Monasteries of Haghpat and Sanahin

Perched above the Debed canyon in northern Armenia, the monasteries of Haghpat and Sanahin flourished as centres of learning under the Kiurikian dynasty between the 10th and 13th centuries — Sanahin famed for its calligraphers and manuscript illuminators. Their domed churches, gavit halls and carved khachkar cross-stones mark a high point of Armenian religious architecture, fusing Byzantine influence with Caucasian building traditions. UNESCO inscribed Haghpat in 1996 and added Sanahin in 2000.