In a medieval Armenian monastery, a gavit or zhamatun is a congressional room or mausoleum added to the entrance of a church, and therefore often contiguous to its west side. It served as narthex, mau
Gavit of Geghard Monastery in Armenia, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Dated 1215–1225, it has a muqarnas vault at the center.
Zhamatun of Horomos Monastery, 1038
Zhamatun of Harichavank Monastery, 1201-1219
The first known zhamatun is from Horomos, dated 1038. Vault with oculus ("lightwell") and decorated slabs in an octagonal layout.
The Astvatsankal Monastery is an Armenian Monastery complex in Aragatsotn Province, between the villages of Yernjatap and Hartavan. It was built in the 4th-13th centuries.
Astvatsankal Monastery
The gavit and its vault with muqarnas design, with a central erdik or oculus, which may have been covered by a colonnaded canopy.