"The Church of Gandzasar, also called ‘The Treasure of the Mountains’, rises up over the valley of the River Khachen, amongst the ravines, mountains and alpine meadows, like a long and ancient refrain. Construction work on the cathedral church of the monastery began in 1216 after the invasion of the Seljuk Turks had been repulsed and was completed during the Tartar-Mongol invasion. Legend has it that after John the Baptist was beheaded by King Herod, his head was buried in the chapel of rest, which is why the church is dedicated to both Hovhannes Mkrtich and John the Baptist."

A resting place for primitive man, a treasure of ancient burial mounds, ancient holy sites and early Christian monasteries, marvellous manuscript books created in scriptoria, fortresses, old arched bridges, carved stone crosses, pottery, jewellery and hand-worked carpets, fragments of ancients manuscripts and chronicles, folk traditions and legends – all this in Boris Baratov’s book "The Angel of Artsakh".

This book deals with the principal historical and architectural monuments of Nagorno-Karabakh/Artsakh and with the original indigenous people of this region, the Armenians. It also covers the oldest Christian country in the world, its history and culture.