The 900-year-old Armenian Apranits Monastery in Yerznka is now in a state of partial ruin

2026-10-12

This monument of Armenian cultural heritage is half-ruined today: the church is full of pits, and one of the centuries-old khachkars lies on the ground. This is the Apranits Monastery in the Tercan district of Yerznka (Erzincan), which in the 19th century was the Armenian episcopal centre of the district. The monastery has two churches, Surb Hovhannes (St. John) and Surb Davit (St. David), and among the most impressive parts of the complex are two enormous khachkars, more than 6 metres tall, bearing inscriptions dated 1191 and 1194. One more khachkar lies on the ground today. For years the monastery has been subjected to raids by treasure hunters, who have dug numerous pits on its grounds. Under Turkey’s Law No. 2863 on the Conservation of Cultural and Natural Property, registered cultural property must be protected. Today a law on the protection of monuments exists in Turkey. The monument exists too — but what about the protection? The fact is that Armenian heritage preserved for almost 900 years is decaying under the open sky.

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