The catalog contains the main sights of Armenia with photos and descriptions; their locations are marked on the map. With the help of this selection, you can make your own route guide to Armenia and see the sights of Yerevan and other cities and small towns of the country.
Armenia has an imposing number of natural sights and historical and cultural monuments. Travelers come here for the panoramic mountain views, ancient religious buildings, and cult complexes with sacred significance.
Armenia is a country museum under the open sky: over 4000 historical monuments are located on its territory, including legendary ruins of Urartian settlements and ancient capitals.
Traveling through the country can become a real pilgrimage, as the number of Christian monasteries, monasteries, and temples here is simply off the scale.
The natural mountainous landscape amazes with its diversity and picturesqueness, take at least the biblical Mount Ararat, where, according to legend, the remains of Noah’s Ark should be kept.
Lake Sevan, the largest lake in the Caucasus, is famous for its crystal clear water. There are reserves, sanctuaries, and Dilijan National Park along its shores.
The locals here are extremely hospitable and responsive, and Armenian cuisine is known as one of the most ancient in the world, having millennial roots.
Main sights of Armenia
Historical monuments traditionally top the list of Armenia’s sights.
The most ancient object on the territory of the country is the prehistoric complex Zorats-Karer (Karaunj), so often compared in grandiosity with the English Stonehenge. On the site of about 7 hectares, hundreds of large stones with holes on top are placed. The origin of the complex is still unclear.
The temple in Garni is pagan, it is one of the oldest architectural monuments of Armenia, it was created in the Hellenistic era and restored to its present state in the 70s of the last century. The place is considered sacred.
On the territory of the ancient Armenian capital Artashat, near the border with Turkey, there is an ancient monastery of Khor Virap, which also manages the Church of Our Lady. The place is unique not only in terms of history: the view of the monastery at the foot of Ararat fascinates every traveler.
40 km from Yerevan, in the gorge of the Gokht River, is the Geghard Monastery Complex, founded in the IV century, known as a “cave monastery” because some of the temples are completely hollowed out inside the rocks. The complex is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List and the active churches are an object of pilgrimage.
Sights of Armenian cities
The sights of Yerevan, the capital and the most populated city of the country, as well as one of the oldest cities in the world, are of particular interest to tourists.
In the historical part of the city, on the Arin-Berd hill, are the remains of the Erebuni fortress, founded in the XVIII century B.C. At the base of the hill, there is the Erebuni Museum, which preserves archaeological finds.
The walking route around Yerevan can be started from Republic Square – the main city square and one of the symbols of Yerevan. On its perimeter are located: the Government House, the House of Ministries, the museum complex – the Museum of History of Armenia and the Art Gallery, the House of Communications, and the Mariott Armenia Hotel.
Walking places – free attractions – usually include the Cascade complex: an architecturally designed natural steep rise, at the foot of which famous sculptures by Colombian Fernando Botero are installed.
The main temple of the city – the Cathedral of St. Gregory the Illuminator and the Cathedral Blue Mosque, as well as a huge repository of manuscripts Matenadaran are definitely worth seeing. There are many museums in the capital, and you can also go to a performance at the Yerevan Opera and Ballet Theater.
Many historically and culturally significant sights of Armenia are located outside Yerevan.
In the village of Araks, there is a large memorial complex – the ethnographic museum “Sardarapat”, which has collected thousands of relics related to the history of the Armenian people since ancient times.
In the southeastern part of the country, not far from Goris, is the unique Tatev Monastery, which has long been the religious and educational center of the region.