Kayan Berd, Medieval fortress ruins in Haghpat, Armenia

Kayan Berd is a fortress ruin perched on a ridge between two canyons above the Debed River in Haghpat. The site contains several semi-circular defensive towers and a stone church built from black volcanic rock that still stands on the grounds.

The exact founding date is unknown; the fortress may have been built under King Ashot II Yerkat in the 10th century. According to the historian Kirakos Gandzaketsi, Archbishop Hovhannes of Haghpat, a relative of the Zakarian princes, built the monastery with massive defensive walls on Sanahin land in 1233, initially named Surb Nshan. The Mongols demolished its walls in 1241, and Timur's troops destroyed it at the end of the 14th century; it was not rebuilt.

The monastery was first named Surb Nshan, "Holy Sign"; the names Dsevank and Kayan Berd are later. The church dome, built into the fortress corner and sharing an outer wall, collapsed in the 1827 earthquake and was repaired in 1838 by the Yerznkatsi brothers Vardan, Harutyun and Margar; Margar was buried outside the north wall in 1842.

You can reach the site by hiking a trail that starts from the main road to Haghpat village, taking about one hour to walk there. Wear sturdy shoes as the path is uneven, and bring enough time to explore the ruins carefully.

Local villagers long told that Kayan Berd housed a school of Vardan Bardzrabertsi, a claim the sources call incorrect. The church dome, wrecked by the 1827 earthquake, was repaired in 1838 by the brothers Margar, Vardan and Harutyun Yerznkatsi; Margar, the eldest, was buried outside the north wall in 1842.