Armenia : Cultural Tour In 5 Days

ARARAT Museum
Yerevan Ararat Brandy Factory, officially known as the Yerevan Ararat Brandy-Wine-Vodka Factory , commonly known with its famous brand Noy, is a leading Armenian brandy production company in Yerevan, Armenia, currently owned by Gagik Tsarukyan's Multi Group Concern. It was founded in 1877 during the rule of the Russian Empire. The factory is located on the left bank of Hrazdan river at the centre of Yerevan, occupying the area of the historic Erivan Fortress.

Megerian Carpet Armenia
Megerian Carpet Factory in Yerevan is sure to delight anyone interested in the rich Armenian tradition of carpet weaving. Carpets have been central to Armenian culture since ancient times, and carpet weaving practiced in the land for thousands of years. In keeping with this rich heritage, theMegerian family has been restoring old carpets and producing new ones for more than four generations.

Matenadaran - The Museum of Ancient Manuscripts
The Matenadaran , officially the Mesrop Mashtots Institute of Ancient Manuscripts, is a museum, repository of manuscripts, and a research institute in Yerevan, Armenia. It is the world's largest repository of Armenian manuscripts. It was established in 1959 on the basis of the nationalized collection of the Armenian Church, formerly held at Etchmiadzin. Its collection has gradually expanded since its establishment, mostly from individual donations. One of the most prominent landmarks of Yerevan, it is named after Mesrop Mashtots, the inventor of the Armenian alphabet, whose statue stands in front of the building. Its collection is included in the register of the UNESCO Memory of the World program.

Khor Virap
Khor Virap is an Armenian monastery located in the Ararat Plain in Armenia, near the border with Turkey, about 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) south of Artashat, Ararat Province, within the territory of ancient Artaxata. The monastery was host to a theological seminary and was the residence of Armenian Catholicos. Khor Virap's notability as a monastery and pilgrimage site is attributed to the fact that Gregory the Illuminator was initially imprisoned here for 13 years by King Tiridates III of Armenia. Saint Gregory subsequently became the king's religious mentor, and they led the proselytizing activity in the country. In the year 301, Armenia was the first country in the world to be declared a Christian nation.

T'rchuneri (Bird) Cave
The Cave, located in Vayots Dzor, Armenia, is a testament to human history spanning from the New Stone Age to the Late Middle Ages.The cave is composed of three vast halls, each with unique features, interconnected by winding passages and "secret rooms". Remarkable archaeological findings include an ancient wine production facility from the early 4th millennium BC, showcasing the earliest winemaking techniques.The cave preserves organic materials due to its microclimate, revealing insights into agricultural practices, craftsmanship, and spiritual beliefs.

Noravank Monastery
Noravank is a 13th-century Armenian monastery, located 122 km from Yerevan in a narrow gorge made by the Amaghu River, near the town of Yeghegnadzor in Armenia. The gorge is known for its tall, sheer, brick-red cliffs, directly across from the monastery. The monastery is best known for its two-storey Surb Astvatsatsin (Holy Mother of God) Church, which grants access to the second floor by way of a narrow stone-made staircase jutting out from the face of building. The monastery is sometimes called Noravank at Amaghu, with Amaghu being the name of a small and nowadays abandoned village above the canyon, in order to distinguish it from Bgheno-Noravank, near Goris. In the 13th–14th centuries the monastery became a residence of Syunik's bishops and, consequently, a major religious and, later, cultural center of Armenia closely connected with many of the local seats of learning, especially with Gladzor's famed university and library.

Oshakan
Saint Mesrop Mashtots Church is an Armenian Apostolic church in Oshakan that contains the grave of Mesrop Mashtots, the inventor of the Armenian alphabet. It is one of Armenia's better known churches and a pilgrimage site. Pilgrims visit the church on the Feast of the Holy Translators in October. Mashtots was buried at the site in 440, where a martyrium was built three years later. The current church dates to 1873–79, when an entirely new building was built on the grave of Mashtots, located under the altar. It has been the seat of the Diocese of Aragatsotn since 1996.

Etchmiadzin Cathedral
Etchmiadzin Cathedral is the mother church of the Armenian Apostolic Church, located in the city dually known as Etchmiadzin or Vagharshapat.It is usually considered the first cathedral built in ancient Armenia, and often regarded the oldest cathedral in the world. The original church was built in the early fourth century[12]—between 301 and 303 according to tradition—by Armenia's patron saint Gregory the Illuminator, following the adoption of Christianity as a state religion by King Tiridates III. It was built over a pagan temple, symbolizing the conversion from paganism to Christianity. The core of the current building was built in 483/4 by Vahan Mamikonian after the cathedral was severely damaged in a Persian invasion. From its foundation until the second half of the fifth century, Etchmiadzin was the seat of the Catholicos, the supreme head of the Armenian Church.

Saint Gayane Church
The Saint Gayane Church is a 7th-century Armenian church in Vagharshapat (Etchmiadzin), the religious center of Armenia. It is located within walking distance from the Etchmiadzin Cathedral of 301. St. Gayane was built by Catholicos Ezra I in the year 630. Its design has remained unchanged despite partial renovations of the dome and some ceilings in 1652. Gayane was the name of an abbess who was martyred with other nuns by Tiridates III of Armenia in the year 301, and subsequently made a saint of the Armenian Apostolic Church. In 2000, Saint Gayane Church was listed in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites along with historical churches of Vagharshapat.

Zvartnots Temple
Zvartnots was built during the first Muslim Arab raids to capture and conquer the territories of Byzantine and Sasanian Armenia. Construction of the cathedral began in 643, under the guidance of Catholicos Nerses III the Builder (Shinogh). Dedicated to St. Gregory, the cathedral was built on a location where a meeting between King Trdat III and Gregory the Illuminator was said to have taken place. According to the medieval Armenian historian Movses Kaghankatvatsi, the cathedral was consecrated in 652. From 653 to 659, Nerses was in Tayk and the construction of the cathedral continued under Anastas Akoratsi. Following the Arab occupation of Dvin and wars of growing intensity between the Byzantine and Arab armies on the former's eastern borders, Nerses transferred the patriarchal palace of the catholicos from Dvin to Zvartnots.

Charent's Arch
Driving along the Yerevan-Garni highway, you can see the Charents Arch on the right side of the road on a hill. The monument is named after the great Armenian poet and great patriot Yeghishe Charents. It is believed that he often visited this place and loved to enjoy the fantastic scenery opening from here. Simple at first glance, the stone arch is actually a very interesting monument. The fact is that from here a stunning view of the great biblical mountain Ararat opens all day long. Therefore, the second name of the monument is the Arch of Ararat. This place is a favorite and popular attraction. Tourists visiting Armenia come here to enjoy the breathtaking views and take photos.

The Monastery of Geghard
Geghard Monastery is a medieval monastery in the Kotayk province, being partially carved out of the adjacent mountain, surrounded by cliffs. The name commonly used for the monastery today, Geghard, or more fully Geghardavank, meaning “the Monastery of the Spear”, originates from the spear which had wounded Jesus at the Crucifixion. It is believed, that the spear was brought to Armenia by Apostle Jude, called here Thaddeus, and stored amongst many other relics. Now it is displayed in the Echmiadzin treasury. The monastery complex is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site with enhanced protection status.

Garni Temple
Within this tour we will visit Garni, Geghard and the valley of Azat river, where there are many historical and natural monuments. At first we will visit one of the famous monasteries of the 13th century, Geghardavank, then Garni village, where there are many famous and not so famous monuments. We will have a short hiking tour during which we will visit the famous Garni pagan temple and Symphony of stones as well. There will be a stop nera the Arch of Charents from where a breathtaking view opens to Mount Ararat.

Symphony of Stones
The Symphony of Stones or “Basalt Organ” is a natural monument located in the basin of the Azat River, in the area of Garni village. It is included in the list of RA natural monuments. The monument consists of huge symmetric hexagon and pentagon basalt columns (nearly 50 meters high), which seem to be handmade due to their amazing symmetry. These stones hanging against the gravity resemble an organ, which explains why it is also referred to as “Basalt Organ Pipes”. The Azat River flows through the gorge, filling the stone splendor with the sound of water.

Monastery Sevanavank
Sevanavank is a monastic complex located on a peninsula at the northwestern shore of Lake Sevan in the Gegharkunik Province of Armenia, not far from the town of Sevan. Initially the monastery was built at the southern shore of a small island. After the artificial draining of Lake Sevan, which started in the era of Joseph Stalin, the water level fell about 20 metres, and the island transformed into a peninsula. At the southern shore of this newly created peninsula, a guesthouse of the Armenian Writers' Union was built. The eastern shore is occupied by the Armenian president's summer residence, while the monastery's still active seminary moved to newly constructed buildings at the northern shore of the peninsula.

Lake Parz
The magnificent nature and ancient monasteries make Dilijan one of the most exciting places to travel. In this article we will go to the north-east of Armenia, where at an altitude of about 1400 meters in the Dilijan Nature Reserve hides a miracle of nature, the pearl of Dilijan and Tavush - Lake Parz, which got its name due to its transparency (“parz” translates as “clear” from Armenian ). This is the largest lake in Dilijan: the total length is 385 meters, the width is about 85 meters, and the depth is more than 5 meters. Lake Parz has a landslide origin. The lake, surrounded by a forest, creates a feeling of isolation from the hustle and bustle of the city and full immersion in nature. The water in Lake Parz is from pure mountain springs.

Haghartsin Monastery
Haghartsin is a 13th-century monastery located near the town of Dilijan in the Tavush Province of Armenia. It was built between the 10th and 13th centuries (in the 12th under Khachatur of Taron); much of it under the patronage of the Bagratuni dynasty.