Armenia is a country filled with history, culture, and breathtaking landscapes. Nestled in the heart of the South Caucasus region, Armenia is a landlocked country bordered by Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Iran. This makes the country geographically belongs to Asia, but in a cultural and historical sense it considers itself to belong to Europe.
What makes Armenia stand out compared to other countries? It’s rich cultural heritage that dates back thousands of years. It was the first country to adopt Christianity as its state religion, which has had a profound impact on the country's culture and traditions.
This destination can’t be missed. So, pack your bags, and get ready to discover all that this fascinating country has to offer! If you're visiting Armenia make sure to read our previous blogs on What to visit in Yerevan and what to eat in Yerevan.
Discover with us:
Karahunj Observatory/ Zorats Karer
It is one of the mystery places of Armenia where you are going to find protruding stones in the middle of a natural area. It is also known as Zorats Karer and sometimes as Carahunge.
The closest city to this place is Sisian and is more in the south of Armenia. It is a place with beautiful nature like green mountains and louds of natural wonders.
This place is known as the Armenian Stonehege, and it would be 3500 years older than den British Stonehege. In 2004, this place only got the name Karahunj observatory because they think it used to be an observatory. Karhunjstands for talking stone because in Armanian words kar means stone and hunge means sound. They say the wind makes a lot of sounds coming from the holes in the stones. This is also the biggest reason why people visit this place.
Tatev Monastery
This is a historical monument that has been there since the 9th century. Therefore, it is the oldest and most famous monastery complex in Armenia. This place is located in the south of Armenia right next to Tatev village. From the village it's an easy hike to walk to Monastery. It is about 35 kilometers away from Goris.
During the Middle Ages, this monastery served as an enlightenment and spiritual center where they learned and hada major role in the country's history.It was a kind of University that helped a lot with science, religion and philosophy. Unfortunately, the University slowly ceased to exist after the death of Grigor Tatevatsi.In 2008, a revival was started by Ruben Vardanyan. Then in 2010 came the world's longest aerial tramway named Wings of Tatev. The cable car is now a tourist attraction that lets you fly through the mountains on your way to Tatev.
Khor Virap
Khor Virap is a monastery located close to the Tukr border and 30 kilometers from Yerevan. It is located on a hill in PokrVedi.
The Monastery is located high up so on a clear day you can seevery far. If you walk on the steps of this monastery, you will see all the Arminian characters engraved in the walls. Now it is a monastery that symbolizes Christian Armenia. This used to be one royal dungeon built by King Artashes. The king used it for his enemies and that is why it got the name Khor Virap. Literally translated to deep dungeon. A chapel was built around this dungeon in the 7th century. The ruins of the old chapel can be found around it.
Sevan lake
Do you feel like relaxing for a while during your trip? Then we recommend going to Sevan Lake. This is the largest lake in Armenia and is located at an altitude of 1914 meters, making it the highest lake in the world. Around the lake you will find centuries-old monasteries located on the peninsulas also called Caucasus area.
The lake itself has an area of 1,264 square meters and a depth of 99 meters. The lake has dropped 20 meters over the past century due to human activity. As a result, there have been many important archaeological finds on the lake shore.
The Blue Mosque
Have you ever heard of the Shia Mosque in Yerevan in Armenia? The mosque is better known as the blue mosque, not to be confused with the blue mosque in Istanbul. Even though this mosque can never compete with Istanbul’s and this one was never intended to be luxurious or opulent, it’s still beautiful. The history behind and knowing this is the one and only active mosque in Armenia, makes this even more worth to visit.
The whole complex consists of 70,000 square feet, which is incredibly large for the time it has been made. It was the largest of the eight mosques of Yerevan in 18th century and it has the most significant and oldest extend structure from the city’s Iranian period. The ownership rights of the mosque were given to Iran by the Yerevan city government in 1995. In December 2015, the Armenian government decided to extend Iranian ownership of the mosque for 99 years.
Temple of Garni
Around 30 km east of Yerevan, you can find the Temple of Garni. In the village of… SURPRISE: Garni! The temple is built in the 1st century and not just the only well-preserved Greco-Roman temple of Armenian mythology, but even the last one standing in the former Soviet Union. It is the best-known structure and symbol of pre-Christian Armenia. It served a lot: from the destruction of pagan temples to Armenia's conversion to Christianity and countless invasions and earthquakes until its collapse in 1679. Finally, after a lot of excavations, the temple was reconstructed from 1969 until 1975.
The temple is originally dedicated to the Armenian sun god Mihr. Speaking about the sun, you might need to consider visiting this place during sunrise or sunset for the most stunning view!
We've reached the end of the article Most historical places in Armenia. These places have a fantastic atmosphere, and we believe you will love them as much as we did! In the meantime, you can read other articles on our website. Remember to follow us@thewalkingparrot to be continuously updated on the new releases. We will be back soon with a new article! If you're visiting Lisbon, make sure to try our Fado, Food, and Wine tour!
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