Arates

Arates is a historic village in Armenia's Vayots Dzor Province, situated high in the mountains in the valley of the Arates River.

The village's history is closely tied to Arates Monastery, around which life in this area took shape over the centuries. According to the Armenian scholar and epigraphist Sedrak Barkhudaryan, a small settlement called Arates once stood beside the monastery.

The monastic complex took shape over several centuries. It comprises the churches of Surb Sion, Surb Astvatsatsin and Surb Karapet, along with gavits and other structures. The complex's earliest parts date to the early Middle Ages, while the surviving churches are mostly from the 10th–11th centuries.

Arates gained particular importance in the 13th century. The monastery was restored in 1270, and one of its gavits was built by the architect Siranes, also known for his work at Noravank.

At the end of the 13th century, the historian and church figure Stepanos Orbelyan made Arates the summer residence of the Syunik diocese. Set high in the mountains and surrounded by springs, Arates was cooler for the clergy than Noravank, which lies in a gorge. As a result, the monastery was improved and developed into a notable spiritual center of the region.

Medieval khachkars, tombstones and the remains of monastic structures survive on Arates's grounds, recalling a time when this small mountain settlement was part of the spiritual and cultural life of Vayots Dzor.