Tsakhats Kar Monastery, Medieval monastery in Artabuynk, Armenia

Tsakhats Kar is a medieval monastery complex in Artabuynk with two separate building groups. The structures are made from rough basalt and sit roughly 200 meters apart along the Yeghegis River slopes.

Asoghik, an 11th-century historian, places the monastery's founding in the mid-10th century under King Abbas I of the Bagratid kingdom. Stepanos Orbelian, writing in the 13th century, instead credits its construction in 1041 to Father Vardik, during the reign of King Gagik. The oldest inscription at the site is dated 989, and the main church was restored in 2013.

The two churches display hallmarks of Armenian stonework with carefully shaped basalt blocks. Visitors can observe traditional stone craftsmanship in the walls and details characteristic of this region.

The monastery lies on the mountain foothills above the Yeghegis River, between Yeghegis (6 km northeast) and Horbategh, within walking distance of Smbataberd fortress. A pipe-spring sits on the right shortly after you cross the river. The two building groups are about 200 m apart, so allow time to walk between them.

The name means "flowered stone" in Armenian and refers to the site's function as a teaching center for painting techniques. Monks transmitted artistic skills there that passed down through generations.