Spiritual Horizons: from Khor Virap to Tatev Monastery via Noravank and Wings of Tatev

Khor Virap Monastery

Khor Virap — Armenian monastery located near the border with Turkey. The monastery is known for its location at the foot of the biblical Mount Ararat, where, according to legend, Noah ended up on the ark after the Flood.

It is one of the shrines of the Armenian Apostolic Church, a place of pilgrimage. Translated from Armenian “khor virap” means "deep hole". The monastery is located above the underground prison, in which the Armenian king Trdat III kept St. Gregory the Illuminator.

Gregory the Illuminator spent about 14 years in Khor Virap. And it is not known how it would have ended, butTrdat III fell seriously ill. The royal sister Khosrovidukht saw in a dreamthat only Gregory could heal Trdat. So he was released. With his faith in God, Gregory healed the king, after which he was baptized and made Christianity the state religion. So in 301, Armenia became the first country to officially adopt Christianity.

Noravank Monastery

Noravank – monastery complex, built in the XIII-XIV centuries, 120 km from Yerevan, on the ledge of a narrow winding gorge of a tributary of the Arpa River near the village of Areni. The gorge is famous for its steep red rocksrising behind the monastery.

The first building on the territory of the monastery complex — Church of Surb Karapet (St. John the Baptist, IX-X centuries). In 1275, the chapel of Surb Grigor (St. Gregory) was added to the side of the church, and in 1339 the ensemble was completed with the construction of the Church of Surb Astvatsatsin (Holy Mother of God), the last creation of the famous architect and sculptor Momik.

Momik fell in love with the prince's daughter. The girl also fell in love with him. Then the prince called the master to his place and promised that if he builds a beautiful monasteryhe will allow Momik to marry his daughter. Then the master began construction and finished everything even before the agreed time. The prince found out about this and sent his servant to the monastery. And then the servant threw the master from the dome of the monastery and killed him. And the last stone he processed became his tombstone.

cable car “Wings of Tatev”

Tatev Ropeway is the longest pendulum-type passenger cable car in the world, the length of the cable car is almost 6 km. It is also the longest non-stop three-wire cable car in the world, as confirmed by the Guinness Book of Records. The air route is not only a record length — 5752 meters, but also the construction time — only 10 months.

Located in the Syunik region, 170 kilometers from Yerevan. The road from Yerevan takes 3.5 hours. The cable car stretches over the gorge of the Vorotan River from the village of Halidzor to the Tatev Monastery. The air journey to the monastery takes about 12 minutes. Flying over the gorge, the cabins reach a maximum height of 320 meters. Each of the cabins accommodates 30 passengers and one conductor, andthe capacity of the cable car is 240 passengers per hour. Strong support pillars divide the road into four sections. The length of the last, longest, is 2.7 km: from this section the monastery is visible in all its splendor.

Reversible cable car "Wings of Tatev" was built within the framework of the social investment program “Revival of Tatev”, the initiators of which were Ruben Vardanyan and Veronica Zonabend. The official opening of the cable car took place on October 16, 2010. «Tatev Gate» – a non-profit project, all profits from which are used for the reconstruction of the Tatev monastery complex and the development of local communities as part of the Tatev Revival Project.

Tatev Monastery

Tatev Monastery is an Armenian monastery complex of the 9th-10th centuries in the Syunik region of Armenia, 20 km from the city of Goris. For centuries it was the spiritual center of Syunik.

Is part of a large tourist complex, which also includes the hermitage of Tatevi Anapat, the “Wings of Tatev” cable car, the natural bridge of Satani Kamurj, the cave of Satani Kamurj and many other attractions.

Founded in 895 - 906 by the overlord of Syunik Ashot and his wife Shushan. Religious center of Syunik since the 9th century. In the 10th century, about a thousand people lived in the monastery. In the 13th century, the monastery collected taxes from 680 surrounding villages and sought to expand its influence, which even led to conflicts with the local population. One of the most important centers of science and education in Armenia in the 14th-15th centuries. In the Middle Ages, the Tatev School of Miniatures developed here. The monastery was one of the intellectual centers of medieval Armenia.

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• Khor Virap Monastery
• Noravank Monastery
• Ropeway “Wings of Tatev”
• Tatev Monastery

The cost of the excursion includes:
- comfortable transport service;
- service of an accompanying guide throughout the tour;
- bottled spring water in the service transport;  

The cost of the tour does not include:
- meals;
- personal expenses;
- entrance tickets to historical and cultural centers;

Entrance fees
- Wings of Tatev cable car (round trip) – 7000 drams per person (about $17.5);

Order cancellation conditions:< br>If a tourist cancels an excursion in less than 3 days – penalty 100%