SPITAK KHACH MONASTERY

Spitak Khach (“White Cross”, Սպիտակ խաչ վանք ) is an Armenian monastery located south of the village of Hadrut, Artsakh on a hill near the village of Vank.

The date of foundation of the church is unknown, but the 14th century is considered the latest time of construction, since many of its details indicate this. The monastery or only the vestibule, according to the inscription on the tympanum of the vestibule portal, was restored in 1735

The length of the church, together with the porch, is 15.75 m, and the width is 7.1 m. The monument is a low rotunda with 6 columns and a pyramid-shaped roof. To the west of the bell tower, an ornamented cross-stone is inserted into a niche, which has a height of more than 2.5 m.

There is a large cemetery around the church, where some of the many tombstones depict scenes of hunting, plowing, sowing, and war scenes. A dilapidated building remained at the cemetery, which was built in 1735 and for some time served as a shelter for pilgrims. On the territory of the monument there are rocky monastic cells that have a common entrance. After the transition of the territory as a result of the war in 2020 under the control of Azerbaijani troops, the church cemetery was destroyed.

On the territory of the monastery there is the tomb of Velidzhan, the owner of the ancient fortress, popularly called “ Tsza-khachigala ” (ծծախաչի ղալայ), on the tombstone of which is written: “Ես խումարի որդի Վելիջանս կ անգնեցի զխաչս 1527 թ., (I, the son of Humar Velidzhan, put this cross 1527)”.
Ever since Azerbaijan occupied Hadrut, Artsakh continues to destroy anything and everything Armenian.