PanARMENIAN.Net - The Armenian Varagavank Monastery and the Urartian fortress of Yoncatepe in the Bakraclı district of Van have fallen into a state of abandonment and disrepair. According to published reports, the Varagavank Monastery, also known as the Holy Cross of Varaga, which dates back to before Christ, is now almost entirely destroyed. The local population refers to it as the “Seven Churches,” built in the 8th century, http://Factor.am reports. Each year, descendants of the area's former Armenian residents visit the monastery and hold religious ceremonies. The Yoncatepe fortress, attributed to the Urartian period, has also been left in near-total neglect.