Spitakavor Monastery

A 14th-century monastery in the mountains of the Vayots Dzor region of Armenia, built of pale stone that gives it its name, meaning the whitish one. Its church and adjoining bell-tower gavit are decorated with carved reliefs, including portraits of the noble patrons who founded it. The monastery is associated with a hero of the medieval resistance against invaders, whose remains were later reburied here. Set high on a slope reached by rough tracks, it offers commanding views over the valley and a sense of remote antiquity.