6.1 Khor Virap
6.2 Dvin
6.3 Garni
6.4 Geghard
Temple of Garni (video)
Garni Fortress
The fortress of Garni was founded around the 3rd century BC and served as a summer residence for the Armenian Orontid, Artaxiad and Arsacid royal dynasties. The fortress was eventually destroyed in 1386 by Tamerlane. However, the crown of the site is the Garni Temple, which is a must see. It was dedicated to the god Mithra and constructed by King Tiridates I of Armenia (54-88 AD). It is the only Hellenistic Armenian pagan temple that survived the Christianization of Armenia, later being destroyed by the 1679 earthquake and then reconstructed in 1969-1979.
Armenia’s “Symphony of Stones” poster won the award for Europe’s best tourism poster at the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) 2013 Vettor Giusti tourism poster competition. The poster was named the best among 44 member-states of the UNWTO Commission for Europe.
Temple of Garni (3D)
Symphony of Stones
© Suren Manvelyan
East and South of Yerevan
Tour 6: