Tsiranavor Church is an ancient Armenian church located in Ashtarak, Aragatsotn Province, Armenia, on the edge of the Kasagh River gorge. It was built in the 5th century and is one of the oldest surviving churches in the region.
The church is made of local volcanic stone with a warm apricot color, which is where its name “Tsiranavor” comes from. It was designed as a three-aisled basilica and later also served as a small fortress.
Today, the church is mostly in ruins, but parts of its walls and structure are still standing. Even in this condition, it clearly shows the style of early Armenian Christian architecture.
Tsiranavor is also linked to a famous local legend about three sisters connected to three nearby churches in Ashtarak. According to the story, all three sisters fell in love with the same man. The two older sisters decided to sacrifice their happiness so the youngest could marry him. One wore a red dress and the other a white dress, and they both jumped into the gorge. When the youngest sister saw this tragedy, she could not bear the grief and also died. In their memory, three churches were built in Ashtarak—Tsiranavor, Karmravor, and Spitakavor—each symbolizing one of the sisters.
Because of its history, architecture, and powerful legend, Tsiranavor remains an important cultural landmark in Armenia.
