Most interesting

Armenia
Gatis Pvils, 8 March 2013 No.16. http://www.wondermondo.com/Armenia.htm

attractions and landmarks in

Image: Kohr Virap monastery and Ararat mountain. Andrew Behesnilian, Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0

Wondermondo is unique project: it aims to describe the most interesting man made and natural attractions /
landmarks in the whole world. Author of website www.wondermondo.com and each article in it is Gatis Pvils. Visit the site to find a lot more information!

n spite of its small size Armenia has quite a few

surprising landmarks. Highlights of this country are: Some of the oldest churches and Christian monasteries in the world. The oldest state built cathedrals and churches are found in Armenia this was the first country to adopt the Christianity in 301 AD and soon after were built the first large churches, basing on older construction and art traditions. The first and most important is Etchmiadzin Cathedral, originally built in 303 AD, rebuilt in 480 AD. Archaeological heritage, mainly cyclopean fortresses, mysterious megaliths and cliff carvings. Most of the world was primitive, when in Armenia were domesticated animals and cultivated plants, used metals and writing. Here is found the oldest winery in the world (more than 6,000 years!) and the oldest shoe in the world. Rather many archaeological landmarks have unclear meaning we don't know why these were built (Ujan gates) and even how it was possible to make

Karahunj stone circle. Alexandr Naumov, Flickr, CC BY 2.0

One

of the best known and most interesting archaeological landmarks in Armenia is Karahunj, often called Zorats Karer. Most likely this is settlement and megalithic necropolis from the Middle Bronze Age Iron Age. According to alternative theory this is purported world's oldest astronomical observatory, built in the 6th millenia BC.

them (e.g. Ladder to the sky).

Jermuk falls Vayots Dzor. 68 m tall waterfall of thermal, mineral rich water. Water is sliding down along travertine formations. Qasakh falls(Kasakh waterfalls) Aragatsotn. Impressive, 70 m tall waterfall with 2 main cascades. Falls into Qasakh canyon. Shaki waterall (Shaque Falls) Syunik. Interesting waterfall, divided into numerous smaller trickles. Approximately 18 m (40 m?) high.
Qasakh falls. Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0

Archer cave Vayots Dzor. Longest and deepest known cave in Armenia, some 3.3 km long and 145 m deep. In the cave have been found numerous bones of bears.

Qasakh canyon Aragatsotn. Beautiful, unusual canyon, up to 150 200 m deep, with interesting basaltic cliffs. Contains 4th century temple, carved in the rock. Skhtorashen Tree (Sose's Tree) Gegharkunik. Giant Platanus orientalis tree, more than 2,000 years old, with circumference of 27 m, 54 m tall. Symphony in Stone in Garni Gorge Kotayk. Large basalt outcrop with basalt columns in the spectacular Garni Gorge. Vorotan Devil's Bridge (Satanayi kamurj) Syunik. Natural bridge from travertine, formed by thermal springs. 30 m long and 50 60 m wide.Thermal springs at the foot of bridge, travertine terraces (gours) in the cave.

Argishtikhinili Armavir. Remnants of the largest Urartian city in Armenia. Founded in 776 BC. Construction of city was enormous feat, there were built massive fortifications, city was some 1,000 hectares large. Areni 1 cave Vayots Dzori. Chalcolithic and Bronze Age settlement in a cave. Inhabited circa 5,000 4,000 BC. Here was found also the world's oldest winery, where wine was made more than 6 thousand years ago.
Areni 1 caves. Serouj, Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 3.0

Erebuni Yerevan. Hillfort with ruins, built by Urartian king Argishty I in 782 BC. Buildings with frescoes, cuneiform inscriptions. Contains remnants of palace, Susy temple. Horom citadel Shirak. Cyclopean fortress of giant stones, built in the Bronze Age. Lchashen megaliths Gegharkunik. Cyclopaean fortress, built in 4th 2nd millenia BC and numerous other megaliths stone circles, mounds, settlements, cemeteries. Metsamor settlement and megaliths Armavir. Hillfort, which has been inhabited for many millenia from the 5th century BC to 18th century AD. Remnants of megalithic stone walls, alley of enormous phallic stones and stone circles. Shengavit settlement Yerevan. Ruins of very old city, inhabited from the late 4th millenium BC (Chalcolithic Age) to 2nd century BC. Contrary to most other settlements of this period, Shengavit was surprisingly developed city, with massive, cyclopean walls. Along the streets of city were built more than 1,000 circular and square buildings for diverse purposes. Underground passage provided a path for escape. City had organized guilds for different crafts. Teishebaini (Karmir Blur) Yerevan. Ruins of the former provincial capital of Urartu Kingdom. Built in the 7th century BC, contained enormous palace with 120 rooms, citadel. Destroyed by fire soon after, in the early 6th century AD.

Amberd fortress Aragatsotn. Impressive mountaintop fortress, built in the 7th century AD. Located in the site of Stone Age settlement. Abandoned in 1236. Berdavan fortress Tavush. Impressive, well preserved mountaintop fortress. Originally built in the 10th 11th centuries, current structures most likely from the 17th century. Walls are up to 10.5 m tall. Dilijan, Sharambeyan street Tavush. Historical district of Dilijan city, with its characteristic architecture. stone houses here are adorned with ornate wooden details.
Old Goris ancient aparments in cliffs. Lori-m, Wikimedia Commons / public domain

Dvin Ararat. Location of early capital of Armenia, built by Khosrov III in 335 AD. City had up to 100,000 inhabitants, gradually declined after the eartquake in 893 AD. Contains ruins of 4th century church.

Kakavaberd Ararat. Remains of large hilltop fortress from the 4th century AD. Major part of massive stone walls preserved. Located in the pristine Khosrov forest. Khndzoresk cave settlement and Stone pyramids of Gori (Old Goris) Syunik. Ancient village in river canyon. In the cliffs have been formed numerous artificial caves houses, which were inhabited until the 1950ies. Each of apartments has door, window, oven. Doors are some 4 5 m above the ground. Kumayri historic district Shirak, Gyumri. District with thousands of buildings from the 18th 19th century. One of the few places with dense concentration of historical Armenian architecture. Smbataberd fortress Vayots Dzor. Hilltop fortress, well preserved. Built mostly in the 9th 10th centuries.

Anapat Cave Tavush. Cave, which is adorned with very interesting carvings of faces and other symbols, which resemble Mayan stone carvings. Cave served as an ancient cult site (Anahit or Nana cult). Garni temple Kotayk. Hellenistic temple in the prehistoric Garni fortress. Temple most likely was built in the 1st century AD by Tiridates I of Armenia. Reconstructed in 1969 1975. Oshakan Tukh Manuk shrine Aragatsotn. One of the shrines of the popular cult of Tukh Manuk which united Christianity and paganic beliefs. Now in ruins. Tsitsernakaberd shrine Yerevan. Iron Age (second millenium BC) shrine and necropolis with megalithic wall, stone altar and graves covered with up to 2 tons heavy stone blocks. Nearby memorial to the victims of Armenian Genocide.

Garni Temple. Mcschreck, Wikimedia Commons, CC-BY-SA-2.0

Etchmiadzin Cathedral Armavir. Centre of Armenian Apostolic Church and spiritual centre of Armenia. Initially built in 303 AD, rebuilt in 480, beautiful stone carvings. Lmbatavank Shirak. Small, very old church, built in the 7th century, with frescoes from this same period. Bronze Age cemetery belov the church and around it. Saint Gayane Church Armavir. Very old church, built in 630 AD and little changed since then. Saint Hripsime Church Armavir. One of oldest churches in Armenia, built in 395 618 AD. Important monument of architecture which to some extent defined the traditional Armenian architecture. Constructed over prehistoric cult site.

Etchmiadzin Cathedral. Commons, CC-BY-3.0.

Butcher,

Wikimedia

Zvartnots Cathedral Armavir. Ruins of cathedral, which was built in 641 653 AD. According to some reconstructions building had bold design it was three floors high rotunda. Yererouk Basilica Shirak. Ruins of very old church, built in the late 4th or 5th century AD. Destroyed by an earthquake in the 17th century.

Geghard Monastery Kotayk. Unique structure partly carved in adjacent cliff, richly ornamented. Monastery was founded in the 4th century. Goshavank Monastery Tavush. Old monastery, established in the 12th 13th century. Consists of a group of beautiful churches and other buildings. Special value of monastery is a collection of some of most intricate stone carvings in the world several outstanding khachkhars, including the famous Needlework khachkhar from 1291, created by Poghos. Haghartsin Monastery Tavush. Small monastery, built in forested mountain valley in 10th 14th century. Contains St. Astvatsatsin church, built in 1281. Renovated.

Geghard Monastery. T.Frederick, Flickr / CC BY 2.0

Haghpat Monastery Lori. This monastery was established in 10th century and contains unique architecture and art values including some of the best and intricate stone carvings. One of oldest buildings St. Nishan church, originally built in 966 967, later extended and rebuilt. Harichavank Monastery Shirak. Beautiful historical monastery, established in the site of prehistoric hillfort in the 7th century AD or earlier. Main building is the impressive Church of the Holy Mother of God from 1201, with interesting architecture details. Khor Virap Monastery Ararat. Very old monastery, chapel first built here in 642 AD. Important historical site close to Ararat mountain (now in Turkey). Noravank Monastery Vayots Dzori. Group of architectonically interesting buildings, built mostly in the 13th century. Especially interesting is the Surp Astvatsatsin (Holy Mother of God) church with outer stairway leading to the second floor.

Sanahin Monastery Lori. Very old monastery, established in the 10th century. The old buildings are adorned with intricate stone carvings. Sevanavank Gegharkunik. Monastery at the shores of Sevan (originally on island), established in 874 AD. Best preserved are two churches some of most picturesque Armenian churches with Lake Sevan as magnificent backdrop. Tatev Monastery Syunik. This monastery was established in the 9th century and is located on the rim of canyon, in the site of former pagan cult site. In the 14th 15th century here operated Tatev university. Sts. Paul and Peter Cathedral is built between 895 and 906 AD, ornamented with murals in 930. Monastery has also pendulous column (Gavazan Siun) which warns about the earthquakes.

Karahunj (Zorats Karer, Carahunge) Syunik. Megalithic stone circle necropolis. Some 223 stone tombs found here, from the Middle Bronze Age to Iron Age. Many stones have holes in them and there is a hypothesis that these holes were used in ancient astronomy. Vishap of Aragats Aragatsotn. Approximately 3 m tall standing stone, erected in Neolithic Age, some 5,000 years ago. according to legends this is a guardian of Kari lake.

Vishap of Aragats. MEDIACRAT, Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0

Ladder to the Sky in Arpa River Gorge Vayots Dzor. Approximately 100 m tall cliff monolith with amazing step ladder leading up to the summit of this

monolith. Ujan gates Aragatsotn. One of several mysterious gates leading into the mountain. Gates are closed with large stone door from the same material as the surrounding cliff. When gates are closed, they are almost invisible. Another such gate in Sesame mountain, present day Turkey serves as a possible inspiration to the legend about Ali-Baba. Yelpin stairs Vayots Dzor. Prehistoric footsteps carved in a 50 m tall cliff.

Matenadaran Yerevan. One of the largest collections of medieval manuscripts in the world, mostly in Armenian language. Collection has almost 17,000 manuscripts and huge number of other documents. Noratus cemetery Gegharkunik. Medieval cemetery with the largest aggregation of khachkars intricately carved gravestones in Armenia. In total here are some 900 khachkars, the oldest are from the 10th century. Carvings on some stones depict the wedding. Ukhtasar petroglyphs (Ughtasar) Syunik. Rocks with numerous prehistoric engravings goats, deers, mufflons, horses. Created in the 5th 4th century BC and 3rd 2nd century BC, but the oldest could be from the 6th millenia BC.
Khachkars in Noratus cemetery. Arantz, Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0