Name: Private Tour: Khor Virap, Echmiadzin, St. Hripsime and St. Gayane churches, Zvartnots Temple
SKU: 6106
Price: 24300 AMD
Availability: InStock

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DURATION

7 hours

PICK UP POINT

At your request

TOUR LANGUAGE

Russian, English

GUIDE SERVICE
(if chosen)

WI-FI

TICKETS
(if available)

BOTTLED WATER

LUNCH
(if chosen)

Brief description

This tour will take you to the amazing historical and spiritual places where you will get acquainted with the most interesting stories and legends, Armenian architecture in different ages. Khor Virap Monastery has over a thousand-year history steeped in biblical events, mysticism. This monastery is one of the most famous tourist attractions in Armenia. According to a legend St. Gregory the Illustrator has been imprisoned there by King Tridates III for fourteen years. The ancient Armenian Monastery was built in the 5th century and is located near the Mount Ararat. Next we will visit the spiritual city of Echmiadzin where we will discover the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, St. Hripsime and St. Gayane churches. The next stop will be the Zvartnots Temple – located 5 km from Echmiadzin. It is the brightest landmarks of medieval Armenian architecture. The temple was designed and bulit in the 7th cetuary. Unfortuatly it survived only in ruins, but even the ruins will give you the splendid energy of majestic beauty.

What's included

Transportation on comfortable vehicles
All tickets to mentioned historic and cultural sights, museums
Drinking water in the vehicle
Taxes

The price does not include

Lunches during the tour. We can organize lunch by prior request
Additional alcoholic drinks

Please note

Please e-mail us if there are children under 4 years with you
In case the tour is organized in other language, changes of the prices are possible.

Tour program & full description

Stop 1: 09:00
Khor Virap

Khor Virap – Armenian monastery, built in 642, translated from Armenian means “deep hole”. Khor Virap is one of the shrines of the Armenian Apostolic Church, a place of pilgrimage. The most interesting fact of this monastery is the fact that it was built on the site of the royal prison, where Gregory the Illuminator was previously imprisoned – the patron saint and the first official head of the Armenian Apostolic Church by the Armenian king for 13 years. From the territory of the monastery there is an unusual view of the biblical mountain Ararat.

Stop 2: 10:00
Echmiadzin

The first Christian cathedral of Echmiadzin was founded in the IV century BC, whose name means “place of the descent of the Only Begotten.” A feature of the Cathedral is that in addition to the main altar in the eastern part, there is another altar in the middle, at the site of the descent of Christ. In the right-hand boundary of the Etchmiadzin Cathedral there is the Treasury Museum, where are kept relics, church clothes, embroidered with gold and pearls, catholicos’ staffs and crosses, numerous ritual objects made of gold, silver and ivory. On the territory of the monastery complex is also the residence of the Armenian patriarch – the Catholicos of all Armenians. Also here you will see many cross-stones, of which “Amenaprakich” (1279), and the cross-stone devoted to the victims of the 1915 genocide.

Stop 3: 12:00
Saint Hripsime Church

The Temple of Saint Hripsime was founded in the 7th century by Catholicos Komitas I Aghtsetsi in the place of a sepulcher of Saint Hripsime. Since 2000 Saint Hripsime Temple has been included in UNESCO World Heritage List. Two prominent Armenian Cathlicoses are buried in the court yard of Saint Hripsime Temple. They are Catholicos Astvatsatur (1715-1725) and Catholicos Garaped II Oolnetzi (1725-1729).

Stop 4: 13:00
St. Gayane Church

St. Gayane Temple was built in honor of St. Gayane in the VII century on the place of IV century chapel, which is one of the best monuments of Armenian architecture. The relics of Saint Gayane are kept in the southern wall of the temple, next to the altar niche. Above the western entrance, there was preserved the murals of the 17th century on the theme of the birth of Christ. Near the Saint Gayane Temple there is a special room where animals are sacrificed and stabbed from the time of St. Gregory the Illuminator. This rite is called – matah, which is customary to perform for any occasion: weddings, birth of a child, etc.

Stop 5: 14:00
Zvartnots temple

Тhe magnificent Zvartnots Temple, which mean “Temple of Vigil Forces”, was built in the VII century. The temple was built for 20 years. Unfortunately, Zvartnots was destroyed by a powerful earthquake in the XX century and only its ruins remained. But even the ruins of this temple give us an idea of its rare and majestic beauty. Today the Zvartnots Temple is an archaeological reserve and museum founded in 1937, where you can see model-versions of the reconstruction of the temple, numerous sculptural fragments, impressive in size. The ruins of Zvartnots Temple are included in UNESCO as World Heritage Site.

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Private Tour: Khor Virap, Echmiadzin, St. Hripsime and St. Gayane churches, Zvartnots Temple

Private Tour: Khor Virap, Echmiadzin, St. Hripsime and St. Gayane churches, Zvartnots Temple

Private Tour: Khor Virap, Echmiadzin, St. Hripsime and St. Gayane churches, Zvartnots Temple