According to the 1902 Eprigian ( or Eprikian ) encyclopaedia , its origins are in early Armenian Christianity , from around the 4th century CE . " According to tradition the main church of this monastery was built by the Apostle St. Thaddeus . The adjacent second church was built by Gregory the Illuminator cir . 300 . There is a spring beneath the church which appears a short distance away from the monastery , hence the name of the monastery , Sourp Aghprig Holy Spring . We saw this spring as we approached the monastery . " During the Hamidian massacres of 1895 , the monastery took in refugees and wounded people . The American physician John G. Wishard recorded the testimony of an Armenian woman in his book ‘ Twenty Years in Persia ’ : " A woman by the name of Rahan , formerly of Dalorig , now staying at Havodoric , said , ' Our family numbered twelve , of whom five were killed . My husband , brother , and his son were hacked in pieces , my husband received a terrible wound and is now at St. Aghperig monastery . " ’ The monastic community left the site around the time of the 1915 Armenian Genocide and the buildings have since been unoccupied and slowly becoming ruins . Many local people believed that Armenians were wealthy and hid gold beneath the ground when they left . For this reason , there are many pits dug around the site
Armenian Genocide
Armenian Genocide
Aghperig Monastery