Akhtala Monastery

Akhtala, also known as Pghindzavank is a 10th-century Armenian Apostolic monastery located in the town of Akhtala in the marz of Lori, 185 kilometers north of Yerevan and 87 kilometers south of Tbilisi . The monastery is currently inactive. The fortress played a major role in protecting the north-western regions of Armenia and is among the most well preserved of all in modern Armenia. The main church at the compound is famous for its highly artistic frescoes, which cover the inside walls, the partitions, and the bearings of the building. The frescoes of Akhtala Monastery, in Armenian-Chalcedonian style, were commissionned by the Zakarid ruler Ivane I Zakarian in 1205-1216.

The modern name of Akhtala was first recorded in a royal decree of 1438. The etymology of the name Akhtala is believed to be of Turkic origin, meaning white glade. The original Armenian name of the settlement where the monastery is built is Pghindzahank, which means copper mine.