Category: Sightseeings

Echmiadzin means “the Descent of the Only Begotten,” referring to Jesus, who, according to the vision of the first Armenian Catholicos, Gregory the Illuminator, showed the place where the first Christian church should be built in Armenia.

This natural miracle can be seen in other parts of the world too, but the Armenian Symphony of Stones — also called the Basalt Pipes — near the Garni Pagan Temple is famous for its tall and perfectly carved canyon walls. They look like stone waterfalls.

The Arch of Charents is located a 20-minute drive north from the center of Yerevan. Its location could not be more ideal, as it offers a breathtaking view of the biblical Mount Ararat.

Geghard is a medieval, cave-carved monastery located about an hour’s drive from Yerevan. It is situated in the Kotayk region, surrounded by rocky mountains and the Goght River. According to legend, the first Catholicos of Armenia, Gregory the Illuminator, established a chapel here at the beginning of the 4th century, as a sacred spring was flowing directly from the rocks.

According to the Greek inscription placed at the entrance of the historical site, the Garni Temple was built by the Armenian King Tiridates I in 77 AD. The temple is dedicated to the sun god Mihr, whose statue once stood inside, but was destroyed after Armenia adopted Christianity.

Odzun Monastery is situated in Lori Province, in the north of Armenia, about a 3-hour drive from Yerevan. The construction of the church began in the 6th century and was later reconstructed by Hovhannes III Odzunetsi, who was the Armenian Catholicos between 717 and 728.

Khor Virap is located in the Ararat region of Armenia, near the city of Artashat, about a 50-minute drive from Yerevan. The site is approximately 8 km from the border with Turkey.

Areni-1, or as many locals call it, the “Birds’ Cave,” is an archaeological cave site in Vayots Dzor, about a 2.5-hour drive from Yerevan. The cave lies along the Arpa River, at an altitude of 1,080 meters above sea level.