The Arakelots Monastery and Settlement in Armenia’s Tavush region has been shortlisted among the 14 most endangered heritage sites in Europe by Europa Nostra and the European Investment Bank (EIB) Institute. The 7 Most Endangered program, launched in 2013, is a leading civil society initiative dedicated to safeguarding at-risk heritage through advocacy and public-private support.
Nestled within the forests of northern Armenia, the 13th-century monastery and settlement lie two kilometers west of Acharkut village along the Kirants River. The site includes a fortified monastery with ramparts and watchtowers, a main church with a domed hall and hazarashen roof, a rare fresco of Saint Sargis, and remnants of a medieval settlement featuring two additional churches, a caravanserai, an oil mill, and the Sranots Bridge. Once a flourishing trade hub on the Armenian Silk Road, Arakelots thrived under Georgian Zakarian and Mongol rule but has remained abandoned since the 17th century.
Today, the monastery and settlement face severe threats, including structural decay, encroaching vegetation, climate-related hazards, and earthquake damage. Human-made impacts, such as graffiti, unauthorized construction, and the presence of large bat colonies, further endanger the site.
The nomination, led by Dr. Jasmine Dum-Tragut of the University of Salzburg, is supported by Armenia’s Ministry of Education, Science, Culture, and Sport, the Municipality of Acharkut, Blue Shield Armenia, and the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia. Additional expertise from the University for Continuing Education in Krems, Austria, aims to facilitate conservation, research, and sustainable development efforts.
The Arakelots Monastery and Settlement in Armenia’s Tavush region has been shortlisted among the 14 most endangered heritage sites in Europe by Europa Nostra and the European Investment Bank (EIB) Institute. The 7 Most Endangered program, launched in 2013, is a leading civil society initiative dedicated to safeguarding at-risk heritage through advocacy and public-private support.
Nestled within the forests of northern Armenia, the 13th-century monastery and settlement lie two kilometers west of Acharkut village along the Kirants River. The site includes a fortified monastery with ramparts and watchtowers, a main church with a domed hall and hazarashen roof, a rare fresco of Saint Sargis, and remnants of a medieval settlement featuring two additional churches, a caravanserai, an oil mill, and the Sranots Bridge. Once a flourishing trade hub on the Armenian Silk Road, Arakelots thrived under Georgian Zakarian and Mongol rule but has remained abandoned since the 17th century.
Today, the monastery and settlement face severe threats, including structural decay, encroaching vegetation, climate-related hazards, and earthquake damage. Human-made impacts, such as graffiti, unauthorized construction, and the presence of large bat colonies, further endanger the site.
The nomination, led by Dr. Jasmine Dum-Tragut of the University of Salzburg, is supported by Armenia’s Ministry of Education, Science, Culture, and Sport, the Municipality of Acharkut, Blue Shield Armenia, and the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia. Additional expertise from the University for Continuing Education in Krems, Austria, aims to facilitate conservation, research, and sustainable development efforts.
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