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Village in Kotayk, Armenia
Photo: Gnvard, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Garni is a village in the Kotayk Province of Central Armenia. Most visitors come on day trips from Yerevan to see Garni Temple and Geghard Monastery, but the area deserves a longer stay.
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Temple complex perched above the canyon of the Azat river. Its centrepiece is the Hellenistic temple built in the 1st C BC - this was smashed by an earthquake in 1679 but reconstructed in the 1970s. Also here are the medieval main gate and fortifications, the circular foundations of a church built in 897 AD, walls of a two-storey royal summer palace built by the Urartians in the 8th C BC, a Roman-era bath house, and a cemetery. Guided tours are available but the place is self-explanatory.
Pok'r or "little" church
A hidden gem in Garni, a small basilica built in the 12th C in dark grey stone with red tufa decorations, intricately carved.
The Holy Mother of God
17th-19th centuries.
Khonarvats
4th-5th centuries church which now lay in ruins.
This portion of the Garni Gorge is typically referred to as the "Symphony of the Stones". All along the sides of the gorge are vertical cliff walls of well preserved basalt columns. It is well worth the walk
Revered 11th C monastery, much of it carved out of the solid stone of the mountainside, in dramatic canyon setting. Monastery and canyon are a UNESCO World Heritage site. The fortified compound encloses the main church, holy springs, an upper chamber with unparalleled acoustics and many intricate khachkars. The "Geghard" was supposedly the Roman spear that pierced Jesus' side; this relic was long housed here but is now in Echmiadzin.
crossing the Azat River. This is the starting point of the trail leading to Havuts Tar Monastery, which is about 5-6 km away from the bridge.
11th- to 13th-century walled monastery. Just before entering through the wall surrounding the Havuts Tar monastery, a trail leads to the right up a hill and through a slightly wooded area. At the end of this trail not too far away, are the ruins of a small chapel with two khachkars nearby to the left and one to the right.
Saint Stephen Monastery of Goght
The monastery of Aghjots Vank contains the church of S. Poghos Petros (S. Paul and Peter) of 1270, an adjoining gavit of the 13th century, the church of S. Stepanos, and numerous khachkars.
A medieval Armenian fortress with large sections of walls still intact, first mentioned in the 9th-10th centuries. Towers at the northeastern side are 8 to 10 meters tall. Within the fortress are the ruins of a church and other structures.
Armenian cuisine with excellent views over the gorge and Garni temple. Sometimes it gets very busy with the tourists.
Garni fishery
A fish farm that has adjacent restaurant. They prepare mainly grilled fish, some side vegetables can be served as well.
Average rooms, even a bit rundown, But the views from the windows/balcony makes you forget about all disadvantages - it's simply stunning.
It has eight rooms overlooking a garden, open air swimming pool, internet, car-park, restaurant (French and Armenian cuisine).
Simple hostel with smallish rooms, but the price is the lowest in the area.
Private villa for rent. You get entire two-floor house.
Upscale option. It has a bar and a restaurant with Armenian and Lebanese cuisines. Table tennis, massage, picnic zone, barbecue places.
It has restaurant, table tennis, billiard, open air swimming pool. Rooms are quite big and richly decorated. Overall, hotel seems to have a good price-quality ratio comparing to other options in the area. Although to get to nearest sights it will be necessary to get a car/taxi as there is not much to do in Goght village itself.
B&B run by a Dutch couple, offering an outdoor pool, decent rooms with new furniture. Tents and campers are also welcomed.
By taxi
Taxis are the quickest way to reach Garni, Goght or Geghard (+/-17 km). The one-way fare from Yerevan will be about 2,000-3,000 dram.
Unless you are in a hurry, walking is the best way to see Garni. If you need to know where to find something, almost any of the residents will be willing to point you in the right direction or even walk you there.
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