One of the
absolutely Must See Places to visit while in Armenia has to be Geghard
Monastery located in the Kotayk province just 45 minutes outside of
Yerevan. This is a very ancient
monastery that is partially carved out of the mountain and dates back to
pre-Christian times. This medieval site
was believed to be built in the 4th century when Armenia adopted
Christianity as it’s state religion by the first Armenian Catholicos Gregory
the Illuminator. The monastery was built
around a spring that was found in a cave that was believed to have healing
properties and now enclosed by the main gavit
The monastery was originally named
Ayrivank. This translates as the
“Monastery of the Cave”. The name
currently used is Geghardavank. This translates
as the “Monastery of the Spear”. The
spear is referencing the spear of the Roman soldier that pierced Jesus during
his crucifixion and brought to Armenia by the Apostle Thaddeus. The spear was later moved to the Treasury of
the Mother Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin along with other surviving
relics. Geghard Monastery is surrounded
by cliffs and the Azat River gorge and is only minutes away from Garni
Temple. Historical records show that the
monastery included several churches and it also served as a manuscriptorium,
music academy, and a pilgrimage site.
The monastery has been destroyed and plundered numerous times by Arabs,
Turks, and Mongols
I visited
Geghard Monastery right after visiting Garni Temple in the beginning of autumn
and was blessed to have great weather with clear skies. The drive from Yerevan will take you past
small villages and you’ll likely run into sheepherders and their large flocks
like I did on the road. Upon entering
the monastery complex you are greeted by various vendors selling various types
of food and souvenirs on a stone path.
As you walk up the stone path towards the western entrance you’ll be
encountered by some khachkar (cross stone) replicas on your right hand
side. As you turn the corner and look
above you’ll be able to see caves in the cliffs and others signs of
domestication. Right before you enter
the monastery you will see some grooves carved into the cliff. Throw a pebble and hope it lands and your
wish will come true!
As you walk past
the entrance you are immediately hit by the immense size of the complex. The
first building I entered was through the gavit to the Katoghike Chapel. Constructed in 1215 the architectural forms
of the building are well proportioned and harmonious. Pay close attention to the details and
designs on the walls. The light coming
through the windows and through the dome is a site to see since it’s quite dark
in there.
Turn north towards
the cliff and you’ll see the western entrance will take you to Avazan
Church. You’ll be able to come to the
spring and get a sip of cold water from here as many have done before. On the wall you’ll be to see many designs
carved into the stone. The Avazan Church
was constructed by hand in the mid 13th century (1230-1250
A.D.) An inscription at the base of the
dome recorded the church was built by the architect Galdzag who was contracted
by the royal Proshian family.
The adjoining
room from the main room will take you to the Proshian Sepulcher where you will
encounter elaborate high relief carvings on its walls and niches for holding
the remains of noble families.
Originally commissioned in 1215 by the Zakarians, the current room was
carved for Prosh Khaghbakian, who purchased the monastery from the Zakarians
and had the chamber englarged in 1283. A
huge Proshian crest is carved above the northern wall, underneath which lay the
remains of the Proshian family. The actual crest shows two lions tethered by
an iron ring held by a bull’s head, over an eagle clutching a lamb. Pay attention to a small hole the size of a
watermelon in the upper left of this chamber because this is part of another
chamber on the upper level.
Next to this is
room is the St. Astvatsatsin Church. The
most impressive feat about this structure was that it was built from the top
and worked its way down. The room is
symmetric and the attention to detail is amazing. The light coming through the dome gives a
special ambience to the mood. This
church was carved by hand and took 40 years to complete. In terms of ingenuity and grit, this complex
reminds me of the Petra in Jordan.
The last place
to see is the Katoghike Church. Once you
walk inside you’ll notice numerous inscriptions carved into the stone in old
Armenian. Most of these inscriptions on
the wall are the names who donated towards the construction of the church. The ceiling is incredibly high and it’s a
visual delight to witness.
As you exit the
complex take the carved out staircase above to the second level and you’ll be
able to see various kachkars scattered throughout the cliff. The first thing I noticed was hearing faint
singing in the background. As it turns
out, the chamber and hallway have great acoustics and a quartet was singing and
it sounded incredible. It’s perfect for
sharakans (Armenian religious songs) As
you walk through the hallway towards the tomb chamber of princes Merik and
Grigor you see the numerous khachkars engraved in the stone. As you enter the chamber you are encountered
by 4 large columns that the roof is resting upon. The room is divided into 9 equal parts with
the dome in the center.
The last part of
Geghard Monastery is towards the eastern section. It is here you come across another carved
staircase with enormous khachkars engraved on the side of the cliff. The view from the second level gives a great
view of the entire ground and its hard to not be inspired by the beauty and
ingenuity involved in the creation of this magnificent complex.
There is an
eastern entrance and this takes you to a nearby river. Many animal sacrifices are done in this area
in conjunction with the pagan roots. A
small little bridge overlooking the nearby rocky mountains offers a nice
panoramic view of the complex too.
At the entrance of Geghard Monastery there is a stone staircase that will take you up to the side of the mountain where you can see many caves and also get a great view of the surroundings. I managed to hike up there and take some pics with my cell phone. It's quite steep and make sure you have good shoes with traction since there's a lot of loose gravel up there. Sneak inside the ancient caves and see the writing carved into the stone walls.
By far, this has to be one of my favorite places to visit in Armenia. The beauty of the architecture and the surrounding landscape makes an amazing and magical experience. Throw in the history too and this place is completely nostalgic and perfect to visit any time of the year.
Happy traveling.
