Things to do
4-
Old Khndzoresk
Caves cut into a soft rock canyon housed a village of thousands until the middle of the twentieth century, when the population moved to the plateau above. A swinging suspension bridge, rebuilt in 2012, crosses the ravine to the abandoned quarter and the church of Saint Hripsime. The descent is steep and the bridge sways in the wind.
-
Tatev Monastery
Perched above the Vorotan gorge on a basalt spur, this ninth century foundation once ran a university that taught philosophy, illumination and music. A swinging stone pillar, the Gavazan, still stands in the courtyard. Restoration work has gone on for years, so scaffolding can appear in the churches, and the site clears of coaches by late afternoon.
-
Wings of Tatev
A cable car spans the Vorotan gorge in a single reversible run of close to six kilometres, the longest of its kind, carrying visitors from Halidzor to the monastery gate in about twelve minutes. Cabins run on a fixed timetable and stop in high wind. Booking the return leg on arrival saves a wait at the top.
-
Zorats Karer
Several hundred standing basalt stones cover a windy plateau near Sisian, many of them pierced with a smooth round hole. Claims that the site worked as an observatory are contested by archaeologists, who read the burial cairns as the main purpose. Nothing marks the entrance and there is no shelter, so wind and sun both hit hard on the ridge.