St. Jakob

Martakert Province, Kolatak

Two kilometers north of Kolatak, on a forested hill stands the monastery of St. Jakob, a famous religious and cultural center of Artsakh. It has the distinction of being an episcopal see, as well as, for a time, the See of the Catholicate. It is not known precisely when St. Jakob monastery was founded, although there are references to it as far back as 853 AD. The monastery is named after St. James, the Patriarch of Nisibis, the relics of which (his right hand) are said to have been kept here. The monastery is also known as Metsaranits Monastery. According to a colophon in a manuscript kept in the Matenadaran, the main church of the monastery was constructed by Vakhtang and Khorishah, the parents of Prince Hasan Jalalian. The main church was renovated in the 12th century, while several other buildings were constructed in the 12th-13th centuries. Two churches, two vestibules, residential and communal buildings comprise the complex. There are numerous khachkars bearing inscriptions dating from 1223 and 1224. The monastery was the educational and manuscript copying center of the Khachen region.