Tatev monastery

Armenia has a number of monasteies dated the IX-XI centuries. Many of them have been important spiritual centers of the country. In the epoch of feodalism development they even had high schools where students were taught historiography, literature, philosophy, theology, music, miniature painting and other sciences. That's why they had to build special houses for books storage. Such houses were characterized by folk architecture made with stone.
Tatev monastery was exactly one of them.It's the monastery of the Armenian Apostolic Church situated in the south-east of Armenia, near Tatev village and not so far from Yerevan - the capital of Armenia.It was founded on the ancient heathen holy place in the IX century to become one of the very important centres of science and education. Its favourable strategic location was convenient for creation of reliable fortifications there.

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