St. Mateos Church is located in the Getahovit community of the Tavush region. The church was built in 2018. Before its construction, there was no active church in Getahovit; only the semi-ruined ancient temple known as Midzhashen, which is quite far from the settlement, had been preserved.
St. Mateos Church was built on the initiative and with the funds of Koryun Ulukhanyan, a resident of Getahovit, and was consecrated on July 8, 2023, by Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, the Primate of the Diocese of Tavush.
There is no special story related to the name. The name Mateos was borne by the great-grandfather of the benefactor Koryun Ulukhanyan, and now by his younger son. The church area is located within a specially protected historical and cultural monument zone of Armenia. The church grounds also feature a monument dedicated to the victims of the Great Patriotic War and a small memorial complex in memory of the victims of the Genocide.
St. Mateos Church stands out for its historical and cultural significance, as well as its community and spiritual role. It serves as a spiritual center, built in the traditional Armenian architectural style. The church has a single nave and an octagonal floor plan.
The construction of St. Mateos Church is also a significant step in the development of the cultural life of the community.
The project is implemented within the framework of the “We Are Our Mountains” program, financed by the European Union’s EU4Culture initiative. The project is carried out by the Ijevan Municipality and the Urban Sustainable Development Foundation.
