Armenia's culture is deeply rooted in religion, and it's something that forms a major part of the people's lives. It's no surprise that the country's major tourist attractions are its beautiful stone monasteries. Go monastery-hopping on a trail that will take you to some of the country's best.
Head first to the Khor Virap Monastery, which lies 44km south of Yerevan. The monastery started out as a dungeon (khor virap means ‘deep well’). When pagan King Trdat III (or Tridates) ruled over Armenia, his Christian assistant Gregory (Grigor) Lusavorich attempted to spread his teachings to the people. Angered by his audacity, the king had Gregory thrown into a dungeon. He was left down there for 13 years. The king then fell ill and Gregory was summoned to try and save him. Gregory cured the king of his madness, making a believer out of him. From then on, he was allowed to preach Christianity freely, and was named St Gregory the Illuminator. Following this, the king made Christianity the state religion. Pagan temples were destroyed and churches built over them, and the Armenian Apostolic Church was born. The monastery compound also houses the 17th-century Church of the Holy Mother of God, one of Armenia’s most important pilgrimage sites.
Next on the monastery trail, visit the legendary Noravank Monastery. Located in the Vayotz Dzor region near the fiery-red Noravank Gorge, the 13th-century monastery complex is a massive monument. Inside the area, there are four churches, some of which have been severely damaged. There’s the 9th-century St Karapet Church, which is the oldest, the main St Stepanos Church and the St Gregory the Illuminator Mausoleum-Church. And finally, the two-storeyed Surp Astvatsatsin Church. Possibly the most elegant of the medieval classical Armenian churches, steep staircases lead to the second story of this church and cling to the façade of the building.
Head next to Geghard Monastery, partially carved into the rock of the mountains of the Azat River Gorge. Some of the churches within the monastery complex have complex architectural structures, giving the chambers such amazing acoustics they put modern-day auditoriums to shame. Not very far from Geghard lies the first-century basalt Garni Temple, or the Temple of the Sun, in Kotayk, which is the only surviving sample of Hellenistic architecture in the area.