According to local folklore, the monastery was founded by
Grigor Lusavorich upon the site of the martyrdom of
Stepanos (Stephen), a supposed companion to Saint
Hripsime during the time of Armenia's conversion to Christianity in 301 AD. The 5th-century Armenian historian
Agathangelos wrote that the young and beautiful Hripsimé who at the time was a Christian nun in
Rome, was to be forcefully married to the
Roman emperor
Diocletian. She and the abbess Gayané among other nuns fled the tyrant emperor and left to Armenia. The pagan Armenian
King Trdat received a letter from Diocletian in which he described her beauty. Trdat discovered where the nuns were hiding, and fell in love with Hripsimé and later Gayané. After her refusal of his advances, Hripsimé was tortured and martyred at the location of
Saint Hripsime Church, while Gayané was tortured and martyred at a separate location where
Saint Gayane Church was later built in 630. The remaining group of thirty-eight unnamed nuns were martyred at the location where the
Shoghakat Church is today. During the time that Hripsimé was being tortured, Gayané told her to "be of good cheer, and stand firm" in her faith. King Trdat was to be later converted to Christianity and made it the official religion of the kingdom. The exact date that the monastery was founded is unknown. What is known is that the majority of the monastery was commissioned by Prince
Grigor Khaghbakian and his wife Princess Zaz in 1217. The Church of Saints Peter and Paul was built by their son, prince Vasak. == Gallery ==