▁were ▁destroyed . ▁Later , ▁the ▁chap el ▁came ▁under ▁threat ▁of ▁sub mer gence ▁from ▁a ▁proposed ▁dam ▁and ▁had ▁to ▁be ▁shift ed ▁to ▁a ▁new ▁location ▁up stream . ▁ ▁World ▁her itage ▁status ▁The ▁three ▁monaster ies ▁of ▁the ▁ensemble ▁were ▁ins cribed ▁on ▁ 2 0 0 8 ▁under ▁UN ES CO ▁criteria ▁( ii ), ▁( iii ), ▁and ▁( vi ) ▁for ▁their ▁out standing ▁value ▁in ▁show c asing ▁Armen ian ▁architect ural ▁and ▁decor ative ▁trad itions , ▁for ▁being ▁a ▁major ▁centre ▁for ▁diffusion ▁of ▁Armen ian ▁culture ▁in ▁the ▁region , ▁and ▁for ▁being ▁a ▁place ▁of ▁pil gr image ▁of ▁the ▁apost le ▁St . ▁Th ad de us , ▁a ▁key ▁figure ▁in ▁Armen ian ▁religious ▁trad itions . ▁They ▁represent ▁the ▁last ▁v estig es ▁of ▁old ▁Armen ian ▁culture ▁in ▁its ▁sout he astern ▁peri ph ery . ▁The ▁ensemble ▁is ▁in ▁a ▁good ▁state ▁of ▁pres ervation . ▁ ▁Architecture ▁▁ ▁The ▁three ▁monuments ▁represent ▁a ▁bl end ▁of ▁architect ural ▁styles ▁from ▁the ▁By z antine , ▁Pers ian , ▁Eastern ▁Orth odox , ▁Ass y rian , ▁Pers ian , ▁Muslim , ▁and ▁Armen ian ▁cult ures . ▁ ▁Saint ▁Th ad de us ▁Mon aster y ▁The ▁Saint ▁Th ad de us ▁Mon aster y ▁ensemble ▁is ▁in ▁two ▁zones , ▁the ▁first ▁of ▁which ▁covers ▁an ▁area ▁of ▁ ▁and ▁compr ises ▁four ▁chap els ▁and ▁the ▁monaster y ▁itself . ▁A ▁comp