"Churched Out" is a phrase that came to life shortly after our A21 group's pre-service training. Each weekend they took us to famous churches, monasteries and temples around the area and we understood that it was an important part of the history of the country but after a while so much history and religious culture became overwhelming. We were simply "churched-out." Armenians take great pride in their religious history and the various places of religious worship really are the highlight of any trip here. If you pull up any website about Armenia they're guaranteed to mention that Armenia was the first Christian nation and each corner of the nation has a beautiful christian church. Throughout pre-service training and over this last summer I made an effort to go to many of the famous churches and learn a bit about the history.
So, to completely "church-you-out" and inspired by the planning I've done for my my Dad and Uncle's upcoming visit this week (I'M SO EXCITED!!!), I present to you my choices for the top 9 churches/religious places in Armenia. I took all the photos you see below and will try to insert some small personal stories as well.
So, to completely "church-you-out" and inspired by the planning I've done for my my Dad and Uncle's upcoming visit this week (I'M SO EXCITED!!!), I present to you my choices for the top 9 churches/religious places in Armenia. I took all the photos you see below and will try to insert some small personal stories as well.
# 9. Aruchavank
Aruchavank is located on a rocky area of land overlooking the tallest mountain in Armenia, Mount Aragats. (Mt. Ararat is technically in Turkey.) There is some debate about when the church was actually built but most estimates put it around 640 A.D. or so. There are engravings on the wall made by three different historians over the years and is one of the largest churches in Armenia. Because Armenia is a popular place for earthquakes, the dome collapsed at some point over the centuries and has remained damaged. The church is still surrounded by the ruins of what was once an addition to the church and a graveyard in the back.
Aruchavank is in the opposite direction from most of the other churches on this list so it is not a popular tourist destination. I only went there because I was on a mission to visit all the Armenian regions (completed 1 week before my 1 year anniversary in Armenia) and visiting this site would have helped me check one more region off my list. I'm so glad I went though. While the drive there was unremarkable and the scenery even around the church was quite dull, the church itself was breathtaking. It doesn't look like much in photos but it was really beautiful.
Aruchavank is located on a rocky area of land overlooking the tallest mountain in Armenia, Mount Aragats. (Mt. Ararat is technically in Turkey.) There is some debate about when the church was actually built but most estimates put it around 640 A.D. or so. There are engravings on the wall made by three different historians over the years and is one of the largest churches in Armenia. Because Armenia is a popular place for earthquakes, the dome collapsed at some point over the centuries and has remained damaged. The church is still surrounded by the ruins of what was once an addition to the church and a graveyard in the back.
Aruchavank is in the opposite direction from most of the other churches on this list so it is not a popular tourist destination. I only went there because I was on a mission to visit all the Armenian regions (completed 1 week before my 1 year anniversary in Armenia) and visiting this site would have helped me check one more region off my list. I'm so glad I went though. While the drive there was unremarkable and the scenery even around the church was quite dull, the church itself was breathtaking. It doesn't look like much in photos but it was really beautiful.
# 8. Geghard Monastery
Geghard means spear and was named after the spear that supposedly rounded Jesus at the Crucifixion, brought to Armenia by Jude/Thaddeus and is displayed in another church. While the spear isn't here, the church almost represents that same sharpness and coldness as a spear. The church itself is carved into the mountain and is listed as an UNESCO World Heritage Site. The main chapel was built in 1215 but the complex has been around since the late 300s. The monastery has many churches inside of it. Some of them are dug entirely out of the cliff rocks, some are simply caves while others, like the main building, are "elaborate structures." The internet lists this as one of Armenia's most frequent tourist destinations in Armenia mostly because of it's proximity to Yerevan and the neighboring temple, Garni.
I went to visit Geghard with Scott when he visited in February and was the first Armenian church he saw. Despite seeing dozens myself, we were both taken aback at the beauty, coldness, and uniqueness of Geghard. Many Armenian churches look quite similar, but Geghard was one of a kind.
Geghard means spear and was named after the spear that supposedly rounded Jesus at the Crucifixion, brought to Armenia by Jude/Thaddeus and is displayed in another church. While the spear isn't here, the church almost represents that same sharpness and coldness as a spear. The church itself is carved into the mountain and is listed as an UNESCO World Heritage Site. The main chapel was built in 1215 but the complex has been around since the late 300s. The monastery has many churches inside of it. Some of them are dug entirely out of the cliff rocks, some are simply caves while others, like the main building, are "elaborate structures." The internet lists this as one of Armenia's most frequent tourist destinations in Armenia mostly because of it's proximity to Yerevan and the neighboring temple, Garni.
I went to visit Geghard with Scott when he visited in February and was the first Armenian church he saw. Despite seeing dozens myself, we were both taken aback at the beauty, coldness, and uniqueness of Geghard. Many Armenian churches look quite similar, but Geghard was one of a kind.
# 7. Harichavank
Harichavank is a huge monastery complex that was built and reconstructed at various times between the 600s and the 1800s. It is still a working scriptorium and church. It's grounds also have a hotel, school, kitchen and stores. The inside of the church is built in a classical style (shaped like a cross) and is beautiful, but the outside of the main church building is where the real beauty of the church is. It rests on the side of a huge cliff overlooking a gorge and while the inside shows a seamless transition of additions, from the outside you can see clearly where the old meets new. The main church building has not been completely reconstructed from more earthquake damage, but they are working on it.
My favorite part of this church is a small building that was separate from the main church. It was built near the cliff and when an earthquake hit a few hundred years ago, the rock it was resting on split, causing the small building to dangle perilously over the gorge. It never fell and has been resting there on the split rock ever sense!
Harichavank is a huge monastery complex that was built and reconstructed at various times between the 600s and the 1800s. It is still a working scriptorium and church. It's grounds also have a hotel, school, kitchen and stores. The inside of the church is built in a classical style (shaped like a cross) and is beautiful, but the outside of the main church building is where the real beauty of the church is. It rests on the side of a huge cliff overlooking a gorge and while the inside shows a seamless transition of additions, from the outside you can see clearly where the old meets new. The main church building has not been completely reconstructed from more earthquake damage, but they are working on it.
My favorite part of this church is a small building that was separate from the main church. It was built near the cliff and when an earthquake hit a few hundred years ago, the rock it was resting on split, causing the small building to dangle perilously over the gorge. It never fell and has been resting there on the split rock ever sense!
# 6. Marmashen
Marmashen, built in the 10th century, is in the northeast area of the country. At one time, it consisted of 5 separate buildings but now only two are standing, unharmed because of (you guessed it) earthquakes which are especially strong in the Shirak Region of Armenia. The ruins of the other buildings though are what makes this church one of my favorites.
The day I went to visit Marmashen, the weather was overcast which originally was inconvenient, but after I arrived it made the buildings seem almost erie. I went completely alone, which was a little daunting at first, but I had a great time exploring the beautiful ruins and adjacent graveyard on my own while it rained on and off.
Marmashen, built in the 10th century, is in the northeast area of the country. At one time, it consisted of 5 separate buildings but now only two are standing, unharmed because of (you guessed it) earthquakes which are especially strong in the Shirak Region of Armenia. The ruins of the other buildings though are what makes this church one of my favorites.
The day I went to visit Marmashen, the weather was overcast which originally was inconvenient, but after I arrived it made the buildings seem almost erie. I went completely alone, which was a little daunting at first, but I had a great time exploring the beautiful ruins and adjacent graveyard on my own while it rained on and off.
#5 & # 4. Hagpat and Sanahin
I put these two together because they are only a few kilometers apart and no visit of one is complete without the other. (That and all the photos got mixed up in the folder on my computer and I can't remember which is which). However, they're also listed together as a UNESCO World Heritage Site so I think it's ok.
"Sanahin" in Armenian means "this one is older than that one" referring to Hagpat. They're about 1 hour from Noyemberyan and both sites are famous for their amount of "khatchcars" which are crosses carved in stone. My favorite part about these places was the entryway of Sanahin, I think? As you can see in the photos below there is one photo of dozens of archways, casting shadows on an uneven stone ground. Being inside that building is by far the most beautiful, peaceful place I've been in Armenia so far.
I put these two together because they are only a few kilometers apart and no visit of one is complete without the other. (That and all the photos got mixed up in the folder on my computer and I can't remember which is which). However, they're also listed together as a UNESCO World Heritage Site so I think it's ok.
"Sanahin" in Armenian means "this one is older than that one" referring to Hagpat. They're about 1 hour from Noyemberyan and both sites are famous for their amount of "khatchcars" which are crosses carved in stone. My favorite part about these places was the entryway of Sanahin, I think? As you can see in the photos below there is one photo of dozens of archways, casting shadows on an uneven stone ground. Being inside that building is by far the most beautiful, peaceful place I've been in Armenia so far.
# 3. Norovank
I've been to Norovank twice (about to be three times) and while I find it beautiful, a church is a strange place to get scared doing things like going into a dungeon or climbing very very steep, narrow stairs on your hands and knees. Originally used as a fortress for the neighboring communities, it was a safe place against invaders because of the above mentioned steep stairs that were impossible to climb with swords and while wearing armor. Now it provides a beautiful view of the gorge, a view that was once used by lookouts who could see invading armies from miles away. The color of the church also is notable. Distinctive to Vayats Dzor Marz, the sand color reflects the desert area around it.
I've been to Norovank twice (about to be three times) and while I find it beautiful, a church is a strange place to get scared doing things like going into a dungeon or climbing very very steep, narrow stairs on your hands and knees. Originally used as a fortress for the neighboring communities, it was a safe place against invaders because of the above mentioned steep stairs that were impossible to climb with swords and while wearing armor. Now it provides a beautiful view of the gorge, a view that was once used by lookouts who could see invading armies from miles away. The color of the church also is notable. Distinctive to Vayats Dzor Marz, the sand color reflects the desert area around it.
# 2. Garni Temple
As you can see in the photo below and the photo on the top of my blog, Garni is distinctly unlike any other church in Armenia. Besides being the only pagan temple still standing in Armenia, it is also the only Greco-Roman building in the entire former Soviet Union. It was built in the first century by Roman emperor, Nero (yup, that one) and collapsed completely in an earthquake in the 1600s. It was rebuilt in the 1970s and stands overlooking a picturesque gorge in Kotayk Marz (where I lived for three months during my pre-service training.)
Aside from being distinctively unique in appearance and history, Garni Temple holds a special place in my heart for one specific reason. It's where Scott asked me to marry him! When asked, "Why Garni?" he said it was the first place that was beautiful where we were truly alone. I'll never be able to look at a photo of Garni Temple without feeling butterflies in my stomach. Unfortunately though we were so caught up in the excitement of the engagement that we took almost no photos of the building. Oops!
As you can see in the photo below and the photo on the top of my blog, Garni is distinctly unlike any other church in Armenia. Besides being the only pagan temple still standing in Armenia, it is also the only Greco-Roman building in the entire former Soviet Union. It was built in the first century by Roman emperor, Nero (yup, that one) and collapsed completely in an earthquake in the 1600s. It was rebuilt in the 1970s and stands overlooking a picturesque gorge in Kotayk Marz (where I lived for three months during my pre-service training.)
Aside from being distinctively unique in appearance and history, Garni Temple holds a special place in my heart for one specific reason. It's where Scott asked me to marry him! When asked, "Why Garni?" he said it was the first place that was beautiful where we were truly alone. I'll never be able to look at a photo of Garni Temple without feeling butterflies in my stomach. Unfortunately though we were so caught up in the excitement of the engagement that we took almost no photos of the building. Oops!
# 1. Tatev Monestary
I think it's safe to say that Tatev is the best religious site in Armenia. It's size, location, view, cable car and history cement it's #1 place. In the Guiness Book of World Records for the World's longest cable-car, the "Wings of Tatev" takes you over the Halidzor Village and Horotan River. It's about 12 minutes and gets very very high! But once you arrive and pass a group of old women selling fruit, lavash and other sweets for insane prices (for the tourists) you come upon the main attraction. Tatev was built in the 12th century and at one time hosted a college that helped preserve art and artifacts from Armenian history during its most turbulent times. Wikipedia says that workers at Tatev have "contributed to the advancement of science, religion, philosophy, reproduction of books and the development of miniature paining." That in itself is remarkable, but the view of the river and the church itself is stunningly beautiful.
Despite being a whopping 12+ hours from Noyemberyan, I'd never turn down the chance to visit Tatev. I've been there twice (about to be three) and each time was magical. The first time was with Scott. It was February and we had the place almost completely to ourselves. It was snowing and beautiful. After looking at so many photos of Tatev it was breathtaking to come over the hills on the cable-car and see the beautiful grey monastery. The second time was much more memorable. After the absolute worst day on Border-to-Border, Lissa and I were hours behind our team. We were tired, sweaty, bloody and our spirits were down. We were supposed to meet our team at Tatev and after 13 hours of putting one bloody, blistered foot in front of the other we came over a hill to see beautiful Tatev. We camped overlooking the monastery and walked to it the next morning to explore. We had a few hours to burn inside, so we decided to play sardines! Playing Sardines at Tatev is one of my favorite Peace Corps memories, and it couldn't have happened at a more beautiful place.
I think it's safe to say that Tatev is the best religious site in Armenia. It's size, location, view, cable car and history cement it's #1 place. In the Guiness Book of World Records for the World's longest cable-car, the "Wings of Tatev" takes you over the Halidzor Village and Horotan River. It's about 12 minutes and gets very very high! But once you arrive and pass a group of old women selling fruit, lavash and other sweets for insane prices (for the tourists) you come upon the main attraction. Tatev was built in the 12th century and at one time hosted a college that helped preserve art and artifacts from Armenian history during its most turbulent times. Wikipedia says that workers at Tatev have "contributed to the advancement of science, religion, philosophy, reproduction of books and the development of miniature paining." That in itself is remarkable, but the view of the river and the church itself is stunningly beautiful.
Despite being a whopping 12+ hours from Noyemberyan, I'd never turn down the chance to visit Tatev. I've been there twice (about to be three) and each time was magical. The first time was with Scott. It was February and we had the place almost completely to ourselves. It was snowing and beautiful. After looking at so many photos of Tatev it was breathtaking to come over the hills on the cable-car and see the beautiful grey monastery. The second time was much more memorable. After the absolute worst day on Border-to-Border, Lissa and I were hours behind our team. We were tired, sweaty, bloody and our spirits were down. We were supposed to meet our team at Tatev and after 13 hours of putting one bloody, blistered foot in front of the other we came over a hill to see beautiful Tatev. We camped overlooking the monastery and walked to it the next morning to explore. We had a few hours to burn inside, so we decided to play sardines! Playing Sardines at Tatev is one of my favorite Peace Corps memories, and it couldn't have happened at a more beautiful place.
There will be no post next week as I'll be preoccupied with exploring with my family but I'll be sure to write the week after next detailing our adventures. Hajo!