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The long white line you see is the stack to make the smoke go up and away. But much is left, causing pollution.” A funicular built in Soviet times brought the villagers to the factory to work. There was not enough work here, however, our guide said. “And the Russians have been successfully recruiting many Armenian villagers to work in Siberia.”
The factory “melted iron ore,” we were told. “It was built by Greek owners but the Soviets nationalized it. Now two Armenian brothers own it. They also mine copper here. The mines are behind the mountains.
In Alaverdi a factory with an active smoke stack brought back still more old memories. This town had been the industrial center of Armenia since the 18th century, our guide said. Its main business still seemed to be metallurgy.
On the way from Haghpat to the town of Alaverdi down the valley, we stopped at a café for lunch where we were treated to live music. A man who played the synthesizer was accompanied by a clarinet player who also served as a vocalist. He snapped his fingers as he sang. They played a couple of favorite Armenian songs and followed with a medley of popular international songs from the 1950s, including the Hava Nagila. They finished the set with a forceful rendition of “Moscow Nights,” which was the anthem of the Soviet Communist Youth.
After we left Father Aspet, in the parking lot of Haghpat we saw three of the villagers he ministered to. They were sitting on stools patiently hoping that visitors might buy some of the few items of hand-made merchandise they had spread before them. These were mostly woven socks and hats. One of the women was busy finishing a hat.
In Haghpat we met its sole clergy, Father Aspet. He impressed me as urbane, with a twinkle in his eyes and a worldly sense of humor.
They depicted Christ Pantocrator (Almighty), among others. Our guide said that there was also a bas-relief of Queen Khosrovanoosh, who founded this Cathedral, and of her two sons.
The monastery at Haghpat was founded by Saint Nishan. The small church of Saint Nishan (“Sign” of the Cross), built in 966-967, is the oldest surviving building in the Haghpat Monastery. The Monastery’s principle church is the larger Cathedral of Saint Nishan, built between 967 and 991. It is valued as a surviving example of the 10th century Armenian architecture: four pillars uphold its central dome and triangular recesses mark the outside walls. We walked inside the Cathedral’s spacious hall. There were frescoes on the walls and the ceiling.
When Haghpat came into our view on the top of a promontory, we noted that this Monastery, “unlike most in Armenia’s arid region,” as our guide said, was not isolated. It had been built in a village environment surrounded by many hamlets.
Monks lived in the caves here for generations, our guide said. As well, “pagan Armenian temples” once had stood in the area where Haghpat is today.
As we drove up the deep canyon that the Debed River had carved in northern Lori, we could appreciate the choice of the site for the fortress Monasteries. Not easily accessible, the hills afforded both protection against hostile forces and concealment from prying eyes cherished in a monastic life.
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