Kirants Monastery

Kirants Monastery is a 13th-century Armenian monastery located about 10 kilometers southwest of Kirants village in the Tavush Province of Armenia. The Georgian Orthodox Church in Armenia has laid claim to the monastery, which the Armenian Apostolic Church rejects.

The Kirants Monastery was most likely founded by the Zakarid ruler Avag Zakarian, who was of Chalcedonian faith. The frescoes of the monastery can be dated to the 1230s-1240s.

The story behind Kirants is extraordinary. This church, unlike most monasteries built in Armenia, is constructed mostly of brick and mortar. "Kir" is the word for mortar, "-ants" meaning not level or uneven.