Letter Letter for You

Setting the vision

TATEV MONASTERY

Tatev is a ninth-century monastic complex sitting upon a towering plateau at the edge of a deep gorge carved by the Vorotan River.

Tatev as the largest university in Armenia

Invasions of Seljuks, Mongols, Timurids,Persians… Tatev Stronghold yet stands.

Tatev at the heart of the movement for the independence of Mountainous Armenia

Tatev surrounded by ancient abandoned villages

Devil’s bridge – the unique landmark designed by the nature

400 years to build Tatev Monastic complex

Gavazan of Tatev as an ancient seismograph

Tatev as homeland for Gregory of Tatev, a philosopher, theologian and a saint in the Armenian Church

Restoration of the monastery, reestablishing its educational legacy, and reviving monastic life at Tatev is the primary goal of Tatev Revival program.

Over the last decade we successfully conducted the first phase of the restoration of Tatev Monastic Complex. The pre-project phase, unique to Armenian realms, included concept design, laser scanning of the buildings and surrounding, extensive research on cultural heritage, archeology and material science.

First time in Armenia the restoration of Monastery included an accurate and comprehensive preparation phase in compliance with international standards.

The phases included:

  • During the restoration works all the original materials (primarily stones) are being numbered, classified and categorized to align them to specific eras of Monastery construction and restoration.Experts document the damage caused by earthquakes and natural erosion. Each material is individually catalogued and its specific characteristics, including its historical context and any damage, are carefully noted.
  • Archaeological research is being conducted in parallel with the restoration works. Archaeologists analyze the artifacts and provide recommendations for their preservation.

 

We started bold and systemic…

DZIT-HAN

Dzit-Han, the Oil Mill, was one of the first architectural structures restored as part of the Tatev Revival program. Currently a museum and a souvenir shop is operating in Dzit — Han, in addition, a sound equipment was installed, which recounts some of the interesting stories surrounding the building.

NORTHERN ENTRANCE

Prior to the restoration of the Northern Entrence, experts had analyzed the seismic condition of the area, conducted geophysical, geological, and material science research, and accomplished an engineering survey of the building, which included laser scanning. Additionally, archive documents and drawings were studied in preparation for the reconstruction, allowing the restoration to be in strict accordance with the historical style and design of the structures.

SPRING

The water spring reconstruction works started together with the restoration of the Northern Entrance. Before reconstruction began, historical and archaeological research was conducted in order to establish the original location of the water source. The spring had been buried in a previous restoration phase completed in the 1970s-1980s, and was found between the northen gate and the church of Surb Astvatsatsin (Holy Mother of God)

SURB ASTVATSATSIN

Surb Astvatsatsin Church was built in the 1080s. The Church lived through the two earthquakes, – one happening in 1931 and the other in 1968. Surb Astvatsatsin Church was completely restored in 2018. The re-consecration and official opening took place in October of the same year.

MUSEUM PART

Some of these ancillary buildings have been operating as museums for visitors since 2019. The museum presents historical artefacts, including those discovered during the restoration works.

…following the highest standards for restoration and conservation

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Dear Visitor,

We are glad you are interested in the activities of the IDeA Foundation.

On this platform, you can learn about two-decades long thought, passion, commitment and hard work — all in pursuit of a more prosperous Armenia. The road has been long and reflections many. But we managed to achieve to a point where our work has left its mark on the lives of millions of people and we are really proud of it.

Our accomplishments are the fruit of a collective effort by hundreds of thousands of promoters and volunteers, tens of thousands of donors and supporters, hundreds of colleagues and dozens of founding partners. Together, we have shown what wonderous things can be achieved when people strive for realization of a common goal.

Allow our family, who was lucky enough to witness these remarkable achievements from the beginning, to express our sincere gratitude to numerous wonderful, caring, purposeful people and organizations that made all these achievements possible. We have the honor to present their successes and express our gratitude to them.

We have tried to present the key landmarks of our journey to a brighter Armenia, to chart the lessons learned, and some of the new approaches and initiatives they have forged — the 700 projects over the last 20 years.

We hope that learning about these works will be as pleasant for you as it is for us to tell about them.

But, more importantly, we would like to see you among those Armenians who will continue this path together with us in the future.

If a single community of like-minded people working towards the realization of a common vision of the future can achieve such a result, imagine what kind of changes can be made if the efforts of the entire nation were directed towards creation. Together we can dream.

And, together, we can make our dreams come true.

Thank You,

Ruben Vardanyan and Veronika Zonabend