th ▁century . ▁It ▁was ▁destroyed ▁in ▁an ▁earth qu ake ▁in ▁ 1 3 1 9 ▁and ▁was ▁re built ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁efforts ▁of ▁Bishop ▁Zach aria h ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 3 2 0 s . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁reign ▁of ▁the ▁Saf avid ▁dynast y ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 5 th ▁century , ▁the ▁monaster ies ▁were ▁preserved . ▁The ▁monaster ies ▁were ▁then ▁desert ed ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 6 th ▁and ▁ 1 7 th ▁centuries ▁following ▁a ▁period ▁of ▁attacks ▁by ▁the ▁Ott om ans ▁that ▁prompt ed ▁many ▁Armen ians ▁to ▁em igr ate ▁to ▁central ▁Iran . ▁Once ▁the ▁Saf av ids ▁re est ab lished ▁themselves ▁in ▁the ▁area , ▁the ▁monaster ies ▁were ▁re occup ied ▁and ▁renov ated . ▁However , ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 8 th ▁century ▁the ▁area ▁became ▁a ▁ca uld ron ▁of ▁conflicts ▁for ▁dom ination ▁among ▁the ▁Russian , ▁Ott oman , ▁and ▁Pers ian ▁emp ires . ▁When ▁the ▁Pers ians ▁finally ▁gained ▁control , ▁the ▁monaster ies ▁were ▁dam aged . ▁During ▁the ▁Q aj ar ▁era , ▁Armen ians ▁reg ained ▁control ▁over ▁the ▁monaster ies ▁and ▁they ▁were ▁re built . ▁The ▁existing ▁St . ▁Th ad de us ▁Mon aster y ▁was ▁re built ▁in ▁ 1 8 1 4 ▁and ▁ref urb ished ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 0 s . ▁ ▁Similarly , ▁it ▁is ▁recorded ▁that ▁Saint ▁Ste pan os ▁Mon aster y ▁was ▁first ▁established ▁in