The Geghard Monastery is also known as “Ayrivank,” which means “church carved into the rock.” It was named after the Holy Lance (geghard), the spear that wounded Christ on the cross, which was believed to have been brought here by Apostle Thaddeus and kept at the monastery for centuries. The monastery was built in the 4th century, during the early years of the adoption of Christianity as the state religion. The Geghard Monastery is inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List.