Legend places a church on the site in AD 66, and another source says St. Gregory the Illuminator built it in AD 239. The exact construction date is unknown. Parts around the altar apse date to the 7th century. Mongol invasions damaged the monastery in 1231 and 1242, and the earthquake of 1319 killed 75 monks and led to extensive rebuilding.
Crown Prince Abbas Mirza is credited with much of the present building in 1811, although the lead says he erected it and a later section says he aided renovations and repairs. Simeon, the monastery's Father Superior, added a large west extension that duplicates the design of Etchmiadzin Cathedral. The article names no architect.
The 19th-century additions are ashlar masonry, and the oldest sections are black and white stone, with conical Armenian roofs. UNESCO listing is given as 2011 in the infobox and July 2008 in the body. The article gives no visiting hours.
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