Few monasteries make such direct use of a site. Hovhannavank is built on the very lip of the Kasagh gorge, in the province of Aragatsotn, so that the eastern walls stand above a sheer drop and the canyon runs like a green scar through the surrounding plateau. From the opposite rim the buildings read as an extension of the cliff itself. The complex is medieval in its present form, with the main church preceded by a gavit, the vaulted porch-hall characteristic of Armenian monasteries, whose central bay opens to the sky. Over the doorway between the two, a sculpted tympanum in fine relief is among the best-known works of Armenian medieval carving. Inside, the light is scarce and directed; outside, the stone changes colour with the day and the seasons, from the snow of the plateau in winter to the burnt gold of late summer. Earthquakes have damaged the site repeatedly and repairs are legible in its walls. Filmed in 4K, with aerial sequences along the gorge that give the full measure of the setting, the programme suits strands on sacred sites, medieval architecture and the landscapes of the Caucasus.
