One-Day Cultural Tour to Noravank

armeniangeographic

1 year ago

Our one day cultural tour to Noravank will start from Khor Virap and will end with the observation of bezoar goats in Shatin village. During this tour you will discover the hidden beauties of Vayots Dzor region. You will have an opportunity to communicate with culture, architecture, history and nature.

Khor Virap

Early in the morning we will drive from Yerevan to Khor Virap. From the territory of Khor Virap monastery you will enjoy the most magnificent view of Mount Ararat. This monastery is famous not only for its spectacular view of Mount Ararat, but also for its historical significance. This was where St. Gregory the Illuminator was thrown into a pit and imprisoned for 13 years by the king Tiridates III.

One Day Cultural Tour to Noravank

Khor Virap literally means a “deep pit”. You can descend into the pit and feel what sufferings Gregory experienced centuries ago. You will also learn why this place was considered sacred and why the Church was later built on it.

Afterwards, we will visit the Areni Wine factory. There you will take a tour through the factory, get acquainted with the process of wine making and feel the unforgettable taste of Armenian wines.

Noravank Monastery

Then we will continue our tour to Noravank. Noravank is a medieval Armenian monastery which is outstanding with both its architecture and the surrounding marvelous scenery. It is believed that in the place of the monastery there used to be a sacred site. And later in the 12th century the monastery was built in the territory of two earlier churches. After admiring the monastery we will have lunch.

One Day Cultural Tour to Noravank

After lunch we will visit the Areni 1 cave which is considered to have the oldest wine production facility. It is also the place where the oldest leather shoe known in the world was discovered by an international team of archeologists in 2008.

Zorats church

Our next destination is Yeghegis village where we will visit Zorats church and a Jewish cemetery. The cemetery is the historical evidence of the Jewish community in Armenia. The oldest tombstone is dated 1266 and the latest 1346, showing the cemetery was in use for at least 80 years. This cemetery is thought to be one of the biggest Jewish cemeteries in the world. Another site of Yeghegis village is Zorats church. Zorats is completely unique among Armenian churches. It is the only Armenian church that has an open-air altar. It was constructed in such a way so that the warriors sitting on their horses could enter the church and get blessed before going to war. In the 20th century the church was renovated.

One Day Cultural Tour to Noravank

Our tour will end at Shatin village, where we’ll watch bezoar goats. The special observatory called “Ditaket” will give you an opportunity to observe the bezoar goats, to see how they go down the canyon to drink water. If you visit the observatory during the mating season you will also get a chance to see the male goats which have striking horns.