This is the church exterior, main (South) entrance side. The church of the Holy Cross at Akdamar belongs to the large family of central-plan buildings which for entire centuries represented, with numerous interpretations and elaborations, the privileged form in which sacred architecture was expressed everywhere; particular in the East and more specifically in Armenia where it richly flowered from the VI century onwards (part from Ataman Hotel site on internet, which has good information on this church). The portal with bell tower on top is a 19th century addition.