Garni Temple and Geghard Monastery. Geghard rock monastery and pagan temple of garni History of Geghard monastery in Armenia

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, sovereign of Great Armenia, 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 work force 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, deep gorge, and the steep slopes serve as an inaccessible 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 difficult 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 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, the remains of an ancient fortress and 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 there were archaeological work to discover details and measurements of 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.

For tourists

Address

Armenia, village Garni.

How to get to Garni Temple

Highway H3 to the village of Garni. Garni can be easily reached by bus or taxi.

By the way, on the same road as the Garni temple is located monastery Geghard. Both attractions can be easily visited in one day.

Yerevan is the capital of Armenia and the largest city by population. The city has ancient history, the first settlements appeared here in the eighth century BC. All the main attractions of Yerevan are located in the city center and are not difficult to find.

The most significant of them are the Cascade - a museum of modern art under open air, Opera Theater named after A. Spendiarov and Northern Avenue, pedestrianized street, where the best shops, cafes and restaurants are located in Yerevan.

The first thing you will see when arriving in Armenia is Zvartnots Airport. The airport is located 30 minutes from the city center. You can get from Zvartnots to the city by taxi, it will cost 2500-3500 (5-6 euros) or minibus or buses for 200 drams (0.4 euros).

The most popular types public transport in Yerevan there are minibuses and buses. Route taxis are minibuses Russian production, mainly Gazelles, which have been in use for many years and are in poor condition, and are not the most best choice for tourists. The buses are all relatively new and technically in good working order, made in China and Ukraine, they are in good condition, some buses even have wi-fi. The price for travel in minibuses and buses is the same: it is 100 drams (0.20 euros), you need to pay the driver when you get off; there are no cash registers or conductors on Armenian buses. The network of minibuses and buses covers almost the entire city, with their help you can get where you need to go from almost anywhere, if, of course, you know which number you need to get into. They stop only at specially designated stops. Also, at almost all stops there is a map of the city, and at some stops in the city center there are boards that notify you of the approach of a bus. Route taxis and buses in Yerevan operate from early morning until 11-12 pm.

An alternative to minibuses and buses are taxis. Taxi in Yerevan is cheap, only 100 drams per 1 km, the minimum fare for a taxi is 600 drams. In Yerevan, taxi meters are required, and finding a taxi without a meter is quite difficult. The only problem with Yerevan taxi is that the vast majority of taxi drivers do not know English language, oddly enough, most taxi drivers speak Russian. European-made cars are most often used as taxis in Yerevan, but you can also find Russian-made cars. The Uber app does not operate in Yerevan, and it is unlikely that it will soon, but there is an Armenian analogue - mobitaxi, a taxi service whose cars can be called using an application on a smartphone. Taxi is the only type of transport in Yerevan that operates at night.

There is also a metro in Yerevan. The construction of the Yerevan metro began at the end of the 70s, but has not yet been completed. On this moment There are only 10 operating stations. The metro is the fastest transport in Yerevan, but due to the small number of stations it is not particularly popular, and some areas of the city, especially the outskirts, cannot be reached by metro. The metro starts its work at 6 am and ends at 11 pm. All metro stations and some trains have free wi-fi.

The cheapest mode of transport in Yerevan is trolleybuses: travel costs only 50 drams. There are only five routes. A trolleybus is a transport for those who are not in a hurry, as they move very slowly.

You can also rent a car in Yerevan. The cost of renting, for example, a Russian Niva for one day will start from 25,000 drams (50 euros), European-made cars will cost starting from 40,000 (80 euros) drams per day. You can rent a car for a few days, and in the future you can lower the price.. In Yerevan you can also rent a bicycle, the cost is about 10,000 (20 euros) drams per day.

Intercity transport in Armenia is the same as minibuses and buses. There are bus stations in Yerevan, from where most transport is sent to different regions of Armenia, but there are exceptions. There is also Train Station, from there there are trains Yerevan-Gyumri and also trains in several other directions. It will be difficult to hitchhike around Armenia, since local drivers are not very fond of giving rides to fellow travelers. There are three bus stations in Yerevan, from where you can travel to other cities of Armenia. Central Bus Station Cilicia, which is located near the center, buses number 5, 31, 259 go to it. The David Sasunsky bus station, which is located not far from the center, is reached from the center by bus number 22 and minibuses number 26 and 23. Northern bus station, which is located in Kanaker, on the very outskirts of Yerevan, you can get there by bus number 32.

From the Cilicia bus station you can take minibus No. 203 to Echmiadzin - a favorite place for tourists: there is the main temple of the Armenian Apostolic Church - Echmiadzin Cathedral. A minibus to Etchmiadzin will cost 250 drams (0.5 euros). Minibuses leave approximately every ten minutes, reach Etchmiadzin in about 20 minutes and stop not far from the entrance to the church territory. Minibuses operate from early morning until 10 pm. A trip to Etchmiadzin by taxi will cost 3000-5000 (6-8 euros) thousand drams, the price varies greatly, because when traveling outside the city, city tariffs no longer apply.

From northern bus station you can go to the city of Sevan, which is located 60 km from Yerevan, it is located on the shore of the lake of the same name, the most big lake Armenia, where it is located a large number of beaches and recreation areas. You need to take minibus No. 317, it will take about an hour to get to Sevan, the fare will be 600 drams (1.1 euros), getting off at the last stop, you will have to walk 15 minutes to the city beach. Minibuses from Yerevan operate from morning until 19:00, but the last minibus from Sevan to Yerevan leaves at 17:00. The cost of a trip to Sevan by taxi will be about 8,000 drams (16 euros). BUT most of The beaches are located outside the city, you will have to take a taxi to get to them.

You can also visit the temples of Garni and Geghard. Garni is a restored pagan temple from the Hellenistic era, built in the first century AD, located 30 kilometers from Yerevan. You can get to Garni by minibus No. 284, which stands at the monument to Guy, in the Nor Nork area, this is the outskirts of Yerevan, Nor Nork can be reached by buses No. 53, 5, 22. The cost of a trip to Garni will be 300 drams (0.7 euros) . Minibus taxis go to the village of Garni, from there to temple complex about ten minutes on foot, local residents They have long been accustomed to tourists and will be happy to show you the way to the temple. Minibuses depart from the Guy Monument as soon as all the seats in the minibus are filled, approximately every half hour. The first minibus leaves at 11:00 am, the last minibus returns to Yerevan at 19:30. Getting to Garni by taxi will cost at least 10,000 (20 euros) thousand drams; the taxi driver may demand a larger amount.

From Garni you can go to Geghard - this is an ancient monastery complex partially carved into the rock. The only way to get there is to take a taxi in Garni, a taxi will cost about 2000 drams (4 euros).

Another place in Armenia that you can visit is the Tatev monastery complex, which is located 250 km from Yerevan. Transport does not go to Tatev from Yerevan, but it goes to the city of Goris, which is 20 km from Tatev. Minibuses to Goris leave from the Kilikia bus station and a ticket costs 2,500 drams, but this is not the most convenient option, since the road to Goris will take about 5 hours and the same on the way back. The best option for a trip to Tatev is a taxi. A round-trip taxi will cost about 30,000 drams (100 euros). The taxi driver will take you to the Village of Halidzor, where the “wings of Tatev”, the world’s longest cable car, will be waiting for you. The length of the cable car is over 5 km; you can cover this distance in just 10 minutes. The road leads directly to Tatev Monastery. Cable car opens from 10:00 to 20:00, the cost of a round trip ticket is 3000 drams (6 euros).

Geghard Monastery, or Geghardavank, which translates as “spear monastery.” The unique monastery complex of the Armenian Apostolic Church is located near Yerevan. The structure is surrounded on all sides by the cliffs of the gorge of the mountain river Gokht. Historical monument with decorated bas-reliefs and richly decorated temples and cells, family tombs and rock structures is recognized as an object cultural heritage UNESCO.

Individual structures of the complex are carved into the rock itself. On the territory of the complex there are also typical Armenian stone steles with crosses - khachkars. The caves have been used by monks as modest dwellings since the 6th century.

The monastery is active, so entry is free and not limited in time.

History of the Geghard Monastery in Armenia

The monastery was founded near a cave, which is why it is also called “ cave monastery" According to legend, the monastery was founded by St. George the Illuminator in the 4th century. A sacred spring began at this place, which still provides delicious water.

However, in the 9th century, the monastery was destroyed by Arab soldiers, as a result, nothing remained from the first building, and all the unique church relics were plundered. In the 10th century, the monastery was attacked and then set on fire by the Turks.

Later, the Georgian Queen Tamara conquered part of Armenia, including the territory of the monastery. In 1215, under the leadership of the Georgian military leaders - the Zakaryan brothers, the main Katogite chapel was erected on the territory of the destroyed monastery - the religious building has survived to this day. The building in front of the entrance to the temple is a porch, carved into the rock in 1225. In the 1200s, the monastery complex was equipped with a water supply system. Later, in the 13th century, other temples were carved into the rock. Then the monastery complex was acquired by the princely family of Khakhbakyan. They soon built cave structures - a second church, a tomb for the Khakhbakyan family, a meeting hall and many cells.

For some time the monastery did not fulfill its functions, and after joining Russian Empire the monks began to restore it to its original form.

The service premises in the monastery courtyard were reconstructed in the 17th century, and then in 1968-1971.

The trees around Geghard are decorated with colored ribbons to fulfill wishes.

Temples of the monastery complex

The monastery complex includes cells, chapels, and traditional Armenian khachkars carved into caves and into the hillside. Having passed the entrance, you can see protective ramparts on three sides, and on one side the complex is protected by a rocky cliff. If you go through the entire complex, a second entrance will open from the east, and with it a bridge over a mountain stream.

The monks lived in rock-cut cells located outside the walls of Geghard.

Around the main cave structures, more than twenty different structures were carved into the rocks - an altar, service rooms.

Some khachkars are richly decorated with ornamental carvings.

Katoghike Church

The main and most revered church of the complex is Katoghike. Opposite the church is a mountain. Externally, the church is made in the shape of a cross inscribed in a square. The dome also stands on a square base and is decorated with reliefs of animals, birds and people. There are two-story chapels in the corners of the church.

On the walls inside Katoghike there are inscriptions with information about what kind of gifts the monastery received from parishioners.

The carved gate is located on the southern facade: pomegranate trees, grapes, and doves are depicted here. Above the gate you can see a scene-symbol of the princely family: a lion attacks a bull.

In addition to the main church, there are two internal rock churches - Avazan and St. Our Lady.

Sacristy Gavit

The sacristy was made in rock between 1215-1225 and is connected to the main church. Four columns support the stone roof. There is a hole in the center of the roof through which light passes. The dome is made using an unusual technique - it is topped with stalactites. The Gavit room was intended for teaching and holding meetings, and also received pilgrims and other visitors.

Rock church with a spring

First cave church carved into the rock in the 13th century on the site of ancient pagan worship. Inside, under a stalactite dome, two vaults are crossed. Amazing floral patterns decorate the southern wall.

Chapel of St. Gregory

The chapel is carved into the rock above the road, 100 meters above the monastery entrance. In ancient times, the church was decorated with wall paintings, as evidenced by the remains of fresco plaster.

Panorama inside the church of the Geghard monastery:

Shrines

The history of the monastery is closely connected with the greatest relic of Christianity - the spear of Longinus. This is one of the Instruments of Passion - the lance with which the warrior Longinus pierced Jesus Christ on the Cross, where he was crucified. For many centuries, this shrine has attracted many pilgrims. The Apostle Thadeus brought the spear to Armenia; now it is in the Etchmiadzin Museum.

Many valuable manuscripts were kept in Geghard, however, they could not be preserved.

How to get to Geghard Monastery from Yerevan

The monastery is located in the southeast, 40 km from Yerevan, in a beautiful gorge, surrounded on all sides by harsh rocks and caves. In front of the entrance there is a small market with local products. You can get from the capital of Armenia to Geghard in the following ways:

• By car: The journey along the H3 highway will take about an hour. There is paid parking at the entrance to the monastery complex.
• By bus: No. 266, 284. Departure - from the Yerevan bus station behind the Mercedes dealership. You need to go to the village of Gokht. From there you will need to walk 5 km to Geghard.
• By taxi: popular Yandex services operate in Yerevan. Taxi, GG Taxi.

Usually, on the same day, they plan to visit the Geghard Monastery and the Garni Temple, built by the pagans in honor of the Sun God in the 1st century. The distance from the pagan temple to Geghard is 10.5 km and can be covered in 20 minutes by car. Taxi cars are always standing near attractions, ready to take you to your desired location.

Scheme map walking route from the Goght village stop to the Geghard monastery:

Panoramic view of the Geghard monastery complex.

The monastery was built in the fourth century, on the site where the so-called sacred spring had previously been.

Excursions to the monastery

Using the services of an experienced guide, you can learn many interesting facts about the building, myths, legends and true stories. It is said that in addition to religious buildings, the complex included residential premises. Now, you can see 6 main structures of the complex, namely:
1. Katogike. This is the main building within the entire complex and is the most revered. Its architecture delights all visitors. You will be able to see interesting, unique carvings with your own eyes.
2. Gavit. A room that is closely connected to the main church.
3. Church with a spring. It is unique in that it was dug right into the rock.
4. Zhamatun. Another room inside the rock, topped with carved reliefs.
5. Zhamatun (upper). In other words, this is the tomb of two famous princes Merik and Grigor.
6. Chapel of St. Gregory. A relatively new building, 1177.
You can see all this with your own eyes, feel the ancient atmosphere and look at the amazing architecture.

How to get to Geghard on your own

It will be most comfortable to depart from. It is best, of course, to have your own car, since you will be driving through a lot of scenic spots and you can go out to take some photos. But, nevertheless, in order not to get lost, it is better to go with a tour, they will take you there and tell you Interesting Facts, they will show you the most impressive things and take you back. As for buses, none of them will take you directly to this attraction, but you can get to the final stop for little money, and then walk. The village of Garni can become a landmark; from it you need to move along an asphalt road, which is specially designed for tourists heading to attractions. The road will lead you straight to the gorge, located along the Azat River. There is a monastery there, and besides it, there are many more beautiful, ancient buildings that will certainly impress any visitor.

Historians attribute the construction of the temple to King Trdat I (reigned in the second half of the 1st century), who at one time paid a friendly visit to Rome. In even more ancient times, Garni served as a fortress for the Urartian king Argishti I. And from the 3rd century. BC e. Until the 4th century, the summer residence of the Armenian kings (Ervandids, Artashesids and Arsacids) was located here. The fortress was also affected by the devastating campaigns of the Roman legions across Armenia in the 1st century. For some time there was even an opinion that the French word “garrison” was born here: supposedly Mark Antony wrote a letter to Cleopatra saying that he had built a military camp near Garni - a garrison. But this is just a beautiful “etymological illusion”.

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 in the 1st century. 76, as evidenced by his inscription in Greek discovered there:

“Helios! Trdat the Great, sovereign of Great Armenia, when the ruler built this impregnable fortress for the queen 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. 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 amazing 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 temple was built in the second half of the 1st century AD. e. and was dedicated to a pagan deity, possibly the sun god Mithra, whose figure stood in the depths of the sanctuary - naos. After the proclamation of the state religion in Armenia in 301 - Christianity, the temple was probably used as a summer room for the kings, called in the chronicle the “house of coolness”.

In style, the temple, which is a six-column peripterum, is close to similar monuments in Asia Minor (Termes, Sagala, Pergamon), Lebanon (Baalbek) and Rome. It is mainly made in Hellenistic architectural forms, but local traditions are also reflected in it. It should be noted that the type of rectangular religious building with columns and pediment was known on the territory of the Armenian Highlands back in the era of the Urartians.

The temple dominates the rest of the buildings. It is visible from all sides, striking with its proportionality and harmony of its parts. The temple was built on a high platform, the dimensions of which are 15x11 meters. From the north side, a wide staircase consisting of 9 powerful steps rises to the building. The roof of the building rests on 24 majestic columns. The temple has rich architectural decoration. The arrays protruding from the sides of the staircase are decorated with bas-reliefs of kneeling Atlases with raised arms. The capitals of the columns are decorated with openwork foliage ornaments with low relief. The cornices of the side facades are topped with lion heads. The doorway was decorated with a carved frame. An idol representing the Sun, which was the object of worship of the ancient Armenians, was installed inside the temple.