Yeghipatrush Church
The Surb Astvatsatsin Church (; meaning "Holy Mother of God Church"); also Yeghipatrush Church () is a church located in the village of Yeghipatrush in the Aragatsotn Province of Armenia. It was constructed between the 10th and 13th centuries. Nearby is an Early-Medieval cemetery containing the ruins of a 5th-century basilica as well as a 13th-century double-khachkar shrine. Of primary interest is the 12th- to 13th-century roofless gavit, which is unique in Armenian architecture because of the inclusion of watchtowers at the plan's northeast and southeast corners. It has twelve columns in the interior . Design elements of the gavit's west portal were heavily influenced by Islamic architecture. It has a decorative archway mounted by an equilateral pointed arch, surrounded by a rectangular frame containing geometric patterns ("see also Neghutsi Vank and Orbelian's Caravanserai"). Architecture. The Church of S. Astvatsatsin is adjacent to the gavit and has a large cruciform central plan with a single cylindrical drum and conical dome resting above. Narrow windows with bell style arches are positioned at each of the four cardinal directions. A portal leads into the church from the west façade via the gavit. Yeghipatrush Church The