Yerevan city tour, Khor Virap, Garni, Sevanavank/ 2 day tours from Yerevan

The main objective of this tour is to help the tourists and guests of the city to get acquainted with the historical and cultural monuments of Yerevan. One of the oldest cities of the world, Yerevan is famous as a pink city and calls visitors with its humble and at the same time splendid landscapes. Start the city tour visiting the Cascade Monument, from where a panoramic view opens on the city. Continuing our tour you will see the Opera House, Swan Lake, Republic Square, and Abovyan Avenue. The last stop of our tour will be Vernissage, the biggest souvenir market in Yerevan.

The Monastery Khor Virap is the most famous pilgrimage site of the Armenian Apostolic Church. It stands before the snowcapped flanks of Mount Ararat offering a spectacular view of the mountain, the national symbol of Armenia. It is where Grigor Luisavorich (St. Gregory the Illuminator) was imprisoned for 13 years before curing King Trdat III of a disease. This caused the adoption of Christianity in Armenia in the year 301.

The pagan temple Garni was built in the 1st century AD by the armenian king Trdat. The temple Garni is the only monument connecting with the era of paganism and Hellenism, dedicated to the sun god Mithra. The temple is built according to the rules of the classical Greek architecture and looks very similar to the famous temple of Athens in Greece. There is the bathhouse not far from the palace built in the 3rd century AD and has the features specific to the Roman baths of that time.

The Monastery Geghard was built in the 4th century by The First Armenian Catholicos - Gregory the Illuminator. Initially it was called Airivank (cave monastery), then was renamed Geghard, which means . The name of the monastery originates from the spear of the Roman soldier who pierced the body of Jesus Christ. Now the spear is presented in the museum of Echmiadzin.

In the northwest part of Sevan Lake, on a narrow rocky peninsula, there stands one of the most prominent examples of medieval Armenian architecture – Sevanavank Monastery. It was founded in 874 AD by princess Mariam. The remnants of the monastery that was constructed in the 9th century include only two temples – Surb Arakelots and Surb Astvatsatsin, standing among numerous khachkars. The church buildings were constructed from black tuff, which probably gave the monastery its name Sevanavank - “the Black Monastery”.