Wednesday, July 17, 2013
We had booked a tour today with Hyur Service, a local tourist agency, and arranged to take a group tour to visit Garni Temple and Geghard Monastery today. Armenia is a very small country so it is feasible to use Yerevan as a base and take day trips out of the city to visit several important historical sights.
The Temple at Garni
The Temple was part of a fortress built in the first Century A.D. by an Armenian king and dedicated to a sun god. The original complex included a palace, bathhouse, servants’ and guards’ residences, a church, and a meeting hall. The temple is situated on a triangular piece of land with two sides along the steep Garni Gorge. A thick wall had been built on the third side for to protect the fortress from invasions.
Garni Temple
Tilling the Soil
The Deep Garni Gorge
There are remains of an original bathhouse which been well preserved, although the roof is new. This was the royal bathhouse for the king.
The Roman Bath
The interior of the bath has been restored to demonstrate how it was used. The inscription on the floor was written in Greek and was translated as, “Work and gain nothing.” The guide explained that historians believe that the inscription suggests that the craftsmen were not adequately paid for their services.
Interior Mosaic
The Temple at Garni has been recognized by UNESCO for the preservation efforts by the Armenian government.
Tourists at the Temple
After the group’s explorations at Garni, we continued a short distance to Gerghard Monastery and Church. UNESCO recognized this complex on its list of World Heritage sites.
Snacks on the Way to the Monastery
The surviving buildings of Geghard date from the 13th Century. The Monastery was literally built into the side of a mountain and more than half of the interior floor space is located within the mountain. The complex is also called “Ayrivank”, which means Monastery of the Cave.
The Inner Courtyard of Gerghard Monastery
The common name Gerghard refers to the monastery’s status as the original repository of one of the spears that was used to pierce the side of Jesus during the crucifixion. Gerghard is the Armenian word for spear. The legendary spear is now housed in the museum at Echmiadzin Cathedral.
Interior of the Main Room
Woman Being Baptized
The tour guide explained that since Armenian independence from the Soviet Union, many Armenian people are returning to the church and religious practices of weddings and baptisms. The Armenian woman in the photo above chose to be baptized at Geghard Monastery.
Interior
Inner Chapel
Water that seeps through the walls of the mountain is collected in various pools. People were touching the water and spreading it on their arms and faces. Local legend advises visitors to throw coins into to pool to guarantee their return to Armenia.
Natural Illumination
Historians believe that the Monastery of Ayrivand may have been founded as early as AD 300 to 400. Documentary evidence dates the monastery as far back as the 7th century AD.
Chapel Entrances
Cathedral Exterior
The main cathedral in the photo above was built in 1215. The numerous chapels were illuminated only from sunlight coming through openings built in the thick stone walls and circular openings (“oculus”) in the middle of the ceiling of the high domes.
Standing in the Light