Kotavank, 9th century monastery above Argitchi River in Nerkin Getashen, Armenia.

Kotavank is a 9th century monastery set above the Argitchi River, built from basalt blocks in a domed cruciform design. The structure has two entrance portals positioned on its south and west walls.

Kotavank was built in the late 9th century by Prince Grigor Supan, son of Princess Mariam and of Vasak Syuni, lord of Syunik, and grandson of King Ashot I Bagratuni. The site stood in Kot, then the capital of the district and seat of the Haykazun branch of the Syuni house, who used the church as a family tomb. Kotavank and Kot were partly destroyed during invasions in the 10th and 11th centuries and later by an earthquake.

A large medieval cemetery surrounds the church, with numerous khachkars and ancient tombstones. A modern cemetery next to it has begun to encroach on the old one, and many khachkars and tombstones have been moved from their original places and piled up turned over. On a hill beside the modern cemetery lies another old cemetery with many khachkars.

The church stands on a hill above the Argitchi River and Nerkin Getashen, reached by a road lined with khachkars. The roof, drum and dome have collapsed, so the interior is open to the sky. Two tunnels once ran beneath the church, one to a nearby spring and one as an escape route to the valley; the sources do not say they can be entered.

The tunnels beneath the monastery served a dual purpose: providing water access while functioning as escape routes during times of conflict. These underground passages reveal practical medieval defensive thinking built into the site's design.