Kim Kardashian wears a veil inside medieval Armenian monastery with North and Kanye West

Kim Kardashian, husband Kanye West, daughter North and sister Khloe visited a Armenian monastery on Thursday - and shared the sacred experience with fans on Instagram.

The family are in the Kardashian ancestral homeland ahead of this month's observation of the centennial of the mass killing of Armenians by Ottoman Turks.

The group were greeted by a local priest as they arrived at the Geghard Monastery, a Unesco World Heritage-listed medieval set of structures which have in part been carved out of the mountain in the Kotayk province. The main chapel was built in 1215 but the complex originated in the 4th century.

While inside, Kim, 31, who first found fame after appearing in a sex tape and recently posed for a full frontal nude shoot for Paper magazine, wore a black lace veil over her hair as a sign of respect along with an otherwise casual outfit that included ripped jeans and sneakers.

Before entering the chapel, Kanye was seen securing the veil on his wife's head and Khloe also wore white lace head wear. They were also joined by their Armenian cousins Kourtni and Krista Kardashian and an E! camera crew.

Kim lit a candle with her husband and daughter by her side, and later shared a picture of the moment with her 29.6million Instagram followers with the caption 'blessed'.

As they left, the priest appeared to give North a blessing by placing his hand on her head. 

The holy visit was part of a whistle stop tour of the former Soviet republic.

Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan had earlier received Kardashian and her family in the capital Yerevan and praised their contribution to 'international recognition and condemnation of the Armenian genocide,' his press service said.

Kim and Khloe jointly promised to push for the recognition of the genocide while meeting with the Prime Minister.

'The Kardashians apologised for not speaking Armenian but said they are learning their native language,' a government statement said.

'They pledged to continue the struggle for international recognition and condemnation of the Armenian genocide.'

After the meeting, Kim wrote on Instagram: 'It was an honor to meet the Prime Minister of Armenia, Hovik Abrahamyan who expressed how proud they are that we are proud Armenians and we have not forgotten our roots! #NeverForget'

Historians estimate up to 1.5 million Armenians were killed around the time of World War I. Turkey denies the deaths constituted genocide, saying the toll is inflated and that those killed were victims of civil war and unrest.

The star of Keeping Up With the Kardashians is on her first visit to the country, which her ancestors left for the United States.

Kardashian's Armenian ancestors on her father's side emigrated to the United States from an area that now lies in Turkey.

A spokesperson for the Kardashian has said their visit wasn't purposely timed to coincide with 100th anniversary of mass killings of Armenians by Ottoman soldier on April 24. 

During the eight-day trip, the group and a film crew will visit Yerevan's genocide memorial and Armenia's National Archives to see documents about the Kardashian family ancestors.

Kim and Khloe Kardashian landed on Wednesday evening and hit the ground running when it came to packing in the sightseeing.

The sisters have been busy sharing snaps of their first full day in the Armenian capital of Yerevan, as they visit the city's tourist spots, taking selfies whenever they can.

'We are so grateful to be here & start this journey of a lifetime! Thank you to everyone who greeted us!" Kardashian wrote on her Instagram account on Thursday.

During their trip, an Armenian company gave them a plot of land.