Gandzasar monastery instance of cultural property
Gandzasar (Armenian: Գանձասար) is a 13th-century Armenian Apostolic cathedral (historically a monastery) near the village of Vank in the Martakert Province of the breakaway Republic of Artsakh, de jure in the Kalbajar District of Azerbaijan. It has historically been the region's most important church since its foundation. One of the finest pieces of Armenian architecture of the mid-1200s, the building is best known among scholars for its richly decorated dome.In Azerbaijan, the monastery is called Ganjasar (Azerbaijani: Gəncəsər) and the Azerbaijan authorities deny its Armenian heritage, instead referring to it as "Caucasian Albanian".History
Background
The name Gandzasar, which means "treasure mountain" in Armenian, is believed to have originated from the tradition that the monastery was built on a hill containing ores of silver and other metals.The site was first mentioned in written records by the tenth century Catholicos Anania of Moks (r. 946-968), who listed Sargis, a monk from Gandzasar, among the participants of a 949 council convened in Khachen to reconcile Chalcedonian and non-Chalcedonian Armenians. Khachkars dated 1174, 1182, and 1202 have been found around the monastery, which also point to the existence of a church or monastery at the site.Tourism and pilgrimage
Gandzasar is the principal historic tourist attraction in all of Karabakh (Artsakh) and one of the top destinations overall. It is also a center of pilgrimage as the region's main historic cathedral both for Karabakh Armenians and tourists (of Armenian ancestry). Thomas de Waal noted as early as 1997 that Gandzasar, the most famous church in Karabakh, "has acquired a mythical status in Karabakh." Felix Corley wrote that it is, along with Ghazanchetsots Cathedral in Shushi (Shusha), a powerful symbol of history and identity of Karabakh Armenians regardless their religiosity.
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