The Alaner Dormition Men's Monastery is located near the village of Upper Fiagdon, which is in the Kurtatinski Valley in the Alagirski District of the North Ossetian Republic. The monastery is surrounded by mountains on all sides and is officially the highest and southernmost Orthodox monastery in the entire country.

The monastery resembles an old medieval building, although it was only recently built — in 2004. High stone walls and military Ossetian watchtowers at the corners of the fortress were constructed according to ancient Ossetian architectural traditions.

The architectural style of the monastery is most reminiscent of Byzantine structures. The local monks claim that no one specifically designed the buildings, but the end result has become very harmonious. The buildings of the monastery were gradually created in this area, with work carried out by ordinary people, and the buildings were erected without special refinements. The strict walls of the fortress harmonize excellently with the surrounding landscape — high mountains with snow-capped peaks.

In medieval times, a common local family, the Gussows, lived at the site of the modern Alaner Monastery. In the 17th century, watchtowers were erected in these places, which still stand today. Now the towers serve as the bell towers of the monastery. In the mid-19th century, the first Orthodox church — the Church of the Holy Myrrh-Bearing Women — was built on the site of the future monastery.