Amaras Monastery

 church, fortification, monastery, Armenian Apostolic church, 17th century construction

Amaras Monastery - is a Christian monastery located in Sos village of Khojavend region. The monastery is one of the holiest temples visited in Caucasian Albania from early Christianity to the abolition of the Albanian Apostolic Church, and until recently was considered sacred by both Christians and Muslims. Amaras was also a major religious center before the spread of Christianity. This fact is confirmed by the artifacts obtained during archeological excavations in the area and the remains of a temple dating to the first century AD.
Historical sources associate both the monastery and its main temple with the name of Gregory, the first Catholicos of Caucasian Albania. After being killed in the countryside, his body was still brought to the monastery church built by the Enlightener Gregory, where he was buried in a tomb (or under an altar).