Garni is a village in the Kotayk Province of
ArmeniaArmenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
, situated approximately 28 km southeast from
YerevanYerevan is the capital and largest city of Armenia and one of the world's oldest continuously-inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Yerevan is the administrative, cultural, and industrial center of the country...
.
History
The village is rich in history. The area was first occupied in the 3rd millennium BC along easily defensible terrain at one of the bends of the
Azat RiverThe Azat is a river in the Kotayk Province of Armenia. Its source is on the western slope of the Geghama mountains. It flows through Garni, Lanjazat and Arevshat. It flows into the Aras near Artashat.-See also:*Rivers and lakes in Armenia...
. In the 8th century BC the area was conquered by the
UrartianUrartu , corresponding to Ararat or Kingdom of Van was an Iron Age kingdom centered around Lake Van in the Armenian Highland....
King
Argishti IArgishti I was the sixth known king of Urartu, reigning from 785 BC to 763 BC. He founded the citadel of Erebuni in 782 BC, which is the present capital of Armenia, Yerevan....
. The fortification at Garni was erected probably sometime in the 3rd century BC as a summer residence for the Armenian Orontid and Artaxiad royal dynasties. Later around the 1st century BC the fortress of Garni became the last refuge of King
Mithridates of ArmeniaMithridates of Armenia was an Iberian prince and a king of Armenia under the protection of the Roman Empire.Mithridates was installed by his brother Pharasmanes I of Iberia who, encouraged by Tiberius, invaded Armenia and captured its capital Artaxata in 35...
, where he and his family were assassinated by his son in law and nephew
RhadamistusRhadamistus was an Iberian prince who reigned in Armenia from 51 to 53 and 54 to 55 CE. Considered to be an usurper and tyrant, he was overthrown in a rebellion supported by the Parthian Empire.- Life :...
. The fortress was eventually sacked in 1386 by Timur Lenk. In 1679 an earthquake devastated the area destroying the temple.
Much of the population descends from people settled in the population exchange of 1829–1830, following the
Treaty of TurkmenchayThe Treaty of Turkmenchay was a treaty negotiated in Turkmenchay by which the Qajar Empire recognized Russian suzerainty over the Erivan khanate, the Nakhchivan khanate, and the remainder of the Talysh khanate, establishing the Aras River as the common boundary between the empires, after its...
between
RussiaRussia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
and Persia.
Monuments and landmarks
Garni is notable for its fortress complex with the 1st century AD
Garni TempleGarni is a temple complex located in the Kotayk Province of Armenia, situated approximately 32 km southeast from Yerevan.The first traces of human occupation date back to the 3rd millennium BC and are concentrated in an easily defensible terrain at one of the bends of the Azat river. In the 8th...
, Surb Astvatsatsin Church,
Mashtots Hayrapet ChurchMashtots Hayrapet is a church located within the village of Garni in the Kotayk Province of Armenia. It was built in the 12th century at the site of what was a pagan shrine. A stone carved from red tufa is situated at the right of the entrance upon a low rock wall. It has on it the design of a...
, a ruined 4th century single-aisle church, a ruined Tukh Manuk Shrine, Saint Sargis Shrine, and a Queen Katranide Shrine.
Nearby is the
Garni GorgeThe Garni Gorge is situated 23 km east of Yerevan, Armenia, just below the village with the same name. On a promontory above the gorge, the 1st century AD Garni temple may be seen. Along the sides of the gorge are cliff walls of well preserved basalt columns, carved out by the Goght River. This...
with well preserved basalt columns, carved out by the Goght River. This portion of the gorge is typically referred to as the "Symphony of the Stones". It is most easily reached via a road that leads left down the gorge just before reaching the temple of Garni. Another road leads to the gorge through the village, down a cobblestone road, and into the valley.
Once in the valley, turning right will lead to Garni Gorge, an 11th century medieval bridge, and the "Symphony of the Stones". Taking a left will lead along the river past a fish hatchery, up to the Khosrov Reserve, and a little further
Havuts TarHavuts Tar is a 11-13th century walled monastery in the Azat River Valley across from the villages of Goght and Garni in the Kotayk Province of Armenia. It can be reached easily from the Khosrov Reserve which it is situated within, located across the Garni Gorge. A trail leads directly from the...
Monastery (which may be seen from the temple). Within the reserve is also
Aghjots VankAghjots Vank is a 13th century monastery situated along a tributary of the Azat River Valley in the Khosrov Reserve located near the villages of Goght and Garni in the Ararat Province of Armenia...
of the 13th c., a church of S. Stepanos and the fortress of
KakavaberdKakavaberd or Kaqavaberd - Site :The fortified walls of Kakavaberd are well preserved and crown a ridge within the Khosrov Reserve. It is inaccessible from three of its sides because of the steep terrain. Towers at the northeastern side are 8 to 10 meters tall...
. Garni lies along the road to the
UNESCOThe United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
World Heritage SiteA UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
of
GeghardFor the town, see Geghard, Armenia.The monastery of Geghard is a unique architectural construction in the Kotayk province of Armenia, being partially carved out of the adjacent mountain, surrounded by cliffs...
Monastery (further 7 km southeast).
External links