Gavazan, the swinging pillar of Tatev Monastery

Gavazan is a unique swinging pillar in the grounds of Tatev Monastery. It is an octagonal stone column about 8.3 metres high, erected in 904. According to the source, it was created as an early seismograph and warning system: the pillar can sway during earthquakes or even at a person’s touch and then return to its original position. It is also believed that Gavazan served as an astronomical instrument for telling time and was oriented towards Orion’s Belt.

Tatev Monastery is in the Syunik Province of Armenia and is the spiritual centre of the region.

In the photograph the pillar stands in the monastery courtyard, surrounded by a low stone enclosure, with a small khachkar at its top. Behind it is the wall of a church with khachkars set into it, and mountains in the distance.