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Photo: Yerevantsi, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
On the southern face of Mt. Aragats, Amberd Fortress is a quick trip from Yerevan and a popular escape from the Yerevan summer heat. The fortress looms over a small church, and both overlook the Ararat Valley and Mt. Ararat across the valley. Further up the mountain is a nice lake which is the starting point for the hike up to the southern peak of Mt. Aragats.
Amberd is a 10th-century fortress located 2,300 meters (7,500 ft) above sea level, on the slopes of Mount Aragats at the confluence of the Arkashen and Amberd rivers in the province of Aragatsotn, Armenia. The name translates to "fortress in the clouds" in Armenian. It is also the name incorrectly attributed to Vahramashen Church, the 11th-century Armenian church near the castle. The village of Byurakan is 6.4 kilometres (4.0 mi) from the site of Amberd.
You can observe stars and planets from one of the Byurakan Observatory telescopes. Tours are organized everyday at 21:00, 22:00 and 23:00. You will join a group of about 20 to 30 people and observe one or two stars and one or two planets. As the group can be quite large, you will unfortunately not have a lot of time per person to observe the sky through the telescope. Moreover, as there is a lot of light pollution due to the cities on the bottom of the volcano, the sky is not as dark as it used to be probably at the construction of the observatory. However, it is still a good experience if you have never observed stars through a telescope. It is recommended to book in advance the tour by phone but if you are a solo traveler, you can just show yourself at 21:00 and ask to join the group.