosopher Mkhitar Gosh. The monastery became one of the most important intellectual centres in medieval Armenia — Gosh compiled the first Armenian legal code here and the monastery's scriptorium produced illuminated manuscripts that are now in museums across the world. Gosh himself is buried in the complex.

The monastery is smaller and quieter than Haghartsin, and receives fewer visitors. Its most celebrated feature is a pair of khachkars — cross-stones — of extraordinary intricacy, their lacework carving cut so finely that light passes through the gaps. One of them is considered the finest khachkar in existence. Nearby Gosh Lake, a short walk uphill from the village, is a peaceful spot for a picnic.

things to do sight
A story
Mkhitar Gosh, the 12th-century scholar who founded this monastery, wrote the first legal code for Armenians living under foreign rule — a document that influenced Armenian law for centuries. He also composed fables, which circulated in manuscript form across the medieval Armenian world. The monastery he founded became one of the great centres of medieval Armenian learning.