The
church is in
Gevaş and has given its name to
the biggest island in the
Van sea.
The church which has been built on the southeast of the island is 3 kilometers from the shore.
Akdamar island can be reached by boat at any time of the day.
The church which is erected on the southeast of the island was commissioned to priest Manuel by
King Gakik of Vaspurakan in the name of the sacred cross. The chapel in the northeast of the church has been added in 1296-1336, the jamaton in 1793 and the bell tower in the south by the end of the 18th century. The construction date of the chapel in the north is not known . The building which was first built as a palace
church was later turned to a monastery
church. The
church with the stone workmanship on the façade and the reliefs on the walls is among the important structures of the
Armenian Architecture. The
church has a four leaved clover plan with a domed center. The center is covered with a dome from the inside and a cone from outside seated on an elevated hoop. The
church which was renovated in 1462 was destroyed by the earthquake in 1703 and was again restored between 1712-1720.
