Located at the very border with Turkey, to be more exact, at the foot of Biblical Ararat, the
ancient monastery complex of Khor Virap was built in 180 BC by the Armenian king Artashes
the First.
There is an underground prison in the monastery, in which, according to legend, Grigor
Lusavoich (Gregory the Illuminator), convicted of professing Christianity, languished in
confinement for almost 15 years. The depth of this dungeon was 3-6 m. The entrance to the
underground prison, which has been preserved to this day, is located in the chapel of St. Grigor,
built in 1661.
The monastery served as the spiritual center of the Armenian Apostolic Church, where the
residence of the Catholicos of All Armenians was located. The church of the Blessed Virgin
Mary (Surb Astvatsatsin), built in the middle of the 17th century, is also located on the
monastery’s territory. It was at that time, when monastic cells and the monastery itself were
built.
For Armenia, the monastery has a huge historical significance, it was here in 301 that the
Armenian king Trdat the Third was converted to Christianity, after which this religion became a
state religion for the Armenians.
Currently, Khor Virap is a place of pilgrimage for the Armenians all over the world, regular
services are held here. The magnificent view and ascetic beauty leave an incredible impression
on all visitors of Khor Virap, attracting more and more tourists and pilgrims.
In 2016, accompanied by Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II, the monastery of Khor Virap
was visited by Pope Francis. The Catholicos and Pontiff served the ceremony of lighting the
lamp, presented by the Pope to the monastery, and read a prayer, after which they released
pigeons in the direction of Ararat.

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