Distance from Goris to the cable car. Tatev Monastery and the world's longest cable car. Tatev - origin of the name

If you are traveling or on a business trip to Yerevan, it is worth taking time to travel to a major temple complex Armenia - Tatev Monastery. How to get there from Yerevan? The article contains this information and some facts about the monastery complex.

"Wings of Tatev"

The monastery is located just 315 km from Yerevan. The journey will take no more than 4 hours. You can drive all the way to the monastery or take the longest celestial highway in the world. A unique structure that includes modern engineering solutions - cable car to the Tatev Monastery. The Guinness Book of Records states that it is the longest in the world (5752 m). But not only the length of the airway is considered a record, but also the construction time. was designed by an Austrian-Swiss company and built by Armenians in 10 months. And “Wings of Tatev” can also be proud of the longest unsupported span from the 3rd support to the station. "Tatev" is 2709 meters.

"Wings of Tatev" is a picturesque celestial highway connecting two villages - Galidzor and Tatev. The most high point lifting - at an altitude of 320 meters. Those who love extreme sports will enjoy a 12-minute flight in a trailer over the gorge with the turbulent Vorotan River.

History of Tatev Monastery

30 kilometers from the city of Goris, on high cliff, almost on the edge of the gorge, the Tatev Monastery is located. When you look at it from the outside, you get the impression that its walls are continuations of mountain rock formations. The interior of the monastery has arched openings and labyrinths leading to small balconies with views of the gorge and mountains. Looking down, you realize how high the monastery is, you get the impression that you are on the roof of the world and hovering over a cliff.

From the chronicles it is known that on the right bank of Vorotan, on the Tatev plateau, there was pagan temple, which was destroyed with the advent of Christianity.

Construction of the monastery

In the 9th century, construction of the Armenian monastery complex began. The construction of the monastery took several centuries. But the builders and architects maintained the harmony of the structure with mountain landscape. Inside the monastery, utility and living quarters were erected along the perimeter, emphasizing the rocky foundation of the monastery, and the temple towering in the center, visible from afar, gave grandeur to the complex. Already in the 10th century, the monastery became a major spiritual and political center of all Armenia. In the 13th century, by the end of the construction of the complex, Tatev included 680 villages. The monastery was consecrated in honor of Saint Eustathius.

In the 14th century, Tatev University and a school of miniatures were founded on the territory of the monastery. By this time, 500 monks lived in the monastery. Besides? Philosophers, musicians, copyists of manuscripts lived there, as well as those who received knowledge in philosophy, mathematics, and grammar. At the university they studied the basics of artistic skills and graphics.

It is worth noting that the monastery had a huge repository with ten thousand manuscripts - Matenadaran. The monastery was and remains today the spiritual center of the Syunik diocese.

Legends about the name of the monastery

Who and when gave the name to the monastery is not known for certain. Therefore, people have various legends on this topic. One legend tells that the architect, having completed his work, threw himself into the abyss, shouting: “Lights, Surb, ta tev!”, which literally translated from Armenian means “Holy Spirit, send me wings!” According to the second legend, an apprentice jumped into the gorge and, without the master’s permission, installed a cross on the monastery church. He did not have time to go down, and the angry master saw him. And he also jumped with the words addressed to God: “Tal Tev,” which means “give me wings.”

According to some scientists, the name of the Tatev monastery is consonant with the name of St. Evstatheos. There is also an option that the soul in this monastery, freed from sins, receives wings. No matter how many legends are invented and no matter whose version is more interesting, the monastery has had its own name for centuries - Tatev.

Religion of Armenia

Before visiting the churches built on the territory of the monastery, it is worth mentioning that Armenians are Christians, but by their faith they are neither Catholics nor Orthodox. Almost 95% of Armenians are followers of the Armenian Apostolic Church, the oldest of Christian churches. Thus, in Armenia Tatev has its own characteristics in rituals and dogma. During the service, you can sit, and not spend several hours standing, as is the case in Orthodox services. The interior decoration of churches is simplicity and asceticism, in contrast to the decoration in Catholic and Orthodox churches.

The Tatev Monastery houses the relics of the 11 apostles and the hair of the Virgin Mary. To the church of St. Peter and Paul, a small temple of the most revered philosopher in Armenia - St. Grigor Tatevatsi. It was he who brought the relics of the apostles Peter and Paul to the monastery. The tomb of Grigor Tatevatsi, the great philosopher and theologian of Armenia, was installed at the Tatev Monastery on the southern wall of the church. In 1787, a martyrium with an arched ceiling and a dome was erected in the monastery over the grave of Grigor Tatevatsi. The entrance to the tomb is located at the apse of the temple.

Church of Saints Peter and Paul - Surb Poghos-Petros

At the foot of the monastery there is a path that leads to the massive gates of the monastery, behind which stands the first church built in the monastery complex, the Church of St. Peter and Paul. Its construction lasted from 895 to 906. The rigor and laconicism of the structure, the crown of which is a fan-shaped dome, is striking. During the construction of the temple, the main attention was paid to the decoration, since it was the main cathedral of the Syunik principality. The bas-reliefs on the windows in the form of human faces and snake heads with a protruding sting facing the face also attract attention. The snake has always been revered by the Armenians as the patroness of the home. Faded fragments of frescoes indicate that the walls were decorated with bright frescoes, but faded over time. The main shrine of the monastery is particles of the relics of the holy apostles Peter and Paul. They are located under the columns of the altar.

swinging column

The Tatev Monastery in Armenia is famous for another monument of medieval Armenia, the swinging khachkar-gavazan - a staff with a cross stone. It was installed in 904. Archimandrite Mikael, who currently conducts services in the monastery, says that one of the old chronicles stored in the monastery says that the Arabs who destroyed Armenian churches did not touch this miracle staff, since they could not figure out what it was secret. The column more than once saved the monastery from the invasion of enemies, beginning to sway. The swaying of the column is a reaction to the vibrations of the earth created by the stomping of a mass of people and horses.

For many, this seems like a miracle, but only a miracle of craftsmen, a brilliant invention of the Armenian architectural mind. The column is an assembly of many stones on a hinged base. It has a height of 8 meters. What is special about this column? She begins to sway when she feels the ground shaking. The column is also an earthquake predictor. By the way, the earthquake, which partially destroyed the buildings of the monastery, could not destroy the swinging column, and it still stands in the Tatev Monastery.

Is on one of the faces of the column sundial. They are showing exact time for many centuries. Restoration and restoration work is currently ongoing, but the monastery is open to everyone.

Satan's Bridge

There is another miracle of Armenia not far from the monastery - the Satanic Bridge. This is a bridge created by nature that connects the village of Tatev with the monastery. It goes through highway, since it is quite wide - 60 meters. The length of this bridge is 30 meters. There are many springs around the bridge, there are natural pools with warm mineral water. Under the bridge there are caves painted with stalactites and emerald fonts with mineral water.

The history of every nation has its own memorable events and architectural monuments. We never cease to be amazed at the talents of the architects who created unique buildings many thousands of years ago. It doesn't matter where you live. There is only one planet. We need to be able to preserve what our ancestors left us and preserve it for future generations.

Tatev Monastery (Armenia) - description, history, location. The exact address and website. Tourist reviews, photos and videos.

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30 km from Goris, in the very heart of the Syunik region of Armenia, is located one of the largest temple complexes in the country - the Tatev Monastery or simply Tatev. Chronicles say that in previous centuries the right bank of the Vorotan River was occupied by a pagan temple. With the advent of Christianity, it lost its former significance in the 9th century AD. e. gave way to a temple with porches. The construction of the monastery complex lasted for hundreds of years and was completed only in the 13th century. It has not yet been established exactly who and when gave the name to the monastery.

According to one version, it was named after the architect who threw himself into the abyss after the completion of construction with the words: “Lights, Surb, ta tev!”, which translated from Armenian means: “Holy Spirit, send me wings!” Some scholars believe that the name of the monastery goes back to the name of St. Evstateos, who was killed and buried in the vicinity of the monastery. According to the third version, the temple got its name because within its walls the soul seems to gain wings, getting rid of the burden of sins and suffering. Be that as it may, for many centuries the Tatev monastery served as the center of political and religious life region. And although over time it has lost its former significance, its gates are still open to all those who suffer.

What to see

A rocky path leads to the monastery, formed as a result of the contact of the banks of the Vorotan River. This a natural phenomenon popularly called the Satanic Bridge. Its width varies from 1.4 to 1.6 m, and its height reaches 100 m. The lower part of the bridge is covered with natural growths - stalactites: from under them a water flow. On the way to the monastery we periodically meet mineral springs: the pools built near them for taking medicinal baths now lie in ruins, and only miraculously surviving fragments remind of their former splendor.

At the foot of the monastery, the path ends, and as if by magic, a massive gate appears out of nowhere. Just behind them stands the Church of St. Peter and St. Paul, dating from the early 10th century. This monumental structure with a round drum and an umbrella dome amazes at first glance, but its interior is even more surprising.

The interior of the church is decorated with stucco, and the window openings are decorated with bas-reliefs of human faces surrounded by snake heads. In previous centuries, the walls were completely covered with bright frescoes; now only faded fragments remain of them. Adjacent to the south side of the church is the Church of St. Gregory the Illuminator, one of the most revered Armenian saints.

Opposite the living quarters of the monastery is Gavazan - a pillar on a hinged base 8 m high, made of many small stones. Its peculiarity is that when pressed or the slightest vibration of the ground, it deviates to the side and then returns to its original position. According to scientists, he notified the inhabitants of the monastery about approaching enemies (vibrations created by crowds of people set the monument in motion), as well as about the threat of an earthquake.

Practical information

Tatev can be reached by car, taxi, excursion bus and along the “Wings of Tatev” cable car - the longest in the world (6 km). Before your trip, you should check the weather forecast: on inclement days the gorge is closed.

The cable car operates from 10:00 to 18:00 (winter season) and from 10:00 to 20:00 (summer season). Monday is a day off. Ticket price is 7000 AMD. Prices on the page are for April 2019.

How to fly 5752 meters in 12 minutes at an altitude of 320 meters above the abyss? The Tatev cable car allows you to do this! The project, completed in 2010, has greatly increased the accessibility of one of the most famous tourist and historical places south of Armenia - Tatev monastery.

This was my second cable car in my life. I hope not the last. What I saw, what I liked and what I remember - I’ll tell you right now!

1. Wings of Tatev - reversible cable car. This means that the booths move in a circle, and back and forth like shuttles. Departures are carried out simultaneously from both stations. The word “pendulum” is also used.

2. Station "Halidzor" - the one from which people go to the monastery. I saw the caption "lower station". Perhaps she really is a lower level than the other. This doesn't play a big role.

3. Nearby there is a restaurant, a souvenir shop, and an observation deck.

4. Model of the monastery.

5. Local observation deck there is a photo card. There are few objects around. The mountain view itself is much more beautiful than anything else.

6. Halidzor.

7. Vorotan Gorge.

8. Previously, the road to Tatev was along steep roads They say it took up to an hour and a half in small minibuses. The Internet says a minimum of 40 minutes. It is simply impossible to get there by large bus. You will see in the photo. From this place to the other end of the cable car, Google gives 15 kilometers in 13 minutes. Yeah. Why!

9. Cabins depart every 15 minutes.

10. Mechanisms.

11. The cabin that just departed. Its speed will reach 36-37 km/h.

12. Now she has passed the first segment of the road. See the dot below?

13. And here is half the way! In the distance on a high support.

14. By framing we see the meeting of booths.

15. Specifications and rules of conduct are written in Russian, Armenian and English. The smallest section is two supports in the middle of the road where the cabin flies over the mountain.

16. It's time to line up for boarding. Waiting under the roof.

17. Tickets are different. I have a back and forth. Today it is 536 rubles.

18. The booth has arrived. Those who arrived left. And we pass. One booth accommodates 25 people and 1 accompanying operator.

19. During the journey there is a short excursion in 3 languages.

20. We start moving smoothly.

21. Mountain view.

22. If there are experts in the comments, I will be glad to receive explanations about these structures on cables. I guess just to prevent the cables from dangling.

23. Local transport.

24. School.

25. Some ruins.

26. Cemetery.

27. Meeting booths!

28. The longest section is ahead. Do you see the road?

29. This is only part of it. Let's trust the speed promised by Google?

30. Holiday home.

31. A small river from the monastery flows into Vorotan.

32. Abandoned place of residence of hermits.

33. Vorotan River gorge from the other side.

34. The monastery is already very close.

35. In the meantime, there is a waterfall below us!

36. It is its water that flows into Vorotan!

37. We have arrived! While there are no people yet, I’ll take a photo of the control panel.

38. Tatev station.

Very nice cable car. Scary for those afraid of heights, but very convenient. While waiting for a booth, you can calmly surf the Internet, for example :-)

To be continued!

Thanks:
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Hello friends! Today I invite you to fly! We will even have real wings for this, can you imagine? So, dress warmly, we're going to ride the world's longest cable car. It is located, oddly enough, not somewhere in Swiss Alps, and in Armenia! At the end of the article there is all the technical information on how to get there, where to live, how much it will cost admission ticket on “Wings of Tatev”, as well as a video about the cable car and the monastery, filmed during the trip.

Let me remind you that in the spring of this year my friend Katyusha and I traveled around Transcaucasia and one fine day we fell into mountainous areas in the south of Armenia. How and with whom we got there is a whole detective story; you can read how two over-aged Armenians drove us in a tinted car through snow-covered gorges:

Ropeway “Wings of Tatev”

I’ll show you the beauty for which we spent many hours shaking in a minibus. mountain serpentines, covering 250 km from Yerevan.

Ropeway “Wings of Tatev” was opened in October 2010 as part of the Tatev revival program, which includes three stages: construction of a cable car, restoration of the monastery and opening of a hotel.

“Wings of Tatev” is registered in the Guinness Book of Records. Not only the length of the road turned out to be a record - 5,752 meters, but also the construction time - only 10 months. The road was built by Armenians and designed by an Austrian-Swiss company. The entire construction cost investors $18 million.

If suddenly you also want to stay in a cozy house with our friends, you can call and agree on the dates and cost of your stay. Igor’s phone number for calls from an Armenian number 093-76-19-04 . If you call from another country or from mobile operator numbers in another country, you need to dial +374-93-76-19-04.

Video about the longest cable car in the world and the Wings of Tatev Monastery

If you liked the video, you can like it in the upper right corner and subscribe to my youtube channel bptrip and watch other videos about traveling around the world.

It is quite possible that before you get to Tatev, you will first come to the capital of Armenia, so you can read an entertaining story about. In that article I share interesting facts about Yerevan, there are also many photographs of the capital.

Have a breathtaking journey! Sincerely,

The path to the Tatev Monastery runs through a gorge, the descent to which is very steep. The stormy Vorotan River flows along the bottom of the gorge, plunging several tens of meters into the rocks. The nature here is mysterious and beautiful. You can get to the Tatev Monastery by car (or by small bus) through the gorge, or along the cant road. The cabin super-modern Tatev cable car is the longest in the world (5.7 km), registered in the Guinness Book of World Records. From the cable car cabin, from a height of 320 meters above the gorge, an indescribable landscape of the merging of sky and earth opens up...

This gorge seems enormous and inaccessible to those looking into it, and in the southwest a peak rises to the very sky, bearing the name of the head of the pagan gods of the Armenians, Aramazd. They say some secret passages they lead to the very bottom of the gorge and then even rise up to its opposite side. Silent, as if floating above the surrounding mountains, it makes a very strong impression. Labyrinths of narrow passages leading from spacious halls to a series of rooms for different purposes, the outlines of niches emerging from the darkness, stone stairs, an arched opening into nowhere, approaching the edge of which will take your breath away - the earth seems to disappear from under your feet and an abyss opens up under you - somewhere far below the river is roaring, and velvet green trees are rearing and crowding around hills. To a person who first climbed to Tatev, it seems that this is the roof of the world and the Earth has no roof higher than Aramazd.

The plateau on which the Tatev Monastery was built is a unique miracle of nature. On this plateau in the pre-Christian era there were pagan temples.

Tatev - origin of the name

There are many versions associated with the etymology of the name of the Tatev Monastery.

One of them says that when the construction of the main church of the monastery was completed, and all that remained was to put a cross on the dome, one of the master’s students made a cross that matched the splendor of the temple, and secretly installed it at night. He, however, does not have time to descend from the dome unnoticed and, noticing the enraged master, rushes into the abyss, asking God for wings (“tal tev” - “to give wings”). According to legend, it was then that the name “Tatev” appeared.

According to another version, peasants who found themselves in danger turned to God with a request to give wings - “tev”.

Tatev Monastery - construction and architecture

In 848, Prince Philip built the first church named after St. Grigor Lusavorich (the Enlightener). It was, however, destroyed during the invasion of the Seljuk Turks, restored in 1138 and again destroyed by an earthquake. In the same place, in the same compositional style (single-vaulted hall) and again with the same name of Gregory the Illuminator, the same church was built in 1295 along with a vestibule on the western side. The Church of St. Gregory the Illuminator is adjacent to the main church in the southeastern part. It has a single-vaulted prayer hall and a semicircular altar.

In general, in the external simplicity of the temple’s architecture, the paired cross-shaped windows on the eastern facade and the western main entrance stand out with their rich forms. The main church The monastery is the Church of St. Pogos-Petros (Paul Peter). It was erected next to the Church of St. Gregory the Illuminator in 895-906. In 895, Bishop Hovhannes, under the patronage of the Grand Duke of Syunik Ashot and his wife Shushan, destroyed the old church and erected a new one in its place. He pulls from the walls old church the relics of the apostles Poghos (Paul) and Petros (Peter) and again placed them within the walls of the newly built church.

Along the outer perimeter of the church, on both the eastern and western sides, there are sacristies with semicircular niches. Although its composition is similar to the type called domed basilica, it has certain differences. In the quadrangular prayer hall, at a distance of 3 meters from the main altar, there is only one pair of domed pylons. On the western side, the corners of the sacristy of the prayer hall play the same role. This solution resulted in a two-pylon version of the mentioned type, which is already an innovation. The original dome of the temple was destroyed during the earthquake of 1138. The drum and dome were re-erected in 1274.

The main entrance to the cathedral is located on the west side. There is another entrance on the south side, to which a chapel was later added. The medieval-style windows are quite large. Of particular interest are the arches of those windows, in the upper part of which there are sculptured images of people, towards whom the heads of writhing snakes are directed on both sides (the latter are attributed to a protective purpose).

Instead of the old bell tower that was destroyed at the end of the last century, a new bell tower was added to the church on the western side.

In 930, on the initiative of Bishop Hakob Dvinetsi, the internal walls of the cathedral were covered with frescoes, some of which were painted by foreign masters. These frescoes, which are of high artistic and historical value, have been partially preserved. Particularly significant were the fresco “The Last Judgment” depicted on the western wall and the fresco “The Birth of Christ” depicted on the northern wall.

The next church in the complex is the Church of St. Astvatsatsin (Theotokos), located above the crypt rooms (presumably tombs) in the north-eastern corner of the monastery walls. The church was built in 1087 under the abbot of the monastery, Bishop Grigor. Given the location of the church on a hill, it was also given importance as a watchtower.

Along the rectangular contour along the entire front, except for the western side, there is a structure with two triangular niches, without sacristies, and the entrance is on the western side. The external architecture is characteristic of the style of the era. A tall cylindrical drum, rising above the facades, designed in general with clear simplicity, is decorated with ornamentation, covering paired semi-columns and crowned with a folded mantle.

The swinging pillar of Tatev

One of the most famous buildings of the Tatev monastery complex is the obelisk monument - “Staff - Pillar” or “Vardapet Staff” (“Archimandrite Staff”), dedicated to the Holy Trinity. It is erected in an octagonal recess surrounded by borders. The three-stage composition has a height of about 6 meters. The multifaceted first and second steps, rising to a monolithic stone pedestal, are completed with cornices, and the third with a cross-stone embedded in the pedestal.

From an architectural point of view, the pillar is an extremely interesting structure. Having a stone facing and a lime-concrete core, the pillar along its entire height not only resists all kinds of elements, but also rocking, and thanks to this it is mainly known as the “Swinging Pillar”. The explanation for this unprecedented phenomenon still needs clarification. According to some scientists, this occurs due to the presence of hinged joints at the base, while others believe that the swing occurs by giving the lower plane of the pillar slab a certain inclination. They say that at one time the pillar was called the “Vardapet Staff”, since seminarians took an exam at the pillar and, if from their impressive voices and the sounds of spiritual chants (sharakans) the pillar began to sway, then they were awarded ordination to various church ranks: priest, deacon , hieromonk, etc. It also served as a warning system, warning by swinging about the approach of an enemy army.

Project “Revival of Tatev”

On the initiative of Russian entrepreneur Ruben Vardanyan, the “Revival of Tatev” project was launched in 2008, implemented as a charitable initiative managed by a public-private partnership.

The project is based on the idea of ​​reconstructing a medieval Armenian monastery, revival of the academic and spiritual traditions of the monastery, as well as the implementation of measures to promote the development tourism infrastructure region, improving the standard of living of the local population and involving them in the hospitality industry.

The official start of the project was given on October 16, 2010, the day of the launch of the “Wings of Tatev” cable car. All profits from the operation of the cable car go to the project fund and are intended for the reconstruction of the monastery and the development of local communities.

Since the opening of the “Wings of Tatev”, the number of tourists visiting Tatev has increased tenfold, so, in 2012 alone, 69 thousand visitors to the monastery used the cable car, and in the city of Goris, located 20 km from the cable car, 10 new hotels opened. Completion of the project is planned for autumn 2017.

For tourists

Now the Tatev Monastery is inactive, restoration work is being carried out every now and then, but it is always open to tourists.

Getting to it has become much easier than before: in 2010, the Tatev cable car was opened through the Vorotan Gorge, connecting the villages of Halidzor (not far from the Yerevan highway) and, in fact, the village of Tatev.

If you are in Armenia, do not waste time on this excursion: silent, as if floating above the surrounding mountains, Tatev makes a very strong impression.

 

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