St. Hovhannes chapel, Hartagyugh, Chapel in Hartagyugh, Armenia

St. Hovhannes is a small chapel with white walls and a curved roof on a rocky ridge of Mount Srbi, at 2,157 m. A thin cross rises from the roof, and the chapel has a rounded apse and small windows. Reddish-brown cross-shaped stones stand along the crest to its left.

According to tradition, relics of John the Baptist were brought to this site in the 13th century. The chapel was blown up and burned three times under the communist regime and rebuilt three times by the villagers of Hartagyugh; the last reconstruction dates from 1958. Cross-stones have been placed on the grounds since 2005, though they stood here before the first destruction in the 1930s.

The name recalls John the Baptist, a central figure in Armenian Orthodox faith. Local people light candles here and use the space for prayers, especially on commemorative days.

A narrow track leads from Hartagyugh to the open ground in front of the building, where you can park a car. It is best to visit the chapel in daylight and wear sturdy shoes because of the rocky surroundings.

Since 2005, hundreds of cross-stones have been placed along the ridge beside the chapel, though such stones already stood here before the first explosion in the 1930s. Eyewitnesses recall seeing many fragments lying below the summit.