If you are traveling or on a business trip in Yerevan, it is worth taking time to travel to the large temple complex of Armenia - the Tatev Monastery. How to get there from Yerevan? The article contains this information and some facts about the monastery complex.
"Wings of Tatev"
The monastery is located just 315 km from Yerevan. The journey will take no more than 4 hours. You can drive all the way to the monastery or take the longest celestial highway in the world. A unique structure that includes modern engineering solutions is the cable car to the Tatev Monastery. The Guinness Book of Records states that it is the longest in the world (5752 m). But not only the length of the airway is considered a record, but also the construction time. was designed by an Austrian-Swiss company and built by Armenians in 10 months. And “Wings of Tatev” can also be proud of the longest unsupported span from the 3rd support to the station. "Tatev" is 2709 meters.
"Wings of Tatev" is a picturesque celestial highway connecting two villages - Galidzor and Tatev. The highest point of the climb is at an altitude of 320 meters. Those who love extreme sports will enjoy a 12-minute flight in a trailer over the gorge with the turbulent Vorotan River.
History of Tatev Monastery
30 kilometers from the city of Goris, on a high rock, almost on the edge of the gorge, the Tatev Monastery is located. When you look at it from the outside, you get the impression that its walls are continuations of mountain rock formations. The interior of the monastery has arched openings and labyrinths leading to small balconies with views of the gorge and mountains. Looking down, you realize how high the monastery is, you get the impression that you are on the roof of the world and hovering over a cliff.
It is known from the chronicles that on the right bank of Vorotan, on the Tatev plateau, there was a pagan temple, which was destroyed with the advent of Christianity.
Construction of the monastery
In the 9th century, construction of the Armenian monastery complex began. The construction of the monastery took several centuries. But the builders and architects maintained the harmony of the structure with the mountain landscape. Inside the monastery, utility and living quarters were erected along the perimeter, emphasizing the rocky foundation of the monastery, and the temple towering in the center, visible from afar, gave grandeur to the complex. Already in the 10th century, the monastery became a major spiritual and political center of all Armenia. In the 13th century, by the end of the construction of the complex, Tatev included 680 villages. The monastery was consecrated in honor of St. Eustathius.
In the 14th century, Tatev University and a school of miniatures were founded on the territory of the monastery. By this time, 500 monks lived in the monastery. Besides? Philosophers, musicians, copyists of manuscripts lived there, as well as those who received knowledge in philosophy, mathematics, and grammar. At the university they studied the basics of artistic skills and graphics.
It is worth noting that the monastery had a huge repository with ten thousand manuscripts - Matenadaran. The monastery was and remains today the spiritual center of the Syunik diocese.
Legends about the name of the monastery
Who and when gave the name to the monastery is not known for certain. Therefore, people have various legends on this topic. One legend tells that the architect, having completed his work, threw himself into the abyss, shouting: “Lights, Surb, ta tev!”, which literally translated from Armenian means “Holy Spirit, send me wings!” According to the second legend, an apprentice jumped into the gorge and, without the master’s permission, installed a cross on the monastery church. He did not have time to go down, and the angry master saw him. And he also jumped with the words addressed to God: “Tal Tev,” which means “give me wings.”
According to some scientists, the name of the Tatev monastery is consonant with the name of St. Evstatheos. There is also an option that the soul in this monastery, freed from sins, receives wings. No matter how many legends are invented and no matter whose version is more interesting, the monastery has had its own name for centuries - Tatev.
Religion of Armenia
Before visiting the churches built on the territory of the monastery, it is worth mentioning that Armenians are Christians, but by their faith they are neither Catholics nor Orthodox. Almost 95% of Armenians are followers of the Armenian Apostolic Church, the oldest of the Christian churches. Thus, in Armenia Tatev has its own characteristics in rituals and dogma. During the service, you can sit, and not spend several hours standing, as is the case in Orthodox services. The interior decoration of churches is simplicity and asceticism, in contrast to the decoration in Catholic and Orthodox churches.
The Tatev Monastery houses the relics of the 11 apostles and the hair of the Virgin Mary. To the church of St. Peter and Paul, a small temple of the most revered philosopher in Armenia - St. Grigor Tatevatsi. It was he who brought the relics of the apostles Peter and Paul to the monastery. The tomb of Grigor Tatevatsi, the great philosopher and theologian of Armenia, was installed at the Tatev Monastery on the southern wall of the church. In 1787, a martyrium with an arched ceiling and a dome was erected in the monastery over the grave of Grigor Tatevatsi. The entrance to the tomb is located at the apse of the temple.
Church of Saints Peter and Paul - Surb Poghos-Petros
At the foot of the monastery there is a path that leads to the massive gates of the monastery, behind which stands the first church built in the monastery complex, St. Peter and Paul. Its construction lasted from 895 to 906. The rigor and laconicism of the structure, the crown of which is a fan-shaped dome, is striking. During the construction of the temple, the main attention was paid to the decoration, since it was the main cathedral of the Syunik principality. The bas-reliefs on the windows in the form of human faces and snake heads with a protruding sting facing the face also attract attention. The snake has always been revered by the Armenians as the patroness of the home. Faded fragments of frescoes indicate that the walls were decorated with bright frescoes, but faded over time. The main shrine of the monastery is particles of the relics of the holy apostles Peter and Paul. They are located under the columns of the altar.
swinging column
The Tatev Monastery in Armenia is famous for another monument of medieval Armenia, the swinging khachkar-gavazan - a staff with a cross stone. It was installed in 904. Archimandrite Mikael, who currently conducts services in the monastery, says that one of the old chronicles stored in the monastery says that the Arabs who destroyed Armenian churches did not touch this miracle staff, since they could not figure out what it was secret. The column more than once saved the monastery from the invasion of enemies, beginning to sway. The swaying of the column is a reaction to the vibrations of the earth created by the stomping of a mass of people and horses.
For many, this seems like a miracle, but only a miracle of craftsmen, a brilliant invention of the Armenian architectural mind. The column is an assembly of many stones on a hinged base. It has a height of 8 meters. What is special about this column? She begins to sway when she feels the ground shaking. The column is also an earthquake predictor. By the way, the earthquake, which partially destroyed the buildings of the monastery, could not destroy the swinging column, and it still stands in the Tatev Monastery.
There is a sundial on one of the faces of the column. They show accurate time for many centuries. Restoration and restoration work is currently ongoing, but the monastery is open to everyone.
Satan's Bridge
There is another miracle of Armenia not far from the monastery - the Satanic Bridge. This is a bridge created by nature that connects the village of Tatev with the monastery. A road passes through it, as it is quite wide - 60 meters. The length of this bridge is 30 meters. There are many springs around the bridge, and there are natural pools with warm mineral water. Under the bridge there are caves painted with stalactites and emerald fonts with mineral water.
The history of every nation has its own memorable events and architectural monuments. We never cease to be amazed at the talents of the architects who created unique buildings many thousands of years ago. It doesn't matter where you live. There is only one planet. We need to be able to preserve what our ancestors left us and preserve it for future generations.
Tatev Monastery is considered the pearl of medieval Armenian architecture. It was built in the 9th-13th centuries in a remote area, which is why it is often difficult for tourists to get into it, but for true connoisseurs of unique ancient monuments, these problems fade into the background.
The monastery is located in the very center of the Syunik region, nearby is the village of the same name, and the structure itself was built on the right, elevated bank of the Vorotan River. To reach this place, those who wish must go down the 500-meter Vorotan canyon, make a stop at the Satanic Bridge created by nature and at the warm mineral springs, then climb up the mountain road. After a few turns the monastery will appear, its powerful and impregnable stronghold will immediately catch your eye.
The inaccessibility of the building is explained by strategic benefits: the monastery was both a religious building and the political center of the Principality of Syunik. In addition, he acted as the residence of the Syunik metropolitan, he also collected taxes from hundreds of villages, and his possessions included vast lands and craft workshops.
There are several versions of the origin of the name of this place. One of them says that the monastery was named in honor of St. Eustathius, who was a student of the Apostle Thaddeus. Both of them were Christians and died as martyrs for their faith in the region of Syunik. Also, “tatev” is translated from the old Armenian language as “give me wings.” When viewed from the lowlands, Tatev, built at a high altitude, seems to stretch to the sky, and each of its walls seems to continue the rock on which it grew. Some believe that the idea for the name came in honor of the architect, who stepped into the abyss after the completion of construction, saying: “Lights, Surb, ta tev!”, which means “Holy Spirit, send me wings!” Another version of the origin of the name says that the soul, trapped within the walls of the temple, seems to gain wings, losing the burden of sins and suffering.
Currently, the building does not have its former significance, but its gates are still open to everyone.
Main buildings
The greatness of the architectural ensemble is difficult to overestimate. In its center is the Church of St. Peter and Paul, which is the most important and largest building of the monastery. It seems to rise above the stone base and endows the entire composition with special monumentality.
The cathedral looks a little archaic, but it also has modern features. Tourists are greatly impressed by the volumetric shape of the church and its umbrella domes. The windows are decorated with bas-reliefs in the form of human faces, towards which the heads of snakes are turned, sticking out their sting. In some places on the cathedral you can see the remains of frescoes.
The most ancient building was the Church of St. Gregory the Illuminator. It was built in 848 by the Syunik prince Pilipos, who donated the village of Tatev to the monastery. The temple is located on the south side of the main cathedral.
The well-known monument “Gavazan” or “Staff”, erected in 904 near the living rooms, is recognized as a valuable work. It is made of small stones and is a pillar with eight sides. Its height is eight meters, at the very top there is an ornamented cornice, above which there is a khachkar.
The Church of St. Astvatsatsin or St. Mother of God, which is a small domed hall with niches, is also of interest to tourists. Each of its facades, except those located on the western side, has a pointed umbrella ceiling. Next to the churches there is the rector's room, a dining room with a kitchen, living quarters, a bell tower and storerooms, built in the 17th-18th centuries.
Tatev seems to soar above the mountains and can extremely surprise a person who finds himself in this place for the first time. Narrow passages leading the visitor from a spacious hall to a series of rooms of unknown nature, stone stairs, arched openings leading into emptiness, all this enchants and remains in the memory for a long time.
History of the monastery
At the time of its foundation there was only one church and a number of monks at the monastery. In the 10th century, the Syunik Metropolis moved there, which led to the expansion of its possessions. By the end of the 11th century, the Cathedral of St. Peter and Paul was erected, as well as two churches of St. Theotokos and St. George the Illuminator, at the same time a hotel for pilgrims and other buildings were built, the brethren increased to 500 people. In those days, Tatev suffered more than once from the invasion of foreigners and periodic earthquakes.
The Orbelyan family, which came to power, began to restore the destroyed parts of the monastery, so the 13th-14th centuries were marked by its unprecedented prosperity. At that time, Tatev University, which was the largest center in the field of philosophy and science in Armenia in the Middle Ages, functioned on its territory. The brethren increased to 1000 people, and an extensive Matenadaran library was built at the university. At the same time, Tatev became a receptacle for 9,800 holy relics, among them were even the hair of the Holy Mother of God.
In 1387, the monastery was invaded by Tamerlane, at the same time its rich book depository with thousands of manuscripts was burned and looted; the nomadic tribes that came after him a century later devastated the university and pushed Bishop Shmavon and his brethren to move to the Sanahin monastery.
At the end of the 19th century, the monastery owned only 9 villages; only the abbot, a couple of vardapets, a couple of clerics and a couple of servants lived in it.
In 1931, an earthquake almost completely destroyed Tatev, and already in 1974-98 the main buildings were restored.
Cable car
“Wings of Tatev” takes everyone to Syunik, the natural and historical treasure of Armenia.
In 2009, the National Competitiveness Foundation approved the “Revival of Tatev” program, within the framework of which it was planned to restore the destroyed architectural monuments of the monastery and create infrastructure for the development of tourism. It was decided to start with the construction of a cable car. In October 2010, the longest ropeway in the world, it was immediately included in the Guinness Book of Records.
Now you can get to the monastery in 12 minutes by air.
The distance from one platform to another is 5752 meters. The route was laid out taking into account all the nuances of the area, so every tourist gets the opportunity to view both historical and natural attractions located below (Satan's Bridge, Tatev Hermitage) from a height of 320 meters. The passenger cabin accommodates 25 people and allows maximum viewing of the surrounding environment. When it starts moving, it creates a feeling of flying in the sky, which is where the name of the road comes from.
The complex itself is designed as comfortably as possible for visitors: a large amount of open space allows you to park your car, there is a restaurant where you can wait for your flight or drink coffee while enjoying the view of the mountains from the window. There are viewing telescopes at the observation deck, with their help you can see the gorge. The ticket office has mobile communications and the ability to purchase round-trip tickets.
How to get there
From Yerevan you can get to the turn to the monastery by the Yerevan-Stepanakert bus, or a tourist can order a taxi from any hotel or hostel to the city of Goris.
The cable car was built in the Syunik region of the country, it is located 250 km south of Yerevan. You can get from there to “Wings of Tatev” by taxi, by choosing a transfer or by renting a car. The entire journey will take about 3.5-4 hours. Convenient and familiar applications include Uber and Yandex.Taxi.
Photo review of Tatev Monastery, one of the most interesting sights of Armenia, as well as about the reverse cable car “Wings of Tatev”- the longest in the world. What to see, where to live, how to get there.
Tatev Monastery is located in the Syunik marz (region) of Armenia, 250 km from and 20 km from the city of Goris. Syunik (Zangezur) is one of the 15 provinces of ancient Great Armenia; in the 10th-12th centuries the kingdom of Syunik existed here with its capital in Kopan.
During the heyday of Syunik, the Tatev monastery turned into the spiritual and cultural center of all Armenia - already in the 10th century it numbered about a thousand inhabitants and was the largest among the 48 monasteries of the Syunik kingdom.
"Devil's Bridge" on the Vorotan River
“Devil's Bridge” is a natural formation in the form of an arch along which the Goris-Tatev highway passes.
The length of this natural bridge is 30 meters, width is 50-60 meters. Mineral water flowing from springs in the cracks of the rocks painted the walls of the Vorotan Canyon in pink and yellow-green colors. Over many centuries, the limestone deposits of these mineral springs, the so-called “travertines,” spread from one bank to the other, forming a powerful stone arch over the Vorotan River.
Vorotan River Gorge
Along the edges of the bridge, huge stalactites hang down to the water, and in some places natural baths have formed where you can swim. But you need to take into account that the water there is icy at any time of the year, so local “walruses” and tourists take alcohol with them for swimming – usually vodka – and, “taking it on their chest,” throw themselves into the water as if it were an embrasure.
By the way, about vodka - contrary to popular myth, it is the most popular alcoholic drink in Armenia, and not the famous Armenian cognac. The latter, as we noticed, has generally become more of a tourist attraction - the Armenians themselves are reluctant to drink it, especially after both of the main cognac factories in Yerevan became the property of foreigners. As for vodka, there are a lot of different varieties of it in Armenia - for example, the eastern part of the country, together with the adjacent Nagorno-Karabakh, is especially famous for mulberry vodka.
Where to stay near Tatev Monastery
To explore the sights of southern Armenia, it is best to stay in the town of Goris, from which it is very convenient to make radial excursions - to the Tatev monastery, the “Armenian Stonehenge” Karahunj, etc.
For example, we lived in a wonderful guesthouse Vivas– upon arrival, the hostess fed us delicious khorovats (shish kebab) – the best during our entire trip to Georgia and Armenia. The next evening, an amazing dolma awaited us (or, rather, “tolma” - that’s how this dish is called in Georgia and Armenia - in Russia it is better known by its Azerbaijani name).
And for breakfast, among other things, we were offered delicious homemade apricot jam - we liked it so much that we bought a couple of jars to take home.
How to get to the Tatev Monastery and the “Wings of Tatev” cable car
By public transport:
From Yerevan: by minibus from the Cilicia bus station to Goris (8:30; 15:00; 17:00), then by taxi to the monastery (12 km, 5000 drams/650 rubles/10$).
By car:
Coordinates: N39.37963, E46.24814; 250 km from Yerevan and 20 km from Goris.
If you drive along the Yerevan-Goris road to the southeast, then, a little before reaching Goris, you need to turn right (south) and drive about another 3 kilometers. Then there are two options: or get directly to the monastery on the “Wings of Tatev” cable car, leaving the car in the parking lot near its northern station (near the village of Halidzor, coordinates N39.41637, E46.30042).
Second option: continue driving directly to Tatev Monastery. When choosing the second method, you should keep in mind that approximately halfway to the monastery, right after the “Devil’s Bridge” across the Vorotan River, a rather bumpy and steep dirt serpentine road about 6 km long begins, in addition, replete with rather sharp stones, so you will have to drive slowly and very carefully .
We ended up with this second option simply because we didn’t notice the cable car station and drove past - and we no longer wanted to go back to it from the Devil’s Bridge.
In general, the road from Halidzor station to the Tatev Monastery is itself stunningly picturesque and well worth driving along, even without taking into account the value of the monastery itself.
It is best to rent a car for traveling around Armenia.
Tatev Monastery on the map:
Excursions around Armenia from local residents
If you don’t have a car, then to explore the sights of Armenia it is best to take an individual excursion from local residents. Your guides will be writers, artists, photographers, journalists - who are in love with their country and know almost everything about it.
In the morning you will be picked up from your hotel in Yerevan, driven all day to the most interesting places, told many interesting stories and legends, and in the evening you will be returned tired but very satisfied.
At the moment, Yerevan offers many different options - both overview and thematic (for example, a tour of “wine” Armenia or the most interesting monasteries). To see all available options, click "View all excursions."
At the booking stage, you only need to pay 20% of the excursion cost - the rest of the amount is given to the guide before it starts.
Useful articles about Armenia and Georgia:
— the most complete guide to Georgia on the RuNet.
Life hack: how I save on insurance
As for good working insurance, it was not easy to find before, but now it has become even more difficult due to the constant jumps in the exchange rate of the ruble against world currencies. For the last few years, I have been purchasing travel insurance through an online service.
It was decided to devote the next day of our stay in Armenia to traveling to Tatev. Tatev was the main goal, but besides it, along the way, with slight deviations from the course, there are other wonderful places that we could not afford not to visit.
Early rise, early departure. We drive through the Ararat Plain, past trout farms where Ishkhan, trout and sterlet are bred. As you know, Sevan trout has been listed in the Red Book of Armenia since 1978. When, after a thoughtless experiment, a disaster occurred, Ishkhan began to disappear, so it is grown artificially and they are trying to restore its popularity in Sevan.
The Big Ararat floats by on the right, and the Small Ararat a little further away. Despite the early morning, the air was not clean and transparent, so we were not able to see Ararat in all its glory during our entire stay in Yerevan and the surrounding area.
The road is deserted, as are the landscapes, due to the lack of water and aridity of those places. Alpine meadows in Armenia turned out to be strewn with stones of various sizes, which literally grew through a small layer of fertile soil.
To get to the Noravank monastery it was necessary to cross the pass. At first the ascent went up along a straight road, which very soon gave way to a mountain serpentine. However, it was convenient and easy to travel along it, and there were few people.
The turn to the Noravank monastery was marked with a sign and a guard booth, but the booth was empty, no one stopped us, although we got out of the car. Immediately behind the buildings, Noravank National Park began, which went into the depths of the entire gorge.
On the right side of the road to Noravank, in the rock formations of the left bank of the Arpa River, there is another landmark of those places, and of Armenia as a whole - the Areni Cave (or Bird Cave), considered the largest in Armenia, despite the fact that until the end it seems like not walked, and no one knows its exact dimensions. The karst-type cave, formed in the rocks of the Cretaceous period, consists of three halls, the first and second of which are connected to each other by passages. Below and above the level of the first hall there are recesses called “basement” and “upper” floors. The total area under the cave arches is almost 500 square meters. During archaeological excavations in 2007-2008, layers of remains of material culture from different periods of the Stone and Copper Ages were discovered in the first hall of the cave and on the slopes at its entrance. Based on the data obtained as a result of radiocarbon dating of bones, coal, wickerwork, seeds and other organic remains recovered from the surface, these layers can be attributed to the last quarter of the 5th millennium BC. e. and the first half of the 4th millennium.
The entrance to the cave was sealed with a grate, when, after numerous publications in the media about the finds and the progress of the excavations, the cave experienced unprecedented popularity, which almost cost the “life” of ancient household items. The archaeological expedition was greatly disturbed by tourists who, without permission, entered the cave without even thinking about the fact that they might break something. As a result, it was decided to close the entrance to the cave after the completion of the excavations.
The Noravank monastery complex is located among bizarre sheer red rocks on the ledge of a winding gorge. A rather steep serpentine road leads to it.
The complex includes a chapel, the churches of St. John the Baptist and St. Our Lady, which served as tombs for the families of the princely family. Admission is free, although all visitors buy candles at the entrance, a kind of entrance fee. Together with us, a whole bus with tourists arrived there, who hurried to the service in Surb Asvatsati, in the semi-basement floor, which previously served as the tomb of the princely family of Orbelyan.
The western façade of the building is especially richly decorated. There are two cantilever staircases built there that lead to the second tier. The bases of the stairs begin to the left and right of the entrance to the tomb. Above the door of the first floor there is a bas-relief depicting the Mother of God with the Child Christ and the Archangels, and above the upper entrance - with the image of Christ and the figures of the apostles Peter and Paul. The monument is distinguished by harmonious proportions and exceptionally refined decoration.
The oldest church of the monastery is the Surb Karapet Church, which has come down to us in ruins, built in the 9th-10th centuries.
Many khachkars have been preserved on the territory of the monastery. Previously, almost the entire space of the plateau on which the complex stands was occupied by the needs of the monastery. Nowadays, neat paths help entire busloads of tourists culturally explore the preserved antiquities. There are several souvenir shops.
We are heading back. We go down and stop near an old man who was tending to his garden. Having heard the Russian speech, he willingly entered into a conversation in broken Russian, complained that he could not treat us to anything at this time of year, and recommended that we come to visit him in the fall, when the harvest would be.
We leave the Noravank gorge and move on. Follow the sign and turn to Jermuk. Upon entering the city, we encountered a local airport with a runway of some small size, it turned out to be only 1 km. We cross a wide-span bridge across the giant gorge of the Arpa River, realizing that the waterfall must be somewhere below, but it is neither visible nor heard. We ask, they willingly explain it to us. We turned around, again moved around the place through the gorge, we go down the serpentine road, there is only one road, we drive up to a small parking area. There is only one car on the site and the one with souvenirs. The seller shows us where to go and warns us that parking is paid, we should pay him :) To the question, does he issue a receipt? answers: What checks? where did you see the checks at the parking lots?... We don't argue anymore :) Along the path we go out to the waterfall.
I looked at it a lot in photographs, preparing for the trip, and still it amazed me. It’s not for nothing that it is also called Mermaid’s Hair: white stripes of water, like the hair of a beautiful maiden, pour down the slope, merging into the Arpa River. Jermuk Waterfall is considered the second highest waterfall in Armenia. High-quality Jermuk mineral water is produced from various sources of the Jermuk waterfall.
The gorge of the river itself is beautiful.
Next, we visit the business card and symbol of the resort city - the drinking gallery of mineral water springs of different temperatures. The mineral waters of Jermuk are high-temperature, contain the entire periodic table (this is carbon dioxide, bicarbonate, sulfate, chlorine, sodium, potassium, calcium, fluorine, bromine, magnesium), in their composition they are close to the waters of the world famous Karlovy Vary in the Czech Republic.
The drinking gallery is an architectural structure with drinking water taps coming from the walls. Moreover, each tap corresponds to a specific type of water and in each subsequent tap the water is slightly hotter than in the previous one. In the latter, the water temperature reaches 55 C.
Our time is catastrophically running away in the contemplation of beauty and we may not have time to visit the actual goal of our trip - Tatev, so we did not stay long in Jermuk, tried the water from all the taps and went back to the route that will finally lead us to Tatev.
Gradually the road began to rise again. The mountain landscapes evoked an unimaginable feeling of space and freedom. And the serpentine along which we climb to the top of the Vorotan Pass forced us to admire it, but we could no longer afford to stop again. Cars with Iranian license plates have become more common. People stood and sat along the road offering to buy something white in buckets, baskets, and basins. Taking a closer look, we understand that these are champignons, but such a quantity impressed us. Sergei even had the thought of walking along the slopes in search of mushrooms, but this thought was overcome by another, that everything had already been collected and put into buckets. At the top of the pass over the Zangezur ridge stands the symbolic Syunik Gate, we find ourselves in the Syunik region. Immediately after the pass, the quality of the road surface deteriorated. The road forks. The main one crosses the river and goes further south, the secondary one turns west to the village of Tatev. We turn at the sign for Tatev, the highway flies out onto the edge of a cliff, under which Vorotan roars 500 meters below.
Unlike other points of our visit, Tatev was full of tourists, mostly school students, who, apparently, were taken on an excursion during the holidays.
There are two versions of the translation of the name Tatev from grabar (ancient Armenian): “give wings” or “fly!” Also associated with this name “Give wings!” is the longest cable car in the world, which is called that and is located near the village of Tatev. Its length is 5 km 700 meters. By cable car, which can accommodate up to 25 people, you can reach the ancient Armenian monastery - Tatev Monastery - in just 11 minutes.
The cable car was named “Wings of Tatev”. This road was built jointly by the Swiss and Austrians. And their work cost a record $13 million. Sergei did not see the point in this road, despite the fact that a completely tolerable road led to the monastery.
We walked to the cabins, everything was fenced, well-kept, large parking, free. We walked around, looked from above where the cable car led and drove along the serpentine road by car.
The Tatev Monastery rises as a powerful and impregnable stronghold on a cliff plunging into the gorge of the Vorotan River. The strategically advantageous location on the cape, formed by the deep, rocky slopes of the river gorge, favored the creation of a powerful defensive complex here.
Tatev Monastery was founded in the 9th century. It was a large medieval spiritual and educational center. Tatev University, founded in 1390, was located here, which included three departments (faculties).
“Gavazan” - a swinging column, installed in 904 in the courtyard, near the living quarters of the monastery, is a unique work of Armenian architecture and engineering of that time. This is an octagonal stone pillar (eight meters high), topped with a khachkar mounted on a carved cornice. From seismic vibrations, and even from the touch of a human hand, the pole can tilt and independently return to its original position. The oscillations of the pendulum warned the population of the monastery about earthquakes, as well as the approach of enemy troops. We didn’t push, you never know)))
We met the Caucasian Agama on the territory of the monastery (we later identified it)
Among other things, the 17th century oil press was restored in the Tatev Monastery. It was used to obtain flaxseed, hemp and sesame oil. So now you can watch oil being pressed using ancient technology and get acquainted with local cooking habits. By the way, in this tourist site there is not a single information entry in Russian, although there are in Armenian, English, French and, apparently, Italian. On the territory of the monastery there are signs in Russian, but it is clear that these are signs left over from ancient times, while modern ones prefer not to include Russian in their descriptions.
We return to the car. As soon as we drove away, we saw two tourists who were voting on the road. We stop, the guy and the girl practically ask with gestures if we can take them down to the Devil’s Bridge. Now there is a reason to visit this attraction. We tried to talk to tourists. It turned out that they were from Israel, flew to Tbilisi, and came to Tatev and Goris as part of an excursion from Tbilisi. They have a week for Georgia, a week for Armenia is planned. Oh, how it happens! Winding unimaginable serpentines, the road goes down and comes out to the famous Devil's Bridge.
Devil's Bridge (Satani-Kamurj)
This bridge is a platform between the slopes of the gorge, and is the result of the activity of mineral waters, which over the course of many centuries formed a kind of arch about 40 m wide above Vorotan. On both sides of the bridge rise huge slopes made of pink and yellowish travertine and limestone. But everything was spoiled by the huge amount of garbage scattered everywhere.
Local guys told us that there was also a mineral water pool there, one of them took us to it. Then he offered to go down to the water using a rope that was tied to a tree. I didn't make up my mind. Sergei came down, but was somehow not impressed, he said that he was more worried about the camera than looking for beauty.
When entering the city we see caves in the distance, but we ask the local population how to get to them. The men, sitting on a bench near residential buildings and playing backgammon, actively began to tell us and show us where to go. And yet we turned a little earlier than necessary and ended up in a cemetery. We climbed up a steep slope (I kept wondering how a funeral was held there if the UAZ had difficulty getting up).
Before us is a cave city. This impressed me. The hilly landscape of Goris is cut by gorges, from which, like strange plants, rocks stretch towards the sun, revealing new fantastic landscapes, sometimes reminiscent of alien ones. These rocks are the result of weathering of volcanic tuff. This process created unusual pinkish cones and peaks that are a fantastic sight. It is also interesting that inside these cones from ancient times until the middle of the 20th century. people lived. Each dwelling, as a rule, was divided by a partition into two parts: tun - for people to live in and gom - for livestock. Large benches were cut out along the walls of the residential part, and in the goms there were feeding troughs for livestock.
The cave city is multi-tiered, with the roof of the lower dwelling serving as an entrance platform for the upper dwelling. With the advent of metal tools, natural caves were increasingly expanded and completed, forming quite large settlements. Thus, with the help of cave cities, two problems were simultaneously solved - housing and the security problem, which, due to the Turkish and Persian invasions, was very acute.
These are the caves closest to the houses. Of course, everything collapses and crumbles over time.
But many residents still use the caves for their needs, in particular as a cattle pen.
It's already getting dark, it's time for us to go back. But we could not pass by another miracle of Armenia - “Zorats-Karer”, which translated from Armenian means “stone army”, another name is Karahunj (“singing stones”). Even from the highway, rows of giant red-brown monoliths are visible on the scorched plain. Megalithic structures, along with the Egyptian pyramids, are one of the unsolved mysteries of humanity.
Zorats-Karer is 223 vertically standing stones from 1.5 to 2.8 meters high and weighing up to 8.5 tons with even through holes, located in circles around dolmens on an area of approximately 7 hectares.
The outstanding Armenian scientist Paris Geruni studied Karahunj. Professor Geruni proved that the age of the megalithic complex reaches 5500 BC. (i.e. it is much older than Stonehenge and the Egyptian pyramids). The stone structures of Zorats-Karer were not used as burial places, but served as a temple to the Sun god, and at the same time they were an ancient observatory, since the holes in the stones corresponded to the location of the stars in the sky, which proves that the people of those times knew much more about the world and the Universe than we thought before.
How to fly 5752 meters in 12 minutes at an altitude of 320 meters above the abyss? The Tatev cable car allows you to do this! The project, completed in 2010, has greatly increased the accessibility of one of the most famous tourist and historical places in the south of Armenia - the Tatev Monastery.
This was my second cable car in my life. I hope not the last. What I saw, what I liked and what I remember - I’ll tell you right now!
1. Wings of Tatev - reversible cable car. This means that the booths move in a circle, and back and forth like shuttles. Departures are carried out simultaneously from both stations. The word “pendulum” is also used. 
2. Station "Halidzor" - the one from which people go to the monastery. I saw the caption "lower station". Perhaps she really is a lower level than the other. This doesn't play a big role. 
3. Nearby there is a restaurant, a souvenir shop, and an observation deck. 
4. Model of the monastery. 
5. There is a photo map at the local observation deck. There are few objects around. The mountain view itself is much more beautiful than anything else. 
6. Halidzor. 
7. Vorotan Gorge. 
8. Previously, the road to Tatev along steep roads, they say, took up to an hour and a half in small minibuses. The Internet says a minimum of 40 minutes. It is simply impossible to get there by large bus. You will see in the photo. From this place to the other end of the cable car, Google gives 15 kilometers in 13 minutes. Yeah. Why! 
9. Cabins depart every 15 minutes. 
10. Mechanisms. 
11. The cabin that just departed. Its speed will reach 36-37 km/h. 
12. Now she has passed the first segment of the road. See the dot below? 
13. And here is half the way! In the distance on a high support. 
14. By framing we see the meeting of booths. 
15. Technical specifications and rules of conduct are written in Russian, Armenian and English. The smallest section is two supports in the middle of the road where the cabin flies over the mountain. 
16. It's time to line up for boarding. Waiting under the roof. 
17. Tickets are different. I have a back and forth. Today it is 536 rubles. 
18. The booth has arrived. Those who arrived left. And we pass. One booth accommodates 25 people and 1 accompanying operator. 
19. During the journey there is a short excursion in 3 languages. 
20. We start moving smoothly. 
21. Mountain view. 
22. If there are experts in the comments, I will be glad to receive explanations about these structures on cables. I guess just to prevent the cables from dangling. 
23. Local transport. 
24. School. 
25. Some ruins. 
26. Cemetery. 
27. Meeting booths!
28. The longest section is ahead. Do you see the road? 
29. This is only part of it. Let's trust the speed promised by Google? 
30. Holiday home. 
31. A small river from the monastery flows into Vorotan. 
32. Abandoned place of residence of hermits. 
33. Vorotan River gorge from the other side. 
34. The monastery is already very close. 
35. In the meantime, there is a waterfall below us! 
36. It is its water that flows into Vorotan! 
37. We have arrived! While there are no people yet, I’ll take a photo of the control panel. 
38. Tatev station. 
Very nice cable car. Scary for those afraid of heights, but very convenient. While waiting for a booth, you can calmly surf the Internet, for example :-)
To be continued!
Thanks:
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