BISHKEK, AUGUST 9, NOYAN TAPAN. A group of archaeologists from the Slavonic Institute of Kyrghyzstan discovered a medieval Armenian monastery on the shore of Lake Issyk-Kul (Kyrghyzstan). "We heard long ago about "the Catalonian map" drawn by Venice merchants travelling along the Silk Road. It is shown on this map that there is an Armenian monastery on the shore of Issyk-Kul, under the walls of which the relics of Apostle Mathew are buried," the head of the group Alexander Kamishev said, ITAR-TASS reports. According to A. Kamishev, the monastery was built in the mountains in the 14th century and has 30 cells. "We believe that the monastery consists of three levels, the lower two of which are underground. Monasteries in medieval Armenia were constructed this way," he said, noting that the "Catalonian map" is correct, and they will be able to find the relics of Apostle Mathew.

---