Wed 22, May 2025 Dad’s 93rd birthday.
Today we headed for Yerevan, stopping at three places where local people express their beliefs: the Hellenistic Mithras Temple of Garni, dating back to the first century; the Geghard Monastery in the gorge of the River Asat and Khor Virap Monastery. Garni Temple was destroyed by an earthquake in 1679 and reconstructed in the 1970s. The temple was erected on a basalt base in the Greek or Hellenistic style and was a pagan temple built before Christ. Somehow it escaped destruction by Gregory the Illuminator who crushed all pagan temples when Christianity was adopted as the state religion in 301 AD. It sits on top of the gorge of the river Asat, surrounded by the ruins of the Garni Citadel, which also served as the summer residence of the Armenian kings in the third and fourth century. The monastery at Geghard is a unique architectural construction, partially carved out of the adjacent mountain, surrounded by cliffs. While the main chapel was built in 1215, the complex was founded in the 4th century. Then we had lunch at a local family restaurant where we watched two women make the local bread and had Armenian trout as the meat portion of our lunch. Then we continued to our final location of the trip when we visited Khor Virap Monastery (AD 4-17 c). Khor Virap has a very long and rich history, both secular and religious. It is situated in the Ararat Valley against the Biblical Mt Ararat (where Noah's Ark cast anchor) on the left bank of the River Araks on one of the high hills. From ancient times Khor Virap was highly esteemed for its geographical and territorial advantages. From the site we could look across the valley towards Mt Ararat which today sits inside Turkey but used to belong to Armenia before the border was relocated by the Russians. It tears at the hearts of the Armenian people that their enemy now owns or controls their mountain. The weather was spectacular today with blue cloudless skies that permitted us to see both peaks of Mt Ararat clearly. Then it was back to Yerevan. The Yerevan of today is a city of Christian cathedrals, theatres and museums, universities and academies, parks, squares and industrial sites and, finally, an art-loving and sophisticated people. When the coach arrived back at our Best Western Hotel we all said our goodbyes to Jordan, our local guide Marianna and each other as we will all fly home early in the morning. John, Jordan and I again made use of the pool to relax and cool off. Then John, Sherril, Pauline and I walked through the vibrant city streets to Republic Square where we found a little restaurant where we had a final drink and a light sushi dinner. John and I were back at the hotel and in bed by 10 hoping to get a few hours sleep before our 2am airport pickup.
Thank you for sharing your journeys and special thanks for your insights on Armenia, Joe! Now, more people will learn about so many faraway countries, including Armenia, making them much nearer than anyone would think.
ReplyDeleteI love the photo we've got with Ararat in the background, hearing you say: "Marianna, your love for Armenia and positivity are contagious!"
Thank you so much!
I enjoyed reading your blog. So I'll go to the "1973" to start from the very beginning! :)
Yes, Joe, your trip through the "Stans" and then around the Caucasus region has certainly enlightened those of us who were pretty much ignorant of the geography and its many regional cultures prior to reading your blog. I've come away very impressed with the people of these locales and their enduring histories. The term the "Silk Road" now means something to me after having followed along reading your texts and viewing your photos. Thanks for the journey, Joe.
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