Saint John’s Monastery in Meghri, Armenia, wins the 2026 Pèlerin Prize for endangered Christian heritage
- Published
- Place
- Meghri, Syunik, Armenia
- Event date
- Past event —
Summary
On 3 November, at the 36th edition of its Heritage Grand Prix, the French magazine Le Pèlerin awarded its 2026 Prize for endangered Christian heritage, with the French Foundation of the Order of Malta, to the reconstruction of the conventual buildings of Saint John’s Monastery in Meghri, in Syunik, on the Iranian border. Perched on a rocky spur, the monastery has overlooked the town since the 17th century. Its three-nave church, restored and reconsecrated in 2019, is open for worship again. The prize will help restore the traditional terraced roofs, covered with planted earth, of the outbuildings on the south side, so that the community can hold catechism, spiritual training and retreats there. The work has been led since 2016 by the International Union of Terre et Culture organisations.
Analysis
Eight awards were presented this year, including those for the Saint-Jean-Bosco church in Paris and the Sarrance monastery in the Pyrenees. The association’s president, Kéram Kévonian, told Le Pèlerin it mattered “to keep an Armenian presence on this narrow territory, bordered to the east and west by Azerbaijan”. Each summer about fifteen volunteers assist the professionals and run workshops for the children of Meghri. The association also plans an archaeological museum.
Possible consequences
The sources consulted give neither the amount of the prize nor a timetable for the works.
