The Library of Haghpat Monastery, often called a manuscript repository, was one of the most important medieval manuscript repositories and centers of learning in Armenia.
The biggest church of Haghpat complex, St. Nshan, was constructed in 976 and it is a typical example of Armenian architecture of the 10th century: the domed hall type, rectangular outside, cross-shaped inside. The original library structure was built in the 11th century as part of the prominent Haghpat School and located in the north-eastern corner of St. Nshan church.
The library was entirely reconstructed in the 13th century. The thick stone walls and many beautiful arched niches designed for books have been preserved from the 11th century building. Each wall of the scriptorium contains two low columns, which rise to support the roof’s single-span arches. At the center of their intersection is the skylight structure, which rises upward and has the appearance of a dome. In the walls, niches for books are located. The only entrance is from the west and has a modest structure.
This building served as a scriptorium for about five centuries. It functioned similarly to the modern Matenadaran (Mesrop Mashtots Institute of Ancient Manuscripts) in Yerevan, preserving thousands of texts covering philosophy, religion, science, literature, and Armenian History. Many rare texts were copied, studied, and stored here, saving vital pages of Armenian history that might otherwise have been lost.
The library is a domed stone building featuring crossing beams and a vaulted ceiling. It is a square hall with a small garret window serving as the only source of light. Natural light filters into the central room from an opening at the top of the flat-topped dome.
Haghpat library-scriptorium was one of the richest scriptoriums of the Middle Ages. Ancient valuable books / manuscripts were preserved there.
In 1996 Haghpat monastery was included in the UNESCO World Heritage list.
To protect the ancient manuscripts from enemy attacks, karases (large clay jars) embedded in the floor of the scriptorium have been preserved from those times and were used to store wine. Late in the Middle Ages, the library building served as a cellar. It turns out that the libraries, both in Sanahin and Haghpat, served as warehouses, and the nuns used to keep the provisions in those jars.
Photos: Füsun Kavrakoğlu, Haghpat, 2026.
The Nor Getik monastic complex founded in 1188 by an Armenian scholar, writer, public figure, thinker, priest, and the author of the first Armenian Code of Laws Mkhitar Gosh, was named Goshavank after his death. North of the atrium a library is situated. The scriptorium was built in 1241, and the belfry in 1291. The opposite inner walls of the building, which has a square-shaped layout, are connected with impressive arches, leaning on a couple of low pilasters. The arches cross in upper portion of the interior and bear the overhead cover of the library and the belfry above. The inner walls of the scriptorium have carved niches, which were used to store manuscripts. The belfry located over the library is harmonized with the lower story of the building. The passage of the central part of the cover to a polygonal wide light window is done using stone beams put aslant. The beams in their middle parts have three-leaved grooves, which served both esthetic purposes, as well as to disperse the penetrating light at a wider angle.
Haghpat, Ashot Muradyan, Collage Ltd.
Armenia, Zaruhi Orbelyan, Yerevan, 2025. Page 118-120, 106.
Library of Haghpat Monastery, haghpat.com.
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