A must-visit! A unique monastery in a unique place! Part of the monastery is cut right out of the rock. How was it done? How much work, effort, and soul has been invested here! An endless stream of tourists from all over the world! The most picturesque divine place!

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Алёна Олейниченко

Level 30 Local Expert

It's an amazing place, it was especially interesting with the tour, we learned so much. It was nice to light a candle and see the rock hall, very beautiful, atmospheric and poignant. This is a place of power. I liked the phrase that in Armenia, the main value in temples is not the rich decoration, but the people who come there.

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Виктор П.

Level 30 Local Expert

Not so far from the Garni temple, in the gorge of the mountain river, there is an amazing place — Geghard monastery. Founded, according to legend, by Saint Gregory the Illuminator and associated with the legendary spear of Centurion Longinus, today it is one of the most visited places in Armenia. It should probably be clarified that we are talking here about the spear of the centurion Longinus, with which this Roman centurion pierced the rib of Jesus, who died on the cross. Then, according to legend, the century of Longinus guarded the Holy Sepulchre, and the centurion saw with his own eyes how the crucified and pierced rose from the dead. Since 2000, the Geghard Monastery complex has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List and includes churches, caves and tombs carved into the rock. Medieval buildings are located in a picturesque landscape at the entrance to the valley of the Azat River. The exact date of the monastery's foundation is unknown. However, it is known that the place for the monastery was not chosen by chance, since in pre-Christian times places with natural springs were highly revered, and the spring water key is located inside the main vestibule. The pilgrims called Geghard the monastery of seven churches and forty altars. Over the centuries, the monastery was captured and destroyed several times by Arab and Seljuk invaders, but it was rebuilt again. Today, the monastery with its unique combination of rock-cut and earth-built buildings is a striking example of Armenian church architecture, and the surrounding nature is exceptionally picturesque.

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Geghard Monastery

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