Yerevan-Tatev road I decided to post it as a separate small post - it’s very colorful. In my opinion, this road most clearly reveals the multifaceted nature of Armenia and is undoubtedly worth driving along, even if you are not interested in the numerous ancient monasteries located along the way - for example, Khor Virap, Noravank and Tatev itself. The distance from Yerevan to the Tatev Monastery is 270 km, (to the Noravank Monastery, located approximately halfway, it is about 120 km), the quality of the surface is quite acceptable (except for the last five kilometers just before Tatev), the road can be covered in five to six hours, if you drive without stops But it’s very difficult to drive through it: in many places you’re tempted to stop the car and click the camera at 360 degrees.
Particularly picturesque fates begin after the town of Artashat and (I also highly recommend visiting it, this is the most important attraction of the Ararat region, and it is located almost along the road):
Along the way we came across this still life - later we came across such bundles of cherries quite often:
But the most important photo temptations begin after exiting the Yerevan-Goris highway onto the secondary road leading to:
The road winds through the gorge of one of the tributaries of the Arpa River, among the red “Martian” rocks:
In general, the nature of the Armenian marzes (regions) is unlike one another - even neighboring valleys can be strikingly different. Even in ancient times, historians called them ashkhar, which means “peace.” The steppes of the Ararat region with Mount Ararat, sacred to all Armenians, dominating over them are completely different from the Vayots Dzor region, which abounds in mountain gorges and plateaus, and that, in turn, is very different from the southeastern Armenia - the Syunik region, which for centuries has been the “gateway” to ancient Artsakh (as modern Nagorno-Karabakh was once called).
The Yerevan-Tatev road sequentially passes through all three of the above-mentioned regions and, despite its relatively short length (only 270 km), allows you to get acquainted with several different faces of this, albeit small, but very diverse country.
The region of Syunik (Zangezur) is the most remote and inaccessible part of Armenia. It is also called the “Armenian Urals” - due to the large number of mineral deposits, especially various ores. Here, in a relatively small area, are located the Meghri region with its subtropical climate, and Mount Kaputjukh with fields of eternal ice, the driest valley - the Araks River valley, and one of the wettest and rainiest places in Armenia - the Goris region. The highest mountain range in Armenia and the entire South Caucasus, the Zangezur chain, is also located here.
From the border between Syunik and Vayots Dzor, located near the Vorotan Pass, the road to the southeast, to the city of Goris and, goes along the deserted Yerablur plateau.
The plateau is framed by cones of extinct volcanoes, and in its very center is located Karahunj– “Armenian Stonehenge” – 222 vertical giant red-brown blocks – menhirs.
Scientists still have not been able to determine who placed these menhirs here and why. According to legend, dwarfs once lived in those parts, and their neighbors, the Ouz giants, undertook to help this helpless people, who built a heroic stone house for them. According to another legend, a warrior is buried under each of the 222 stones - and therefore they are popularly called Zorats Karer (“warrior stones”).
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 insurance for my travels through an online service - here you can compare the products of different insurers and choose exactly what suits you best:
Have an easy road from Yerevan to Tatev!
Your Roman Mironenko
Tatev is one of the most famous and revered monasteries in Armenia. The monastery is an ascetic, but very majestic building: it rises on a steep cliff near a cliff, harmoniously blending into the harsh mountain landscape. Of particular interest is the cable car, which helps to get to the shrine: it is notable for its impressive size and the magnificent panorama that opens up during the trip.
Tatev Monastery (“Wings of Tatev”, Tatev, Tatevivank) is the largest temple complex in Armenia, created at the turn of the 9th–10th centuries. It is located in the Syunik region, on the edge of the deep gorge of the Vorotan River. The height of the monastery above sea level is 1600 m.
The founders of the monastery were the major feudal lord Ashot, his wife, as well as princes Grigor Supan 2 and Balka Dzagik. According to the chronicle, previously the place of the shrine was occupied by a pagan temple, but after Christianity was proclaimed the official religion of the country, it lost its relevance and significance.
By the 10th century, more than 1,000 people found their home within the walls of the monastery, and after another three centuries, the monastery began to collect taxes from more than 600 villages in the area. In the Middle Ages, “Wings of Tatev” was one of the most important centers of education and science in the state: in 1373, a university of the same name was opened here, where a school of miniatures began operating, where book illustration and art were taught.
The architectural ensemble of the Tatev Monastery took several centuries to form. It includes several religious and utility buildings erected at different times:
- Surb Grigor Lusavorich(St. Gregory the Illuminator). The most ancient temple among all: the church was erected in 1295, instead of the lost building of 836-848. It is adjacent to the southern facade of the main cathedral of the monastery;
- Surb Poghos-Petros(Church of the Apostles Peter and Paul). The main cathedral of the monastery. This is an impressive structure, built in 895-906. It features rich interior decoration. Here is the tomb of St. Gregory of Tatevatsi;
- Gavazan. The most valuable and unique object of Tatev. It is an octagonal rotating column in honor of the Holy Trinity, which is crowned with a stone khachkar cross. Established in 904;
- Surb Astvatsatsin(Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary). Built in the 11th century over the tomb of the monastery. The smallest of its three temples;
- Deserts of Tatev. Appeared in the 14th century. It is located slightly below the main monastery. It was founded in the 14th century by the monks of Arantz;
- Dzit An Oil Press. Built in the 17th century;
- Surb Grigor Tatevatsi(tomb). A modest building with a dome, built in the 18th century over the burial place of a famous medieval figure.
The origin of the name of the monastery is interesting. The first version says that the architect of the monastery, after its construction, threw himself off a cliff with the words “Ogni Surb ta Tev” - “Holy Spirit, send me wings,” after which the shrine began to be called that. The second tells: the name appeared because within the walls of Tatev a person seems to gain wings. The third connects him with Saint Eustathios (Evstathios-Statevos-Tatev), who is buried nearby.
Despite its advantageous, inaccessible location, Tatev was repeatedly attacked by enemies: it was burned, robbed, destroyed, but nevertheless it rose again from the ruins. Another misfortune is frequent earthquakes. The cataclysm of 1921 turned out to be the most destructive. Now the monastery is experiencing its rebirth: it is being restored, reconstructed, and anyone today can enjoy the masterpiece of medieval architecture.
Ropeway in Tatev
The Wings of Tatev cable car opened in 2010. It was built as part of the reconstruction program of the monastery, which should soon become a major tourist center.
The Tatev cable car has twice entered the Guinness Book of World Records. The first achievement is the timing of its construction: it appeared in just 10 months. The second is the length of the cable car: 5752 m, which makes it the longest cable car in the world.
The height above which the road is suspended is also impressive: the maximum point reaches 320 m. The “Wings” project was developed by a joint venture between Austria and Switzerland, and its implementation was carried out by Armenian builders.
“Wings of Tatev” has important practical significance. Its appearance significantly reduced the time it took tourists to get to the attraction. In addition, the road connected two villages - Tatev and Galidzor. Previously, the journey along the serpentine road from one point to another took an hour, but now this figure has been reduced to 11 minutes.
The cable car starts in the village of Halidzor. Two cabins with a capacity of 30 people move along it. The speed of the “Wings” is 37 km/h. Powerful supporting structures divide them into four sections, the longest of which is 2 km long. and 700 m. The road capacity is 240 people per hour.
Important! During the summer, “Wings of Tatev” is open daily, at other times of the year with one day off on Monday. The exact opening hours should be checked on the organization’s website, as the hours often change from season to season. The cost of one round trip ticket is: 10 $.
Distance and how to get there from Yerevan
The capital of Armenia and the monastery are separated by as much as 250 km. It is better to plan a trip to an attraction with stops at other interesting sites and overnight stays: the journey will be long and may not fit into one day. The best travel option is by taxi or your own car. A one-way trip will cost approximately 30-35 thousand drams.
Road from Yerevan to Tatev on the map:
You can use the following travel options:
- From Yerevan by taxi to Goris - 4000 drams and 5 hours on the road. Then, from Goris to Halidzor, also by taxi - 3000 drams one way, plus a fee for waiting for a car (about 1000 drams per hour);
- After the trip to Goris, you can wait for the bus that goes to Tatev: at 15:00 it leaves from the bus station every day. The cost of the trip is 700 drams;
- From the Goris bus station you can also get to Halidzor: the bus leaves on weekdays at 07:30 and 14:30. The cost of the trip is 350 drams.
An excursion to Tatev from Yerevan with a stop at street travel agencies costs from 18,000 drams per person.
Important! Public transport does not go to this region of Armenia all the time. Despite a clear schedule, the bus may be very late or may not arrive at all.
Tatev Monastery in Armenia We advise you to visit everything. You know how it is, popular attractions often turn out to be not what you expect from them, but this is not the case with Tatev. This is an absolute must see! Today I’ll tell you what the longest cable car “Wings of Tatev” and the monastery itself are like, and I’ll also share useful practical information on how best to organize your trip to these places.
The dry and hot climate of Yerevan affected Anya’s well-being, and she decided to stay and wait for me in the capital. Well, I now have more mobility, and on the first day I stopped at and on the road. The next day I hitchhiked to, and then to Halidzor, where the cable car begins.
Ropeway “Wings of Tatev”
There are two ways to cross the steep mountain gorge of the Vorotan River: go down the dizzying serpentine road and then go up the same road to the monastery, or use the cable car.
It opened in 2010 as part of the Tatev revival project and was then included in the Guinness Book of Records - its length is 5752 meters and its height above the ground is 320 meters! This is the longest reversible cable car in the world.
The cable car was built by an Austrian-Swiss company and it was done very well, it felt like you were in Europe: neat lawns, a cafe with a gorgeous view, Wi-Fi on the territory. The whole journey takes only 12 minutes, about 15-20 people can fit in the cabin, there is even a “stewardess”;-)
Cafe near the cable car
Wings of Tatev
Cost of the cable car: 2500-3500 AMD one way / 3000-5000 AMD round trip depending on the season. For children up to 110 cm tall the cost is only 100 drams.
Working hours: from 09:00 to 20:00. The first flight is at 09:30, the last at 19:45. The schedule changes depending on the season, see the current one on the official website of the cable car.
The views from the top are breathtaking: I just stood there with my mouth open and trying to get through to the glass to take a photo.
Road in the forest
You can also get to the monastery along this road
The sun was shining very brightly, so the reflection in the glass was very visible... but the views were still indescribable. If only there was a glass floor in the cabin, it would be a completely unforgettable attraction!
What else to see and do nearby?
It is quite interesting to walk around the surrounding area and see how rural Armenia lives. I didn’t have much time, so I decided to just go down the serpentine road into the Vorotan Gorge. At the lowest point is located Devil's Bridge- an amazing natural phenomenon. Over many years, water made its way through the rocks, and this is how this natural bridge was formed, along which the road now passes.
It’s worth a walk here - sheer cliffs and slopes covered with forest, a stormy river flowing in a bizarre canyon. From the bridge you can go deeper, where you can swim in the springs (although they don’t look very good) or go down to the bottom of the canyon using a rope.
Sources
Hidden somewhere in the depths of the gorge ancient mountain villages, they can also be reached on foot.
It will be cool if you find yourself in Tatev when one of the holidays is taking place, for example, in early June the sheep shearing festival is held, and on February 13 the holiday in honor of the Presentation of the Lord is celebrated.
If you love trekking and hiking, then local guides will be happy to guide you through the surrounding beauty and villages. There are several routes from 2 to 8 hours and more difficult and longer hikes. For more information call +374 94 00 80 39.
Rural landscapes of Armenia
Tatev how to get there?
The distance from Yerevan to Tatev is as much as 250 km on a regular road, not a highway. It is best to set aside two or three days for a trip to the monastery, visiting interesting places along the way. Even with your own car it will be difficult to make it in a day, and even then at a gallop.
The most convenient way to get to Tatev is by taxi or your own car. In Yerevan, it is quite possible to find a person who will drive you for 30-35 thousand drams one way for the entire car. But since this will be a trip for several days, then it is necessary to negotiate individually, because the driver must sleep and eat somewhere;-)
Tatev Monastery and surrounding nature
Public transport in this area is inconsistent and there is no point in getting there. Alternatively: first by a shared taxi to Goris (3500 drams per person, 5 hours on the way), and then by taxi to Halidzor (where the Wings of Tatev ski lift starts) 3000 drams one way + 1000 drams for each hour of waiting.
Or you can take a shared taxi to Stepanakert and get off at the turn towards the monastery, but there may not be any taxi drivers there.
Theoretically, there are buses from Goris to Tatev (700 drams, departure at 15:00 every day) and back (departure at 09:00). There are also buses from Goris to Halidzor (350 drams, at 07:30 and 14:30 every day, except Sunday).
I didn’t see any buses in Tatev and hitchhiked almost the entire way there and back, and this is one of the most vivid impressions of traveling around Armenia;-)
Mountain serpentines
Where to stay overnight?
Many tourists stop in Goris, which is 20 km from Tatev Monastery. There are a couple of dozen standard hotels and hotels there at a price of 7,000 drams for a double room.
I also advise you to look for an overnight stay in the villages of Tatev or Halidzor. Recently, locals have opened several guesthouses, where you can not only live in nature in the village, but also communicate with local residents and eat delicious natural products.
I just walked around the village looking for a B&B sign and soon I was sitting at the table for a family dinner, provided with a bed and a shower ;-) The whole experience cost 5000 AMD for accommodation + dinner + breakfast.
There are places where such guest houses are collected, you can look in advance to know who you are going to and book.
That's all I wanted to tell you about the Tatev Monastery in Armenia. If you have any questions, I will try to answer them - ask in the comments, welcome!
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 to 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, “dolma” - this is 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 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 also a 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 facade 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 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 is coming.
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 certain type of water and in each subsequent one 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 stayed in Jermuk for a short time, 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 on a funicular, 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 with a height of 1.5 to 2.8 meters 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.
