CLIENT Idea Foundation Yerevan

SCOPE Master Planning and Concept Design

PROJECT Eco Cultural Park and Visitor Center

LOCATION Tatev, Armenia

SUMMARY Expanding Tatev’s Spiritual Zone! The new zone extends the spiritual grounds of Tatev, becoming an expansion of the monastery. The new zone adds to the spiritual value of the Monastery by creating new church grounds in which the current monastery becomes the Altar. A good example of this is the Zoravark Church in Haghbat, where the church is the open air plateau in front of the altar. One can also find an open altar, designed by architect and academician Jim Torosian, near the new entrance of Ejmiatsin. Tatev’s spiritual zone can also be seen as a kind of “gavit.” Gavits were added to church grounds around the 9th, Century as Christian populations expanded and churches found that they needed more room for worshipers. In some cases, multiple gavits were created in order for a monastery to accommodate a rapidly expanding community.