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Photo: Liveon001 © Travis K. Witt, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
S. Mariane was built in 1271 or according to some sources 1281. It has a beautiful umbrella dome that rests above.
Saint Marianeh church, also known as Saint Marineh, is a medieval Armenian church located in the town of Ashtarak in the Aragatsotn Province of Armenia, currently serving as the alternative seat of the Diocese of Aragatsotn of the Armenian Apostolic Church. Nearby are the churches of Karmravor, Spitakavor, Tsiranavor, and Surp Sarkis. There is also a unique bridge of 1664 in the gorge nearby. Saint Marianeh church is clearly visible from across the gorge at Saint Sargis church. The church sits adjacent to Smbat Shahaziz road, between Perch Proshyan and Parpetsi roads though it is easiest reached via a vacant lot southeast of the complex.
© OpenStreetMap contributors
The center life in this quiet town. There is a monument to Catholicos Nerses of Ashtarak, a taxi rank and a pair of nice pre-revolutionary buildings.
Surb Astvatsatsin
The church was built in the mid-7th century and has been preserved without significant alterations. It features a single reddish clay tile domed roof (hence the name Tsiranavor, which means "reddish"). There are ancient khachkars around the church, and a stone gates with preserved engravings. It is a small church but quite interesting.
Perch Proshyan, the writer of the second half of the 19th century, was born here. There is a funny milepost at the entrance showing distances to the Hermitage, the Louvre and other world-famous museums.
Tsiranavor meaning "apricotish" is a small church built between the 13th to 14th centuries. Its roof has since collapsed, but walls remain. It also doesn't look very appealing and can be skipped.
Spitakavor meaning "whitish" is a triple-aisled basilica built in the 5th-6th centuries (most likely between 540-557). The front façade is whitewashed and has a lengthy inscription. Walls remain but the roof has since collapsed. Note: Some confusion about the name of the churches of Spitakavor and Tsiranavor has seemed to have occurred due to the misplacement of the Russian markers located inside the two structures. The ruins aren't impressive: if you aren't an expert, you can skip it.
The history of Old Ashtarak Restaurant reflects various layers of the history of Ashtarak and of the forced relocations of Armenians and their everlasting quest to live in their homeland. Using a recipe perfected and passed down through generations, Talar will teach you how to make the popular ishli kufta and filo pastry.