The monastery was entirely rebuilt by lord Smbat of the House of Orbelian, a branch of the Liparitids who were expelled from Georgia and into Armenia in the late 12th century. Liparitids were themselves a branch of the Mamikonians. Smbat was the ancestor of the Armenian princes of Syunik. A Georgian inscription around the drum attests his name.
The monastery has a gavit and various service buildings scattered around the site.
The government of Armenia has recently begun renovating the monastery. The collapsed dome of the main church has been restored entirely.
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