Armenia. Geghard - Armenian Petra. Geghard (Geghardavank, Spear Monastery), Armenia Geghard Monastery stone kingdom Armenia

Geghard- an ancient monastery founded in the 4th century on the site of a spring originating in a cave. According to legend, the founder of the monastery was Gregory the Illuminator (yes, yes, the same one who was noted in, which was described above). In the 9th century, the monastery was almost completely plundered and destroyed by the Arabs, famous adherents of the religion of peace and goodness. Numerous earthquakes also contributed to the destruction of the monastery, so that it has survived to this day far from its original form.

According to some sources, the very spear with which the body of the crucified Jesus was pierced was kept in the monastery for a long time. In this regard, Geghard is a very significant religious site and place of pilgrimage. The spear itself is still intact, but is located in Etchmiadzin, and in Geghard it is presented in symbolic form:

Geghard- a very remarkable object, and, from my point of view, its main feature is the presence of very bizarrely located and voluminous rooms, going deep into the mountain.

After all, nothing promotes solitude more than being somewhere in the depths of caves, among silence, coolness and stone vaults. Connected with this is the monks’ extreme love for digging and chiseling various voids wherever possible, which many generations of Geghard residents did not fail to take advantage of.

Indeed, the interior spaces of the monastery are impressive. But let's take things in order.

Road to Geghard: exit from the darkness

So, Yerevan. Our carriage drove up to the gate - a black Volga with a white checkerboard with a familiar driver inside. Me, Julia, Felix and Maret loaded into the cabin, and we drove out onto the foggy streets. At first we made our way for a long time to the exit from Yerevan, then blurry foggy bushes and black and white houses rushed along the road, and, just like during our trip to Tsakhkadzor, nothing here hinted at the presence of a dazzlingly bright warm sun somewhere behind a thick layer of clouds .

However, as we moved away from Yerevan and climbed into the mountains, the fog became more and more yellow and luminous, and somewhere above a dazzlingly bright blurred spot of liquid gold appeared. A little more and we emerge from foggy sea. And again we are amazed: how? How is this possible? Brilliant sun, frost on the branches, clear blue sky and mountain serpentine rushing under the wheels.

In general, I associated Yerevan with Gilirad from the book by M. Semenova. Remember? There was a cursed city there, in which clouds and cold reigned all the time.

Check out the next two photos, they were taken from the car 20 minutes apart. Well, it's magic!

Leaving Gilirad Yerevan far behind, we stopped the car and went out to admire the marvelous views of the sky, the sun, the mountains and the snow-covered gorge on the right hand. While we were watching and taking photographs, Aunt Maret found some bush with frozen berries near the road and began to pick it.

Geghard was already nearby. On the area in front of the entrance there were sellers of souvenirs and food, in particular, such disgusting things as berry pita bread.

We go up the mountain along the road that goes around the outer wall of the monastery (and after those Arabs the monastery was rebuilt as a fortress).

Having passed through the arch, we find ourselves in the long monastery courtyard. There are freshly painted benches and information stands, including those with Braille text.

Geghard: plan of the monastery premises

I will give a floor plan taken from the above-mentioned stand. On the stand itself there is also a detailed and intricate description of the buildings and their history, in particular what was built by whom, resold to whom and created by what architect, but I will limit myself to only brief excerpts.

Katoghike (or Katoghike) Church

The Katoghike Church rises in front of us. We pass through the carved door and find ourselves in gavit (2).

It is spacious here, the vault is supported by four squat columns.

In the center of the room rises a fancy dome with a light hole in the center.

Candles smoke in troughs filled with sand in the corners, and the sun's rays, clearly visible in the haze, burst into the room through the lancet windows.

At the opposite end of the gavit from the entrance is the entrance to the Katoghike Church (1). There are some design elements here besides stone carvings and, in general, in comparison with the ascetic decoration of the other rooms, this church is luxurious.

If you look up here, you can see a rising dome with a light drum and a chandelier:

Gavit and the church are independent stone buildings (circled in black on the plan). But to the left there are two passages from the gavit, leading into rooms entirely hollowed out in the bowels of the rock.

Avazan Rock Church

On the plan there is room No. 3. The name is derived from the word “pool” (we recall the name of the great Russian-Armenian marine painter, whose gallery is in, and draw analogies). Like all other rooms - dark and echoing, crowned with a dome with a skylight. There is a small pool here, filled from a spring, the water from which flows through a groove to the exit, and then disappears somewhere under the floor.

Tomb of the Proshyanov

On the plan there is room No. 4.

Proshyany- one of the Armenian aristocratic dynasties that bought Geghard from the ruling elite in the 13th century. The tomb is a small church where the remains of the Proshyans themselves are modestly buried in a niche under their family coat of arms. The coat of arms is a good example of heraldic style: it depicts two lions shackled with an iron ring, which is held by a bull with its teeth, and an eagle with a sheep in its claws (all the characters in the composition, except the bull, which is in the shadow, are visible in the photo).

From the tomb you can get to the Church of Surb Astvatsatsin (as we already know, this means “Holy Mother of God”). Here, as in all other rooms, silence and twilight reign.

Light enters here through a hole in the dome with a peculiar carving.

Perhaps some citizens had a question: how exactly were these very impressive rooms hollowed out?

If you believe what is written, then they were hollowed out from top to bottom (in full accordance with the speleological postulate “do not open the system upwards”). That is, first the place where there would be a light hole in the dome was outlined, then this hole was made, and then down, down and down. It's not a quick thing. The creation of rooms 3 and 4 took more than 40 years.

Having walked around all the rooms and thoroughly enjoyed the place, we go out into the street, climb the stairs and dive into another dark hole, which leads us to another cave church (not shown on the plan).

Geghard, cave church on the 2nd tier, ascetic interiors

Moreover, its floor is located somewhere at the level of the ceiling of the premises of the first tier. In particular, in the corner there is a hole half a meter in diameter, through which you can see some vaguely familiar place. So this, it turns out, is room No. 4, in which we were a few minutes earlier, only now we are looking at it through a hole in the ceiling.

If you take a closer look at the above photo of the Proshyanov coat of arms, you will see a light spot on the top left - the same hole, viewed from below.

We marveled at this amazing curvature of space, listened to the echo, admired the dome, which we thought cultural program completed.

Well, here we are again on the street. Oh, how many more secrets this monastery probably hides! There are so many secret passages, wells and grottoes here. But all this remains behind the scenes.

We conduct a photo shoot like “in a row in front of the camera” and leave the monastery.

Such a thing as a visit to Geghard, of course, should be noted, so we drive a little away from the holy monastery and get out of the car to once again admire the snow-covered slopes and drink a glass of Uncle Felix’s moonshine.

While we are drinking moonshine, Aunt Maret is picking another bush.

While we were wandering here, under the blue sky and winter sun, we, of course, had already begun to forget that a couple of hours ago we had emerged from the impenetrable milky fog.

But we descend lower and lower, the sun is first covered with haze, then it spreads into a shapeless spot, and the haze around gradually turns from golden to whitish.

Well, hello again, gloomy Yerevan!

Geghard Monastery is usually visited immediately after Garni Temple on the same day. This is reasonable logistics since they are 10 kilometers from each other. And very close to Yerevan. So even if you have little time for the sights of Armenia, you will definitely have time to visit Geghard and Garni and they are usually on the list of first places to see in Armenia.

I have been to many of the monasteries in Armenia where all tourists usually go, and I didn’t read anything about them before the trip, except for dry historical facts from Wikipedia. Based on my inner feelings, I understood whether this place was mine or not. So Garni, like the Sanahin monastery, is mine. And mine means you walk around and suddenly stop in one place and sit on your butt, like a dog. Like Castaneda, literally. And you grow.

Geghard Monastery is called a monastery carved into the rock. And this is partly true. But not all of it. Cathedral, which we see as soon as we get inside, was built, and the rooms inside, the porches and cells of the monks, were cut down over decades and centuries.

Geghard is a beauty and a miracle, despite the trade starting from the parking lot and ending at the entrance.

The exact date of the founding of the monastery is not known, but the fact that the monastery was built around a spring, which flows inside the vestibule and for which many Armenians come, speaks of the pre-Christian foundation of this holy place.

The Geghard monastery survived many wars and plunders, it was patronized by the great Armenian dynasties, but almost nothing has survived from then. Almost. In addition to stone, which Armenian craftsmen knew how to process in jewelry. So, at the entrance to the monastery we were greeted by ancient khachkars carved in stone. No matter how hard you tried to carry them away and drop them, it was impossible to break them.

The Geghard Monastery gained fame and became a place of pilgrimage, as a sacred relic was kept here - the Holy Spear, which was used to pierce Jesus. Now the spear is in the storage of the Armenian Vatican - in Etchmiadzin. Just like the golden letters of the Armenian alphabet.

In the Geghard complex, monastic cells, a chapel and, now, the Katoghike Cathedral Church are now available for inspection.

In the Geghard monastery, right inside the Avazan (Pool) church, or rather in the vestibule, there is a spring that is considered holy and healing. And it is more famous than the Otsi Port source. People come here with empty bottles, take water with them, and wash their children.

From the vestibule you can enter parts of the monastery that are literally carved out of the rock. Moreover, they were hollowed out from top to bottom.

Tomb of the Proshyanov. Under the coat of arms of the Proshyan family, in the form of two lions shackled with an iron ring, which is held in its teeth by a bull and an eagle with a sheep in its claws, lie the remains of the family.

Coat of arms of the Proshyanovs. Ruler Ivan Zakoryan received the Geghard monastery as a token of gratitude for the liberation of the country. And then he sold Geghardavank to a prince from the Proshyan family, who expanded the monastery and built rock churches. Thus, this is a family monastery and a tomb and mausoleum of the Proshyan family.

You can get to the Proshyan Church through the tomb. I personally was captivated by the light in Geghard. These are the rays that break through a single hole in the wall or ceiling. It’s just like a ray of light straight from there, from heaven.

But light is pouring through the ceiling. But from the side, of course, it looks more impressive.

Another dome in the Geghard monastery. In the tomb.

Besides the fact that most of the Geghard monastery was carved out of stone, there are so many stone carvings inside that it becomes very sad due to the lack of light to see everything.

As I already wrote, Armenians light candles in churches and monasteries in one place. God will hear whether it is for health or peace and to which saint the person prayed.

During an earthquake in the 17th century, Geghard was significantly destroyed, but after restoration it became summer residence Catholicos of All Armenians.

Above the main cathedral, if you climb the stairs in the rocks, you can get into the monks’ cells, which are completely carved in stone. There are about a hundred similar hermitages for monks here, although some were also destroyed after the earthquake.

Next to the cells, khachkars dated back to the 11th-13th centuries are carved into the rock. On many of these khachkars, the inscriptions recorded the names of wealthy donors and patrons of the church.

The red color is khachkar, vordan karmir, obtained from worms. Yes, yes, from a certain type of worm. The durability of the paint that was produced from them can be assessed by how it has preserved after 800 years. In many countries where this dye was exported, it was valued higher than gold. It’s scary to imagine how many worms these holy people tortured and killed.

In addition to the cells themselves, the monks carved out an altar, a place to sleep, and everything that was in the cell.

Swallows live and build nests in all Armenian churches. Moreover, no one drives them away even if they have settled above the icon and the icon is all dirty with droppings from such proximity. Swallows are a blessing.

The upper porch in the Geghard monastery is also carved from stone. The vault is supported by four columns, which were also carved into the rock by hand! It took oh so many years, about 40, and it can’t help but impress. The upper vestibule is divided into 9 parts according to its composition. I already wrote about the Garni temple that the number 9 was very important for the Armenians.

The upper porch is also a mausoleum and there are burials of the Proshyan family (gravestones are visible in the photo).

There are also very good acoustics here. There used to be a music school in the monastery, and among the local composers composing sharakans (Armenian religious chants), there was also a woman. According to the canons of that time, a woman could not appear before the monks, but nevertheless, the woman composer Saakadukht was very famous, and she was invited to teach in Geghard. True, she taught from behind a curtain.

There is a hole in the upper vestibule that leads to the tomb. According to legend, it was made so that sharakan chants could penetrate to the lower floor.

How to get to Geghard Monastery

It is best to combine a trip to Geghard with a visit to the Garni Temple. They are located 10 kilometers from each other, so if you rent a car, for example, I often rent cars, or rent a car with a driver, then you will have only one road. Any navigation program will guide you.

But on buses it will be more difficult and longer. I wrote about this

Գեղարդավանք,), literally - “monastery of the spear”. The name of the monastery complex comes from the spear of Longinus, which was used to pierce the body of Jesus Christ on the Cross, and is said to have been brought to Armenia by the Apostle Thaddeus, among many other relics. Now the spear is on display in the Etchmiadzin Museum.

The cliffs surrounding the monastery are part of the Gokht River gorge, which, like the monastery complex, is included in the list of World Heritage Sites. cultural heritage UNESCO. Some of the temples in the monastery complex are completely hollowed out within the rocks, while others are complex structures consisting of both walled chambers and rooms hollowed out deep inside the cliff. On the territory of the monastery complex there are numerous khachkars carved on stone walls and free-standing khachkars - traditional Armenian stone memorial steles with crosses. Geghard is one of the most frequently visited places by tourists in Armenia.

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The monastery was founded in the 4th century on the site of a sacred spring originating in a cave. Therefore, it was originally called Ayrivank (Armenian: Այրիվանք), which means “cave monastery”. According to legend, the founder of the monastery was St. Gregory the Illuminator.
The first monastery was destroyed by the Arabs in the 9th century. Nothing from the earlier buildings of Ayrivank has survived. According to information from medieval Armenian historians, the monastery complex included, in addition to religious buildings, also well-equipped residential and service buildings. In 923, Ayrivank suffered very seriously after its capture by Nasr, the vice-regent of the Arab caliph in Armenia, who plundered all valuables, including unique manuscripts, and burned the majestic monastic buildings. Earthquakes caused less significant damage.
Although there are inscriptions dating back to 1160, the main chapel was built in 1215 under the patronage of the brothers Zakare and Ivane Zakarian, military commanders of the Georgian Queen Tamara, who conquered most of Armenia from the Seljuks. (narthex), partly free-standing, partly carved into the rock, was built earlier in 1225, and the churches, carved into the rocks, in the middle of the 13th century. After this, the monastery was acquired by Prince Prosh Khakhbakyan, who was the governor of the Zakaryans and a representative of the Khakhbakyan family. In a short period, the Khakhbakyans (Proshyans) built cave structures that brought Geghard well-deserved fame - a second cave church, a family tomb, a jamatun Papak and Ruzakan, a hall for meetings and training (which collapsed in the middle of the 20th century), as well as numerous cells. The room, extending from the north-eastern part of the gavit, became the tomb of Prince Prosh Khakhbakyan in 1283. An adjacent room was also carved with the coat of arms of the Proshyan family - an eagle holding a lamb in its talons. Steps to the west of the gavit lead to a burial chamber carved in 1288 for Papak Proshyan and his wife Ruzakan. In the 1200s, the Proshyans equipped the monastery complex with a water supply system. In those days, Geghard was also known as the “Monastery of Seven Churches” and the “Monastery of Forty Altars.” The monastery is surrounded on all sides by rocks, caves and khachkars.
For some time the monastery was not active, and the main church was used in winter as a refuge from the Karapapakh nomads before it was restored to its previous state by several monks from Etchmiadzin after joining the Russian Empire. To this day, the existing churches of the monastery are an object of pilgrimage and one of the main attractions of Armenia.
Geghard is also known for the relics that were kept there. The most important of them is the spear with which the centurion Longinus pierced the body of Jesus Christ crucified on the cross, which is believed to have been brought by the Apostle Thaddeus, which is where the name of the monastery comes from, which is used to this day - Geghardavank, first recorded in a documentary source in 1250. This circumstance made the monastery popular place for pilgrimage of Armenians for many centuries. The relics of the apostles Andrew and John were donated in the 12th century. Over the next centuries, pious visitors gifted the monastery with land, money, manuscripts, etc. The famous Armenian historian Mkhitar Ayrivanetsi lived in one of the cave cells in the 13th century. Apart from the legendary spear, not a single piece of applied art has survived in Geghard. At the end of the spear handle there is a diamond-shaped plate attached to it, on which a Greek cross with flared ends is carved. In 1687, a special silver frame, gilded on the outside, was made for the spear, now kept in the treasury of Etchmiadzin, which is a handmade product typical of 17th-century Armenia.

Ararat sailed to the right of the road like a snow-white ship - and looked good with any landscape, be it a hilly plateau nestled in the folds of the earth Mountain Lake— or rocks fringed with deep blue shadows. The pink foam of blossoming apricots covered the roadsides. So, looking out the windows, we didn’t even notice how we got to Garni.
Frozen music of Garni
Garni is one of the oldest settlements in Armenia. It is located 28 km east of Yerevan on a picturesque triangular plateau at the foot of the Geghama ridge, on the right bank of the Azat River. The name of the fortress comes from the name of the country Giarniani and those who inhabited it in the 8th century. BC. tribes Excavations on the territory of the fortress indicate that it was inhabited since the last quarter of the 4th millennium BC. and until the Late Middle Ages. Subjected during the XIII-XVII centuries. Due to constant raids by conquerors, the settlement finally collapsed during the earthquake of 1679. Only a century and a half later, after the Russian-Persian and Russian-Turkish wars, in the 1830s, the abandoned and destroyed settlement was restored by Armenian refugees from the city of Maku (Persia) and its environs who returned here. The monument includes a fortress wall, a temple of the god Mithra, palace and secular buildings, a royal bathhouse, a vishap stele, and the foundation of a 7th century church. and other historical and cultural buildings.
Ancient pagan temple restored in Soviet time partly from authentic, partly from new stones. However, too few “real” stones were found in Garni, which is why it was never included in the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List. During the restoration, although fragments preserved on site were used, most of the missing ones were made anew from basalt.
The temple was built in the second half of the 1st century, under King Trdat I. It is dedicated to the sun god Mithras. The figure of the god stood in the depths of the sanctuary - naos. After the proclamation of Christianity in Armenia in 301, the temple was probably used as a summer room for kings, called in the chronicle a “house of coolness.” The style of the temple, which is a rectangular building with columns and a pediment, is similar to the classical monuments of Rome. It is mainly made in Hellenistic architectural forms, but local traditions are also reflected in it. It would seem: a classic look - the wall of the main room and 24 columns of the portico are erected on the podium, a wide staircase leads to the main entrance. However, the details of the building: basalt columns, cornices, capitals, are decorated with well-preserved carvings depicting grapevines, pomegranate fruits and other elements of ancient Armenian ornament.
By the way, we were lucky - today, for some reason, entrance to the temple territory turned out to be free... And, besides, we arrived a little earlier than the main influx of tourists and were able to calmly, without crowds, wander around the territory of the ancient settlement. The temple towered over the deep gorge of the Azat River as an imposing bulk, majestic and austere. And spring was raging around him. Green grass, white cherry blossoms... And the alluring depths of the gorge, green, with a foaming, fast river at the bottom. With bizarre rocks that look like a giant organ.
“Symphony in Stone”, “Basalt Organ” - the locals call this gorge.

We, as expected, walked around the temple three times inside the colonnade, looked into the ancient baths, where a mosaic floor measuring 2.9 x 2.9 meters was discovered, which is a unique monument ancient Armenian culture. The mosaic is laid on lime mortar from the smallest semi-precious stones. On the light green background of the sea, deities and mythological creatures are depicted with great skill, with subtle transitions of tones (stones of 15 shades were used).
But first of all, we were irresistibly attracted to the gorge - well, we couldn’t limit ourselves to the standard program for all excursionists!
Armina was surprised to hear about our idea to go down on foot. “Look at this gorge!” She offered us a tour downstairs in a local guy’s car for one and a half thousand rubles. But we didn’t like that idea. The rabid tourists in us have awakened. And we, promising Armina not to stay longer than an hour and a half, ran down the road...
It was a wonderful adventure! Just what the soul required! We ran down the paved road stone slabs steep descent, quickly walked along the dirt road to a fork - and fell along the gravel along goat paths to the bottom of the gorge.
Downstairs was real paradise. Paradise. There were tables on the green lawns, the river was bubbling and foaming, and the willow trees were bending over the water in their lush crowns. A bizarre stone symphony stretched above our heads, and a large black and white predator flew in the skies. Hanging over the cliffs swallow's nest the house we recently passed, there was a cliff below it at a negative angle, and it was unclear how people were not afraid to live in such extreme conditions...
We walked a little along the dirt road along the river to waterfalls running down the rocks. And then we decided to go back using the dirt road. And they went, looking around and admiring the wonderful nature of the gorge with all their might. The banks of the river gradually flattened. The rocks on the left became higher and steeper, forming into the same harsh and sharp stripes of a stone organ. Pyramid poplars stood like graceful candles along the road. The river overflowed with wide rapids and glistened in the sun. I was tempted to lie down on the grass by the water, lazily looking at the heavens...
Some people's houses, plots, gardens with beds between fruit trees began to appear. A characteristic smell wafted from the swamp near the road, frogs sang loudly... We kept walking and walking, the road stubbornly turned to the right, and soon the ancient temple of Mithras, high above the rocks, appeared in some completely incredible distance. It became obvious that this primer was not going to take us to the top. Meanwhile, Armina was waiting for us, and we should return. We turned back. A group of young men and girls walked towards us, many of them were wearing white veils on their heads, and one was wearing a white robe. We decided that these were pilgrims walking to the Geghard monastery. It is about five kilometers along the river. We would also be happy to take a walk, but it’s somehow inconvenient to make our driver wait for us for so long. So we hurried to our goat trail. And, sweating from the sun and steepness, we quickly climbed up it as best we could to the familiar fork...
We managed to do it in the agreed hour and a half - to Armina’s surprise and joy, we turned around in just an hour and ten. We were completely delighted with the walk, which gave us so many joyful impressions and brought back a whole fireworks display of associations and memories. Slightly tired and pretty out of breath, we set off for Geghard. But very soon another view outside the car windows captivated us, and we again asked Armina to make a stop opposite an amazing gorge with bizarre rocks, on which in some places something blooming pink grew. A familiar river ran along the bottom of the gorge. There is a restaurant nearby, covered in white foam of flowering trees. And around the corner Geghard was already waiting for us...
Geghard. Monastery of the Spear
Just seven kilometers northeast of Garni, higher along the Azat River gorge, is the famous Geghard monastery. This place is rightly famous for its rock architecture and ancient history. The monastery is located on the slope of an almost closed amphitheater steep cliffs crashing into the sky. Around the next turn of the road winding over the picturesque gorge, Geghard appears almost suddenly in the traveler’s field of vision - not immediately noticeable against the backdrop of rocks and forest.
The time of foundation of the monastery is not precisely established; probably, a monastery was founded here at the beginning of the 4th century. Church legends associate the name “Geghard” with the spear of Longinus that was once kept here, according to legend the same one with which Christ was pierced on the cross. Actually, the full name of the monastery - “Geghardavank” - is literally translated as “Monastery of the Spear”. The diamond-shaped plate-tip of this spear, placed in a reliquary, is currently kept in the museum of the Armenian Church in Etchmiadzin. The existing ensemble of Geghard dates back to the 12th-13th centuries. The first, under princes Zakara and Ivan Dolgoruky, no later than 1177, was the chapel of St. Gregory the Illuminator built. It is located quite high above the road, a hundred meters from the entrance to the monastery. It was erected in 1215 main temple- Katohike. By 1240, work on the first cave church of the monastery, Avazan (Pool), was completed; it was carved on the site of an ancient cave with a spring. In the second half of the 13th century, the monastery was purchased by the Proshyan princes. Through their efforts, the cave church of Astvatsatsin, the tomb of the Proshyan family, was built at the same time. At the same time, numerous cave-cells were built in the rocks surrounding the monastery, where members of the monastery brethren lived in solitude.
The temple in the monastery absolutely captivated us. Ancient stones covered with carvings were lost in the twilight, honey-colored light poured from the hole in the dome, and orange candle lights flickered. Amazing ornaments, fascinating and slightly creepy, decorated the walls. The light wandered through the halls in the most bizarre way, and it was not always clear where the reflection of the fire was and where the sun. A matte bluish ray obliquely outlined the space of the temple, leaving the dome and landing on the stone floor as a luminous bright spot, and, passing by it, one could feel a warm touch.
The beam was hot, the sun lived in it, to which you wanted to expose your face - and then a blinding hot light beat through your closed eyelids...

In the side hall of the temple, a spring of ice water flows, babbling from a niche in the wall - very tasty and, undoubtedly, healing. And if you climb the stairs from the temple courtyard and go through a stone tunnel with walls decorated with khachkars, you can get to the upper temple. A small viewing hole in the floor and booming acoustics unite it with the bottom... We went outside and came back again. For some reason I didn’t want to leave. Children were running around the halls, people were taking photographs, and no one was bothering anyone. Calm and goodwill reigned here. And the atmosphere of some kind of peaceful peace...
Then we finally went out into the sunny courtyard. Behind the wall flowed a river, seething with foam around the stones, a high bridge arched over the river, and on the other bank primroses grew on the slopes, and in a small grotto, numerous stone aurochs stood like mysterious pyramids. Probably a consequence of some kind of ritual. By the way, the cliffs surrounding the monastery belong to the gorge of the Azat River, which, like the monastery complex, is included in the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List.
We once again walked around the temple courtyard, climbed the stairs along the rocks with intricate khachkars, leading to the monastic cells and a bakery with an oven in the floor - here Armina found us, worried about our long absence.
An integral part of the monastery complex is the many (possibly hundreds) of monastic cells carved into the rocks surrounding the monastery. Many of them, including a whole row near the inner rock church of St. Astvatsatsin, were destroyed during the earthquake. To the east of the Katoghike Church, at the top of a stone staircase, there are similar cells. They are called “Lusavorich Caves”, since it is assumed that at the beginning of the 4th century the founder of the monastery, St. Grigor Lusavorich, lived in them. Some of the cells were facing away main church(Katohike) and had altars and work tables carved into the wall. The cells were inhabited by hermits who came to these inaccessible places to renounce worldly desires. The monastery was widely known for its hospitality and for its relics - the "Genuine Pike" and a fragment of Noah's Ark.
Right in the rocks near the cells above the church, many ornamented khachkars were hollowed out. Some of them date back to the early medieval period, but most date from the 11th-12th centuries. Being the most popular place of pilgrimage in Armenia, the monastery received gifts of lands, donations, manuscripts and treasures from wealthy pilgrims, whose names are recorded on the walls of the monastery and many khachkars. The color of the khachkars is the result of applying red paint “vordan karmir” to them - a dye obtained from a certain type of cochineal (worm). Vordan karmir was exported outside the country and was valued in Europe and the Middle East even higher than gold. The durability of the dye has been proven by time - the paint on khachkars is more than 800 years old.
Reluctantly we left the monastery. Clouds floated across the sky, sometimes white and sometimes darkening, and the monastery walls and the pink blossoms of apricot trees stood out beautifully against the sky. It was time to head back. As a farewell, we bought local fruit marshmallows at the market near the monastery. Armina treated us to gata, which she bought on the spot, a huge and delicious sweet pie that her children always order from here. On the way back, we also bought marshmallows, apples and various mountain herbs, which Armenians prepare in the spring instead of a side dish - so we also switched to grass for dinner...
In the evening, Ararat was covered along the tops with thin stripes of clouds, casting transparent blue shadows on its snow-white slopes. The mountains under the clouds were simply a sight to behold, and all the way back we admired the landscapes opening through the windows.

Garni Temple, Geghard Monastery and Charents Arch are some of the most. And if the first two tell travelers about the centuries-old culture and history of the country, then the latter will allow you to enjoy an excellent panoramic view of the sacred mountain Ararat.
Usually a trip (or organized excursion) to the ancient pagan temple of Garni, the mountain monastery of Geghard and a visit to the Charents Arch (with a view of Ararat) are combined, since they are on the same side. And the first stop on the excursion is the Charents Arch, which of these three attractions is located closest to the capital of Armenia -.

In 1957, according to the design of the Armenian architect R. Israelyan, the Charents Arch was erected. The attraction is located east of Yerevan, near the village of Voghchaberd. At first glance, the structure is absolutely ordinary: it rises 5 m above the ground and is a double arch made of concrete and stones, covered with a roof, but the author of the building put a special meaning into it.

The attraction is named after the poet Yeghishe Charents (1897−1937). In his works, he glorified the Armenian people, his country, its natural beauty and one of the symbols of the state -. When the mountain was transferred to Turkey in 1921, it was a real blow for him. It is believed that the poet liked to admire the biblical peak from exactly the place where the Arch now rises. On its walls are carved lines dedicated to the majestic peak.
The same poet Charents is depicted on the Armenian 1000 dram banknote

Lines of Charents' poem imprinted on the arch
There is an opinion that the Charents Arch is the first unofficial monument to victims of repression in the Soviet Union: it was built immediately after A. Mikoyan announced in his speech the name of the poet who died in prison.
The official version says that the monument was erected in honor of the 60th anniversary of E. Charents.

The arch is visited for the magnificent view of Ararat. The attraction is located on a hill, to which several steps lead. In clear weather, the snow-capped peak grows larger and larger in front of travelers with each new step. Already at the very top of the hill, the mountain appears to fit perfectly into the arched opening. Panorama opening on observation deck structures, and is the “highlight” of the place.

Ararat did not open up to us from this point, but this is the view we were able to capture:
Denis and our driver Karen, behind them should be the famous view of Ararat, but we were out of luck

Pagan temple of Garni

The second stop of the trip is usually the pagan temple of Garni. The distance between it and Yerevan is 30 km.

It is located near the village of the same name, on a triangular cape overlooking the valley of the Azat River.
Steep cliff and mountain river Azat below
Presumably, it was built in the 1st century AD, during the reign of the king Trdata I. Once upon a time there was a powerful fortress here: the Armenian rulers loved it very much for its inaccessibility and mild climate.
Such an epic picture of Garni appeared before us
With the adoption of Christianity by Armenia in 301, pagan shrines began to be destroyed everywhere, and the only surviving building of that era is Garni, dedicated to god sun Mithras.
In 1679, a major earthquake occurred here, scattering the ruins of the temple throughout the river valley. Only in the 30s of the 20th century did the architect N. G. Buniatyan draw up a project for restoring the landmark, and thanks to the efforts of volunteers and restorers, it was possible to collect even the smallest fragments ancient building. Already in the 60-70s the object was restored.

Garni Temple is a building in the classical Greek style with a roof in the form of a triangular pediment. The facade of the building is crowned with 24 columns - 8 on the sides, and 6 in front and behind.

At the base of the pagan shrine there is a high podium with steep steps. Tourists love to take pictures on these steps:

The walls and ceilings of Garni are decorated with exquisite carvings: the walls feature intricate designs with pomegranates, vines, flowers and hazel.

Not only the architecture of the Garni temple is admirable, but also the landscape surrounding it: steep cliffs, mountains, a brown river, dense greenery.

Near the attraction there is another interesting architectural monument - the Roman Baths.

Important! The temple operates all year round without breaks or weekends. In summer it opens at 10:00 and sees off the last visitor at 21:00. In winter, the complex closes earlier - at 17:00. Ticket price: approx. 2000 dram.

Entrance fee to Garni: official ticket office at the entrance
In January 2018, the territory of Garni was partially reconstructed:
Entrance to the territory of the Garni temple: new tiles are being laid

Just liked the Chinese tourist boy with a camera in the Garni temple park

Listed world heritage UNESCO, the unique cave monastery of Geghard (Geghardavank, Ayrivank, Geghard) is located in the Kotayk region, near the gorge of the Gokht river.

Already at the entrance to the Geghard monastery we see a Christian cross mounted high on a rock:

Our driver Karen said that this cross was installed by this guy who sells flower wreaths near the monastery, apparently he is a celebrity here:

Also at the entrance to the monastery you can buy a wide variety of Armenian delicacies and religious souvenirs:

From Armenian the name “Geghard” is translated as “spear monastery”. It is connected with the fact that the biblical spear of Longinus, brought to the country by the Apostle Thaddeus, was kept here for some time. Now it is exhibited in Etchmiadzin.
Entrance to the monastery territory

The exact date of the establishment of the shrine is not known. It is believed that the Ayrivank monastery, founded by Gregory the Illuminator in the 4th century, was the first to appear in its place.

It existed until the 9th century and was wiped off the face of the Earth. Modern Geghard appeared only in 1215 - this is the date of construction of its main chapel, Katoghike.
On two tiers of the monastery there are 7 churches and 40 altars, most of them hidden in the cliffs.

Architectural ensemble The monastery is formed by khachkars, cells, chapels, and other premises carved into the rock:
- Katogike. The main and most revered church. Two-tier chapels are located at its corners. The southern façade of the building is decorated with carved wooden gates depicting doves, pomegranates and grapes. The vaulted dome of the building is decorated with reliefs of animals and people;
- Gavit (narthex). Partially carved into the rock. Its stone roof is supported by 4 columns. The center of the building is crowned with a magnificent dome with stalactites;
- Rock Church(Avazan) with a spring. First cave temple- appeared in 1240. There is also a stalactite dome in its center, and the main space is occupied by a pulpit and an altar with an apse;
- Zhamatun. The second cave church of Astvatsatsin (Our Lady) and the tomb of the Proshyans is located in the east of Avazan. Carved out in 1283, it is a square room richly decorated with reliefs;
- Rock church behind Zhamatun. Erected in 1283. This is a building with curved corners and relief images of nature, people and animals;
- Upper Zhamatun. Date of construction: 1288. The princely tombs are located here;
- Chapel of St. Gregory the Illuminator. It is located above the road, not far from the entrance to the monastery. It has a rectangular shape and a horseshoe-shaped apse. There are traces of frescoes on the walls.
The main temple of the Geghard monastery complex
Inside the Geghard Monastery:

Attention! The monastery is still active today, so entry to its territory is free. You can get here any day of the week at any time. Usually, visitors are accepted here until the end of daylight hours.

The ubiquitous Armenian seals even live in the rock monastery of Geghard:

You should not limit yourself to visiting the churches inside the complex; we advise you to go outside through the side door on the right side of the fence protecting the Geghard temple:

Having left the territory, your gaze immediately rests on the gazebo and stumps - ritual killings of rams for sacrifices for various holidays are carried out here:

ribbons:

And this alley of ribbons ends with an impromptu rock garden, which was apparently created by the tourists themselves:
Every self-respecting tourist considers it his duty to create his own stone pyramid

How to get to Garni, Geghard and Cherents Arch from Yerevan?

All attractions are located on the way to Garni, which can be reached in several ways:
- By public transport. Yerevan and Garni are separated by about 30 km. You can get to the temple at minibus No. 284 and bus No. 266, which depart from the bus station behind the Mercedes salon. From the city center (Mashtots Avenue) minibus No. 51 departs. The trip will cost about 300 drams;
- By taxi. Most convenient way, because public transport runs intermittently. We agreed with the driver on all our trips to the sights of Armenia. A trip to Garni-Geghard + Charents Arch cost us 15,000 drams ($31).
Important! The arch is located in front of the village of Voghchaberd. To get to it, you should focus on the large parking lot for tourist buses: the attraction is located 50 meters from it.

Transport to the pagan temple will drop tourists off on the main road, from which you need to turn right and walk another 500 m.

Geghard is 10 km away from Garni. To go to the monastery, you can catch minibus No. 284: it will go to the village of Gokht, from which it is 4 km. you will have to walk or hitchhike. The best option— arrange a ride with a taxi driver; they are standing on the side of the highway. The journey will cost approximately 2000 drams.

Arch of Charents, temples of Garni and Geghard on the map:

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