Sun Temple Armenia Garni. Geghard, Garni and the Arch of Ararat: beautiful sights of Armenia. Taxi from Yerevan

(Armenian: Գառնի, Georgian: გარნისი) - the most popular tourist attraction in Armenia. People come here to look at a real pagan temple from the 1st century AD, which is really quite spectacular and located on a high mountain, so there are also beautiful landscapes here. All this is close to Yerevan, only 28 kilometers, so it is not surprising that it is in first place on the lists of Armenian attractions. However, one must still keep in mind that the temple is the creation of Soviet reenactors in 1968 and one can only guess what it looked like originally.

Garni Temple, view from the southeast

Story

The hill above the Azat River attracted the attention of people a long time ago, so a settlement was founded here in very distant millennia. In the 8th century BC, this settlement was captured by the Urartian king Argishti (786 - 764) and installed a stone stele here. Around the 3rd century BC, the summer residence of the Armenian kings from the Orontid dynasty was formed here, and around the 1st century AD, Tacitus already wrote something about Garni. In Latin literature this place was known as Gorneas.

It is assumed that it was here that the dramatic history of the forties of our era unfolded: the Iberian king Pharasmanes I conquered these regions and appointed his son Mithridates as king in Armenia, then this Miridates was arrested by the emperor Caligula, and the emperor Claudius later released him, but then the relationship between Mithridates and Pharasmanes deteriorated, Pharasmanes sent his son Rhodamistus to war against Armenia, and Mithridates retreated to this very place, Garni, where his Roman allies betrayed him and he surrendered to Rhodamistus in 51 AD. Then he was either executed or sent to Rome.

From those eras, the ruins of the royal palace and baths remain.

Garni is famous for its temple, but in addition to the temple there are also the ruins of a fortress, the ruins of a palace, an Urartian stele and the foundation of a 7th century temple.

Fortress

The entire hill on which the Garni complex was built is now surrounded by the remains of walls. Once upon a time it was something very serious, made of huge stone blocks. Now the wall is best preserved from the entrance and ticket office, and there you can even see fragments of the towers. If you go around the hill along the path on the left, you will also see this monumental wall there.

The exact time of its construction is not known, but it is something very old, dating back to the first century AD. Apparently, it was built simultaneously with the temple or even earlier.

Temple of Mithra

The Temple of Mithra is the most famous in Garni. Once upon a time it was the only ancient temple in the entire territory of the USSR, if we take into account completely reconstructed temples. It was built by the Armenian king Tiridates - either the First (63 - ?) or the Third (287 - 330). There are other dates - for example, 115 or 175. The latter dating is proposed by those who consider the temple to be the mausoleum of King Sochemos (140 - 185).

Externally it is classic Greek peripter(roughly the same as the Parthenon), where the main building is surrounded by 24 Ionic columns on Attic bases.

This is an Ionic column on an Attic base

If this chronology is correct, then it was built around the same time as the Zoroastrian temple in the Kvareli region of Georgia, or a little earlier. But there is nothing in common between these temples at all.

Garni differs from other ancient temples in its material - it was built from basalt, not limestone. It survived both the advent of Christianity and the advent of Islam, while in unknown eras Muslims left inscriptions on it - either in Arabic or Farsi. In 1679, the temple was at the epicenter of an earthquake called Garni. Then many temples throughout Armenia, and the Temple of Mithra in particular, perished. One can imagine the joy of local Muslims when this pagan structure collapsed before their eyes.

This is what it looked like in Soviet times

In 1909 - 1910, archaeologists began research, which was published only in 1933. Later, excavations were resumed, and then the temple was reconstructed - reconstruction took place in 1969 and 1975. At that time, only the foundation with steps remained from the temple.

It is worth recognizing that, together with the landscapes, the temple makes a strong, bewitching impression. There is something of ancient simplicity and epicness in it, something Homeric. It's probably very nice here at night under the big moon. Or early at dawn.

Temple of Mithra
foundation of the temple	entrance	backside	Interior

In esoteric literature they sometimes write that Garni is oriented not towards the Pole, but somewhere in the other direction. For example, to Greenland. Because the North Pole moved, etc. But alas, it is oriented with its entrance strictly north. Accordingly, the priests stood facing south. But the famous Parthenon is oriented with its entrance to the east. Theoretically, the Zoroastrians oriented their temples to the north, but they should not have existed in these parts at the time of the founding of the temple.

Castle

A little to the side of the seiyas temple you can see the rectangular foundation, which is considered to be the royal palace of the 1st century. It was destroyed very early, and already in the 7th century a Christian rotunda was built on top of its ruins. On the territory of the palace there is now a stele of King Argishti and a stand with a decipherment of the Urartian cuneiform: " With the help of Khaldi, he conquered Giarniani, the country of King Siluni. Returning from the enemy mountains, he drove out the men, women".

Surb Zion

However, the most interesting thing in this complex is not the Garni temple, which, for all its external spectacularity, is just a simple temple without any secrets. The interesting thing is the foundation on the western side of the temple. On the stands and on the Internet they only write that this is the Surb Zion Temple and that it was built in the 7th century. Meanwhile, this temple is round, essentially a rotunda, of which there are practically no such things in Armenia (another one exactly the same, but in worse condition, is located on the territory of the Marmashen monastery). It is tetraconch in plan and resembles Zvartnots, but is more primitive in its structure: for example, its external shape does not reflect the internal one, just like in the Avan Cathedral. Perhaps this was the first experiment that preceded Zvartnots. However, this temple has four corner square chambers, which first appeared in the Avan Cathedral and then were present at the Church of St. Hripsime. It is interesting that the two eastern chambers are not strictly square, but are rounded, which is not observed in all tetraconchs of this type.

Infrastructure

Cost for foreigners - 1000 drams

Cost for Armenians - 250

Cost for Armenian children - 100

Cost on the last Saturday of the month - free

(In practice, the ticket office can be easily navigated along the path on the left; no one is guarding anything there.)

Garni is a densely visited place, so there is a parking lot, a ticket office, a few souvenirs and grandmothers selling various jams. On the territory of the complex, everything is equipped with signs and inscriptions, and there is even a lengthy discussion about ancient symbolism. They write something there about sacred numbers and their display in the temple. The text is accompanied by a picture on which a temple and some mysterious lines are drawn. Everyone who wrote about Garni copied this text, so it is easy to find on the Internet. (It must be said that almost 90% of what was written about this temple was copied from the signs on the stands).

In the village of Garni there are two or three guest houses of unknown quality, so spending the night here is quite possible. There is a restaurant near the reception with Yerevan prices, but the food there is mainly kebabs and kebabs. If you come to Garni, you will probably go to the Geghard monastery, but there is already a good restaurant there with a selection and views. So it’s better to get food there.

Around

Garni is interesting not only in itself, but also as an excuse to climb the hills around. The problem is that it can be difficult. Everything on the other side of the Garni gorge is considered the territory of the Khosrov Forest Nature Reserve.

About 10 kilometers up the gorge there is also the famous Geghard Monastery. It’s possible to combine both Garni and Geghard in one day. There is a restaurant near Geghard, but it doesn’t seem to be in Garni yet.

3.5 kilometers from Garni in a straight line to the east are the ruins of the 11th century Havuts Tar monastery. Collapsed in the same year 1679. The central temple appears to be a triconch. The path to the monastery is beautiful, with views of Garni and fragments of khachkars in the thickets.

If you go southeast along the side gorge, there will be a turn to the east and the ruins of the ancient temple of Akhchots. From Garni 7 or 8 kilometers through the reserve. Nice and deserted. If you walk along the gorge all 12 kilometers to the end, you can find the ruins of the Kavkavaberd fortress of the 10th century. But this is already long and difficult.

How to get

Garni is a popular attraction, which is why direct minibuses go here from Yerevan. The distance from Yerevan to the temple in a straight line is 20 kilometers. Getting there by car is also easy, but without a navigator it’s not easy to navigate the outskirts of Yerevan.

If you are planning to visit Yerevan, be sure to free up a whole day in your schedule to visit probably the most amazing sights not only of Yerevan, but probably of all of Armenia: Garni Temple, Geghard Monastery and the basalt organ.

Although there are certainly many more amazing places in Armenia. But those attractions that will be discussed below are located in close proximity to the capital of Armenia. Only 15-20 km.

So: the map and description of how to get there by public transport are in my. There is a brief description of where and which minibus to take and where to get off. All main points are on the map. The map is duplicated below, and below I will describe in detail your actions if you decide to go not by taxi, but by minibus.

How to get to the Garni Temple and the basalt gorge:

We decided to hold off on paying for the Temple territory for now and go first to the basalt gorge (basalt organ), which is located right there, 1 kilometer away. If you stand facing the entrance to the Garni Temple, not reaching 30 meters from it, you can see a path down on the left. Here you go. We quickly went down the winding path. And in 30 minutes we reached one of the wonders of the world - a basalt gorge.

There are not so many of them in the whole world, and the views are truly mesmerizing. Surprisingly, there are no tourists at all, literally at all. There are very few reports about this gorge, but I highly recommend adding this point to your visit. You will not regret. On the map above, the gorge is marked.

Life hack: local taxi drivers offer to take you to the basalt gorge and back on Niva for 5,000 drams. Don't be fooled. The road is not difficult and not long; even people with poor physical fitness can handle it.

Life hack: When you climb back to the Garni Temple, at the last turn, the usual path will go in the other direction to the top. You should go there. And after 100 meters you will find yourself on the site in front of the Garni Temple completely free of charge. Save $2.50 per person.

The Garni Temple was built by the Armenian king in the first century AD. When you look at the temple, it seems that you are in Greece.

- Plagiarism?

- No, we didn’t hear.

This is how Armenians answer the question about the similarity with ancient Greek architecture). Everyone will draw their own conclusions. The views from the Temple site are simply amazing. A must visit!

Geghard Monastery is located 6 km from Garni Temple. Public transport does not go there. There are two options to get there: on foot (the pleasure is questionable) and by taxi. Taxis can be found near the entrance to the Garni Temple. Cost from 5 to 10 dollars per car.

They will take you, wait there and take you back to the Temple, and for an additional payment they can take you to Yerevan. Taxis in Armenia are not expensive, and you can always use them without harming your wallet. Read about prices in Armenia and Yerevan.

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Traveling to Armenia has always been and will be a good idea. It’s warm, tasty and inexpensive, you don’t need a visa to arrive, and recently you can even leave your passport at home. In the list of other advantages, we also note the theoretical possibility of getting to the country by car, ubiquitous knowledge of Russian language, sincere hospitality of local people and similar religion. Almost everyone knows that Armenia attracts everyone not so much with Yerevan and amazing cognac, but with its natural beauty, amazing ancient monasteries and mountain settlements. Burundukmedia publishes the second of three one-day itineraries through the main attractions of the ancient country. The trip included the ancient monastery of Noravank, the secluded monastery of Khor Virap with the best view of Ararat and the amazing natural oasis of Jermuk.

About the route: Garni - Geghard - Sevan (Sevanavank) - Tsakhkadzor

Length: 170 km

Time required: about 7 o'clock

Route features:

• Diversity: includes the embodiment of all 4 elements: water is represented by the vast Lake Sevan, air is the purest peaks of Tsakhkadzor, earth is the ancient monastery of Geghard carved into the rocks, fire is the pagan temple of Garni.
• Short length: if you don’t spend a lot of time on excursions and photography, you can see everything in 4-5 hours.
• Beautiful Views: The short drive and concentration of stunning views along the way make this route one of the most scenic.

Garni

Throughout Armenia, adherence to one religion is very clearly expressed. We have already noted that Armenians are very proud that their country was the first, in 301, to adopt Christianity at the state level. The pagan temple of Garni, preserved in excellent condition, although largely restored, looks even more unusual. It is located just 30 km from Yerevan and it takes no more than 50 minutes to get there by car.

It is worth noting that entrance to the territory of the Garni complex is paid - about 100-130 rubles (depending on the exchange rate). Overall, very inexpensive to see the temple built in the 1st century AD. It is quite difficult to imagine such dates and the fact that such buildings were erected 9 centuries before the beginning of the history of the Russian state. As local guides say, Garni is an example of classic Hellenistic architecture. It is worth admitting that the temple is indeed very similar to an ancient Greek or Roman one, thanks to its columns.

The guide, of course, will tell you a lot of facts, most of which you will not remember. There is practically nothing to see inside the temple - just a rectangular room, in which, by the way, dancers often perform. There are many interesting ruins on the territory of the complex itself. In particular, on the right hand of the entrance there are ancient baths with a beautiful mosaic floor. In the old days, bathhouse employees heated large boulders and threw them into pools of water, ensuring its high temperature.

Another feature of the temple complex is the stunning mountain view. Yes, in Armenia there is such a view literally at every step, but it is impossible to get tired of it and you cannot get enough of it. For the sake of this complex of amenities: a pagan temple, ancient baths, stunning mountain views, it is worth paying money for the entrance ticket.

Geghard

The monastery complex, included in the World Cultural Heritage List, is located just 40 km southeast of Yerevan. The journey from Garni by car takes no more than 20 minutes. It is located in the gorge of a mountain river and was founded in the 8th century. In Armenia, in principle, everything that was done after the 12th-13th centuries is considered a “remake,” which cannot but amaze. Subjectively, Geghard is the most significant and memorable place on the route.

The guides will definitely tell you many fascinating stories. For example, why the name of the monastery is translated as “monastery of the spear.” As they say, the spear that pierced Jesus on the cross was brought here among other relics and was kept here for many years. Now this spear is exhibited in the Etchmiadzin Museum. They will also certainly tell you the story of the large cobblestone located in the very center of the monastery square. In fact, this is a piece of rock that broke off and fell from a great height right during a large religious convention. As a result, this boulder did not hit anyone present, which was considered a good omen and the boulder was left in place.

You can believe in the legends or not, but it’s unlikely that you won’t be able to help but admire the architecture of the monastery. The halls of the churches were carved, “hollowed out” directly into the rocks. In this case, “construction” was carried out from top to bottom. That is, first a huge hole was dug, and already inside the builders gave the churches such an appearance that one cannot shake the feeling that all these walls were simply once erected by people, and are not part of the mountain. It is especially worth noting the acoustics in the monastery buildings. We were lucky: while we were in one of these temples, a man with a good voice spontaneously began to sing quietly. Everyone suddenly fell silent and enjoyed themselves: the acoustics had done their job.

Sevan

There is no direct access to any sea in Armenia, so the largest lake in the country is incredibly valued. It is worth recognizing that such love is completely justified. Still, the views of the lake are simply magical. Don’t forget that Armenia is a mountainous country, so there are quite enough points to view Sevan from above. And if we want to see the lake from above, then it is best to combine this pleasure with a visit to Sevanavank, a monastery located right above the water. The journey from Geghard will take about 1.5 hours, from Yerevan - about an hour.

The monastery itself consists of 2 main buildings. After examining Noravank or Geghard, there is, perhaps, nothing special about it except for the fact that it was founded back in 847. For comparison, Rus', in principle, would accept Christianity only in 988. Being here, you want to sit down and just look: at the water, at the mountains surrounding it, at the sky, at the blue color unusual for Armenia: after all, the country is dominated by green hills and pink buildings made of tuff.

The cleanliness of the lake also defies description - the water is clear even in the most crowded places with tourists. The guides say that due to the construction of the canal, the water level in the lake has dropped significantly. Now attempts are being made to gradually raise it. You can ride a jet ski or a small pleasure boat on the lake. The price, like everything else in Armenia, is relatively low.

Bonus: Tsaghkadzor

Classically, Tsaghkadzor is considered a winter holiday destination. This is a full-fledged ski resort with a relatively small altitude difference, but a fairly developed infrastructure and so far low prices. Every winter this place attracts winter sports enthusiasts who do not want to overpay for the Alps or Rosa Khutor. However, it’s also worth visiting in summer, especially if you go to Sevanavank, because Tsakhkadzor is located directly on the way from Yerevan to the lake.

There is no need to invent anything in Tsaghkadzor. You simply buy a ticket for the chairlift, which takes skiers to the peaks in winter, and enjoy the views of the emerald hills and the clouds descending on them. We know that cable cars are also popular in Sochi in the summer precisely because of the wonderful views of the mountains. Believe me, Tsaghkadzor will not disappoint you. By the way, there is free wi-fi throughout the entire route.

Return to Yerevan

Since you need to allocate less than one day for the entire route, upon return you will have an excellent opportunity to calmly, without haste, go to dinner at one of the cozy Armenian restaurants. About what to do in Yerevan, and where to eat very tasty, satisfying and cheap, is described in.

More photos are always available at.

The temple was restored from ruins during Soviet times.

Story

The Garni fortress is mentioned by Tacitus in connection with events in Armenia in the first half of the 1st century. n. e. It was built by the Armenian king Trdat I (54-88) in 76, as evidenced by his inscription in Greek discovered there:

“Helios! Trdat the Great, Great Armenia (Μεγαλη Αρμενια) sovereign, when the ruler built an agarak for the queen (and) this impregnable fortress in the eleventh year of his reign...”

This inscription is mentioned by Movses Khorenatsi, who attributed it, as well as the reconstruction of the fortress, to Trdat III the Great (286-330). The Garni fortress is one of the clearest evidence of the centuries-old culture of the pre-Christian period of Armenia.

Garni fortress began to be built in the 2nd century BC and continued to be built during the ancient era and partly in the Middle Ages. Ultimately, the Armenian rulers made it impregnable. The citadel protected residents from foreign invasions for more than 1000 years.

The Armenian kings loved this place very much - not only because of its inaccessibility, but also because of the stunning climate - and turned it into their summer residence. The Garni fortress is located 28 km from the capital of Armenia - Yerevan. Strategically, the location of Garni was chosen extremely well.

According to the Urartian cuneiform found on the territory of Garni, this fortress was conquered by the Urartian king Argishti in the first half of the 8th century BC, after which he gathered the population of Garni as a workforce and headed towards modern Yerevan, where he built the Erebuni fortress, which later became Yerevan.

The Garni fortress occupies a triangular cape dominating the surrounding area, surrounded by the Azat River on both sides, a deep gorge, and steep slopes serve as an impregnable natural boundary.

The gorge is notable for its amazing, seemingly artificial slopes, which consist of regular hexagonal prisms. The latter stretch from the foot to the top of the gorge and are called “Symphony of Stones”. In the rest of the fortress, a powerful defensive system was created - a mighty fortress wall with fourteen towers.

In the area where the approach to the fortress was complicated by natural conditions, there are fewer towers, they are placed at a distance of 25-32 m from each other. And where the enemy could approach the walls relatively unhindered, the towers were erected more often and were located at a distance of 10-13.5 m from each other. The towers were rectangular in shape. In the Armenian Highlands, rectangular towers have existed since Urartian times.

Both the fortress walls and the towers were built from large blocks of local bluish basalt, without mortar, and connected with iron brackets, the corners of the connection being filled with lead. The fortress walls have a thickness of 2.07-2.12 m and a length along the entire perimeter (together with the towers) of 314.28 m. In some places, 12-14 rows up to 6-7 m high have been preserved. It was possible to get inside the fortress only through one the gate is as wide as one chariot. At the same time, the number of troops in the fortress was enormous.

Palace complex

The historical and architectural complex of Garni is located next to the modern village of the same name. The Garni Temple is the only monument surviving on the territory of Armenia dating back to the era of paganism and Hellenism.

The temple is made of smooth-hewn basalt blocks. The stones are about two meters long, fastened with staples and pins. The temple was built in Hellenistic architectural forms. Nine massive steps 30 centimeters high stretch across the entire width of the façade, giving the building majesty and solemnity. The pylons on the sides of the stairs are decorated with reliefs. They depict naked Atlanteans standing on one knee, with their arms raised up, supporting altars. The temple throughout its composition is a peripter. The plan is a rectangular hall with a portico, surrounded by columns on the outside. The details of the temple, in contrast to the uniformity found in Greco-Roman structures, are designed with the variety inherent in local art. Along with numerous variants of acanthus leaf, Armenian motifs were introduced into the ornaments: pomegranate, grapes, hazel leaves, flowers. Basalt carving testifies to the first-class work of Armenian craftsmen. A shallow vestibule leads into the rectangular sanctuary, covered with a vault; the entrance is decorated with a richly ornamented casing. The dimensions of the sanctuary are small. There was only a statue of the deity here. This small temple served the king and his family.

As a result of a strong earthquake in 1679, the temple was almost completely destroyed; it was restored in 1966-1976. Near the temple there are the remains of an ancient fortress and a royal palace, as well as a bathhouse built in the 3rd century. The palace complex was located on the southern part of the fortress, distant from the entrance. The royal army and service personnel were located on the northern fortress territory. To the west of the temple, at the edge of the cliff, there was a ceremonial hall. A two-story residential building adjoined it from the north. Traces of pink and red paint preserved on the plaster remind of the rich decoration of the residential and state rooms of the palace. The bathhouse building included at least five rooms for various purposes, four of which had apses at the ends. The floors are decorated with Hellenistic mosaics.

In the 19th century, the ruins of the temple attracted the attention of numerous scientists and travelers, such as Chardin, Morier, Ker-Porter, Telfer, Chantre, Shnaaze, Marr, Smirnov, Romanov, Buniatyan, Trever, Manandyan. The French scientist Dubois de Montpere in 1834 tried to make a project for the reconstruction of the temple with approximate accuracy. At the end of the 19th century, the idea arose to transport all the details of the temple to Tiflis - the center of the Caucasian governorship and stack it here in front of the palace of the royal governor. Fortunately, this venture failed due to the lack of appropriate means of transportation.

At the beginning of the 20th century, archaeological work was carried out to discover details and measure the temple by a small expedition led by N. Ya. Marr. In the early 30s, the chief architect of Yerevan N. G. Buniatyan examined the Garni Temple and already in 1933 gave a project for the reconstruction of its original appearance. Academician I. A. Orbeli was also interested in the issue of restoring the pagan temple in Garni. In the mid-60s, restoration work was entrusted to the architect A. A. Sainyan. Wonderful Armenian craftsmen worked painstakingly for almost 10 years. Restoring the temple was no easier than building it; it was necessary to find the location of each surviving stone. The Garni temple was completely restored in 1976.

Visit Garni Temple and Geghard Monastery- this is the first thing that comes to mind when interesting places in Yerevan have already been explored. They are located east of the capital, and a trip here will take half a day or a day.

Garni Temple

This temple is the only monument in Armenia dating back to the era of paganism and Hellenism. That is, it was built even before the country adopted Christianity (the first in the world). That is why Garni is radically different from all other religious buildings, more like a piece of ancient Greece right in the middle of the Armenian hills.

The temple is dedicated to the pagan sun god Mithras and was built in the 1st century AD. This is such an antiquity! It is even more surprising how exactly he was able to survive, because after the adoption of Christianity, all pagan temples were destroyed.

The construction of the Garni fortress began even BC. in an inaccessible place on a rocky ledge on the banks of the Azat River. It was from here that the Urartian king moved towards Yerevan, where he founded another fortress - Erebuni, which later became the capital.

Azat River Gorge

The base of the temple is a high basalt podium, which can only be reached by a steep staircase. Externally, Garni is very reminiscent of the temple in Athens: a triangular roof and 24 giant columns.

Garni Armenia

It is noteworthy that the walls and ceilings are very skillfully decorated - even then the Armenian sculpture masters were at their best.

In the 17th century, a strong earthquake occurred here and the pagan temple of Garni was severely destroyed, its pieces scattered along the river gorge. But thanks to the painstaking work of the scientist and local residents, the structure was restored.

Near the sanctuary you can see the remains of a bathhouse, a royal palace and a fortress, and if you go down to the river - unusual hexagonal prisms of regular shape in the rocks.

Entrance fee to Garni:

1200 drams per person (1500 evening visit). Excursion in a foreign language 2500 drams. On every last Saturday of the month, admission is free for everyone.

For citizens of Armenia: 250 drams per adult/100 drams per child under 18 years old.

Garni Museum opening hours:

Sunday: from 09:00 to 15:00

After Garni, we caught a local bus to the nearest village, from where it was a 4 km walk to the Geghard Monastery. I didn’t want to take a taxi - the places are beautiful! But while we were walking along the road along the villages, we ate mulberries, apples, and cherry plums. It’s a pity the grapes haven’t ripened yet, they would have killed them too ;-) The places are really cool.

Geghard is one of the most popular attractions in Armenia, and is included in the UNESCO heritage list. The name translates as “spear”, because, as legend says, the spear with which Jesus Christ was pierced during the crucifixion was kept here.

The first monastery on this site was founded in the 4th century, but it was later destroyed by the Arabs. Now there are several churches in the monastery complex, including a cave with a spring. Armenian churches are all distinguished by their ascetic decoration, in contrast to Russian Orthodox churches. But in Geghard it’s just like a man’s harshness, especially in the rock with a spring: subdued light and twilight, somewhere in the darkness a spring with cold water gurgles….

People stand in line to get water, you have to use your phone to highlight it - you can’t see anything.

The main church is called Katoghike

Geghard Monastery Armenia

And the extension on the west, attached to the rock, is Gavit. It was used for gathering, teaching and receiving pilgrims.

We were very impressed by the stone carvings inside - very skillfully and beautifully carved.

Garni somehow didn’t particularly impress us, but Geghard is stern, but beautiful. A very atmospheric place, be sure to go to these places.

How to get to Garni and Geghard?

Minibuses (No. 266) and buses (No. 284) go to the Garni Temple from Yerevan. They depart from a small bus station behind the Mercedes dealership. From Mashtots Avenue in the center you can get there by city minibus 51. The cost of buses to Garni is 250 drams, the journey takes half an hour, and they leave every hour.

In the village itself you will be dropped off on the main road, from where you will need to go right about 500 meters to the entrance to the complex.

There is no public transport to the Geghard monastery, and from Garni to Geghard it is about 10 km. Taxi drivers will catch you on the main road, offering to go to the monastery and back for 2000 drams - a good price. Or you can catch bus number 284 there to the village of Gokht, from where you can walk another 4 km or hitchhike.

The most comfortable option is to negotiate with a taxi in Yerevan. There and back they will charge about 10 thousand drams per car (only 80 km of travel).

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