ARMENIA - Haghpat & Sanahin

15:30 Travel Bunny 0 Comments

Armenia is the last country that we visited in Caucasus region. It is bordered by Turkey to the west, Georgia to the north, Azerbaijan to the east and Iran to the south. It is the first state in the world to adopt Christianity as its official religion in 301 AD and became the first Christian nation.



From Georgia, I continued on with my journey to Armenia.





First stop in Armenia is Haghpat. A village in the Lori Province of Armenia, the state border with Georgia.



Haghpat Monastery is perched at the top of mountain.



Arrived at Haghpat Monastery.





There are some stalls selling some traditional woven baby socks and shoes.



Postcard of Haghpat Monastery.



Apapat cognac were sold here.



Haghpat Monastery also known as Haghpatavank is a medieval Armenian monastery complex in Haghpat, Armenia. It was founded by Saint Nishan in the 10th century during the reign of King Abas I. Both Haghpat and the nearby Sanahin were built around the same time and were listed as UNESCO World Heritage sites.



The UNESCO sign at the entrance.



Three teenager girls smiling upon seeing… my son. They even requested to take a photo with my son.



He’s definitely a babe magnet. Haha.



The compound of the monastery includes three churches, a library, gallery, refectory, bell tower, mausoleum and khackars (ornately carved cross stones).



St. Grigory church (1005) which lost its dome during the reconstruction in 1211.



A small church at Haghpat.



Entering the largest church in Haghpat, Nishan church.



Ornately carved cross inside the church walls.




Interior of the main praying hall.





There are plenty of ornately carved cross on the church wall. Different design has different symbolic meanings. The ones with pointed tips like spears means it was carved during war times.



The mausoleum.


The bell tower of Haghpat has unique composition. Its first floor is crossed shape and the second floor rectangular with the angles cut off.






Haghpat Monastery overlooking the surrounding mountains.






The monastery is surrounded by fortified walls.







My hubby pretended to have his leg stuck inside one of the wine cellars on the floor.



The monastery has a number of khachkars standing. The most famous one is called “Armenaprkich”(All-Saviour) khachkar which has been standing since 1273.





This khachkar depicts Christ on the cross with his disciple around him, and God and angels above.




Legend has it that whoever that can walk from one end of the wall to the other end will have their wish comes true. I tried but failed though.




Before I left, a couple were heading to the Haghpat Monastery for their wedding.



After visiting Haghpat Monastery, my next visit is the nearby Sanahin Monastery.




The Sanahin Monastery is founded in the 10th century. The Sanahin Monastery is similar to Haghpat Monastery in many ways.




Queen Khosrovanush of Armenia, wife of king Ashot Bagratuni, was one of the principal patrons of the monastery of Sanahin. It became one of the most renowned religious, cultural and educational center of Armenia from its founding in the 10th to 13th century.



A beautiful khachkar at Sanahin.









The queen commissioned the splendid, domed church of the Redeemer in 966 in honour of her sons Smbat and Gurgen, who were later kings of Armenia and Lori respectively.



Those days, offerings were being placed at the opening in the floor and will be received by God  from the opening of the dome.





The monastery’s library.



Some sketches and drawings of the monastery drawn by artist were hung for display.



An artist at work.



The exterior of Amenaprkich (Holy Redeemer) church.



Bell tower at Sanahin Monastery.





Another artist at work. I guess Sanahin Monastery really attracts artist by her beauty.



A cemetery at the Monastery area.



The whole family perished when the car they were in, went over the cliff.



My trip to Haghpat and Sanahin really was a nice start to my tour in Armenia.




Some souvenir stalls nearby Sanahin Monastery.



Mining stones of various shapes and sizes for sale. My tour guide managed to convince the seller to give me one of the stone free of charge.



The mountains surrounding the area is a major mining area since the Soviet era. The miners and their family lives on top of the mountain.


Nearby the Sanahin Monastery is the Mikoyan’s Museum.



Born here in Sanahin. the Mikoyan brothers were notable people of the Soviet Union.



Mikoyan together with Gurevish was the fathers of the famous Soviet fighter jet, thus the name MiG. They designed the first MiG and seen in front of the museum is one of the many MiG that Mikoyan designed. 



After that, I headed towards Lake Sevan.



Enjoyed the beautiful scenery as I journeyed on.



River in the valley.



Stopped by a fountain besides the highway. We were told that this fountain was built in remembrance of two people who lost their lives in a car accident on this road.



My hubby drinking from the fountain.




The three famous Soviet actors. Something like the 3 Stooges.





Some abandoned building besides Lake Sevan.



Blue Sevan is the hotel that we stayed for the night.



We were the only occupants in the hotel due to the low season.



The hotel is facing the beautiful Lake Sevan.



The serene Lake Sevan during sun set.



After checking in to our hotel, our tour guide brought us to a local restaurant nearby for dinner.



Name of the restaurant? Collette Restaurant.



The restaurant has a row of tents facing Lake Sevan.



I decided to stay indoor which has heater facility since the weather was too cold for us to sit outdoor.




Ordered grilled fish and crab kebab which came together with salad and potatoes. We had a feast.



The Quince juice that my tour guide recommended was quite delicious too. After dinner, we retreated back to the hotel.