Ałjoc'vank' - S. Step'anos

The monastery, in an isolated position a few kilometres east of the monastic complex of Gełard, consists of a main church preceded by a gavit', and of a second church dedicated to Sts. Peter and Paul, built against the north wall of the first. The main church consists of a large central cruciform space, apsed and covered by a drum and dome. At its base the exterior volume is a parallelepiped. The western rooms are on two floors: the upper rooms are reached by cantilevered stairs. The second church is a simple apsed hall, formerly covered by a barrel vault that has been lost, with two rooms adjoining the apse and two further rooms to the south, accessible from the nave. The west entrance façade and part of its return to the north were covered with blind arcading; two of these arches, on either side of the entrance portal, are occupied by large stone reliefs depicting St. Peter and St. Paul, while the others show carved crosses of varying elaboration. Against the west façade of the main church (which has a large, richly framed portal) a large gavit' was built, now largely destroyed, whose roof rested on four intersecting arches, of which only some piers with the springers of the arches remain.