Not many people are aware that almost in the very centre of Armenia there is a marvelous Georgian church, located not far away from the Hrazdan town .  It’s not a singular temple, but a whole monastery complex that was built in 1196-1199. Although not all the buildings of the complex have survived through the centuries, the important fact is that the big church Tukh Manuk has escaped the destruction.

The Tukh Manuk temple is a perfect example of the ancient Georgian architecture. It is built of exquisitely refined grey stones. The stones have the same size, they are so perfectly adjusted to each other that the whole building looks like a monolith.

On the walls inside the temple, there are quotations in ancient Georgian taken from religious books. Some of the walls, still covered with the remaining plaster, are decorated with magnificent fresco paintings created by ancient craftsmen.

This church used to play a crucial role as it used to hold ceremonial services and many Georgian famous historical figures were buried there. Noble people often came to the senior priest of the church for advice. And monks chose this monastery because of its isolated location far from restless towns.

There used to be a small rectangular chapel close to the temple, and now the only thing left is a semicircular apsis. Unfortunately, all the ancillary buildings and houses are gone together with the ancient cemetery where the monks and senior priests were buried.

A high stone wall was put up around the complex in order to protect the temple and the whole monastery. Unfortunately, most part of it has been destroyed with time except for a small remaining piece. Judging by it, it’s clear how grand and solid the construction was.

As the dominance of the Georgians over Armenian territory wasn’t long, many temples were later rebuilt in the Armenian way. The church of Tukh Manuk escaped that destiny, probably, because it wasn’t too close to large settlements. This very fact helped to preserve the ancient charm of Georgian architecture and its authenticity until today.