Armenian 9 World Recognized Sites

Armenian 9 World Recognized Sites - Unesco

Armenia has 9 monuments inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage list and it is considered as an open-air museum.

unesco Heritage is our legacy from the past, what we live with today, and what we pass on to future generations. Our cultural and natural heritages are both irreplaceable sources of life and inspiration. Places as unique and diverse as the wilds of East Africa’s Serengeti, the Pyramids of Egypt, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and the Baroque cathedrals of Latin America make up our world’s heritage.

What makes the concept of World Heritage exceptional is its universal application. World Heritage sites belong to all the peoples of the world, irrespective of the territory on which they are located.

So welcome to Armenia!

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Day 1: Yerevan – City tour

Arrival in Yerevan. Transfer to the hotel. In the morning leave the hotel for Yerevan city tour. Highlights of your tour today are the Armenian History Museum, Memorial park and Museum of The Victims of Genocide. Afterwards enjoy the serenity of the evening Yerevan. Overnight at the hotel in Yerevan.

Day 2: The archaeological site of the city of Dvin (1995) and The monastery of Noravank and the upper Amaghou Valley (1996)

Follow the Ararat Valley along the range of hills looking like elephants. Visit to the archological site of the city of Dvin included in the list of UNESCO. The site has evidence of occupation from the second millennium B.C. and was the site of a fortress. In the sixth century B.C. King Khosrof II built a palace on the site, when it served as the capital of Armenia and subsequently as the seat of the catholicos. It also served as a regional administrative centre for the Sassanian empire and the caliphs of Baghdad. The excavated structures cover the entire history of the site until its destruction by the Mongols in the thirteenth century. Visit to Khor Virap monastery (301 A.D.). St. Gregory the Illuminator - the first Catholicos of all Armenians, was imprisoned for 13 years in Khor Virap in 4th c. Here you will have the best view of the twin peaks of Biblical Mount Ararat. Continue tour to Noravank monastery of 13th c. Noravank is reached through a rocky defile and is situated in spectacular scenery in the Amaghou valley, surrounded by red and grey limestone cliffs. The monastic buildings date to the thirteenth century and are notable for the originality of their design, particularly those built by the architect Momik. The valley also contains important cave complexes.

Valley is of considerable geological interest. Then drive to Goris. Overnight at the hotel in Goris.

Day 3: The monasteries of Tatev and Tatevi Anapat and the adjacent areas of the Vorotan Valley (1995)

Start tour to Khndzoresk. Continue to Tatev Monastery (9th c.) in the southern part of Armenia. The monastery of Tatev is situated high on the side of the Vorotan gorge (the biggest gorge in Armenia), here, at 850 meters deep. The monastic buildings are protected on two sides by precipitous ravines and on the other two sides by defensive walls. The buildings of Tatev itself date from the ninth to the thirteenth centuries and the monastery of Tatevi Anapat, on the bottom of the valley, dates to the seventeenth century. Overnight at the hotel in Goris.

Day 4: Goris - Selim - Noradouz - Sevan

Trip to Sevan Lake through the famous medieval trading point - Selim pass . On the way you will visit the caravanserai (13th c.) and Noraduz - cemetery with numerous khachkars (cross stones) dating back to 7-10 centuries. The ornaments of khachkars are all different and unique. Complete the day with panoramic views of Sevan Lake's spectacular scenery. Overnight at the hotel in Sevan.

Day 5: Monasteries of Haghpat and Sanahin (1996)

Drive today to the majestic resort town of Dilijan to see the amazing church complex of Goshavanak (11th c.). Enjoy lunch in a local restaurant and continue to the UNESCO sites - Haghpat and Sanahin Monasteries nestled in the Lori region. These two monasteries in the Tumanian region, from the period of prosperity during the Kiurikian dynasty (10th to 13th century), were important centers of learning. Sanahin was renown for its school of calligraphers. The two monastic complexes represent the highest flowering of Armenian religious architecture, whose unique style developed from a blending of elements of Byzantine ecclesiastical architecture and the traditional vernacular architecture of the Caucasian region. Overnight at the hotel in Avan Dzoraghet.

"Justification for Inscription"

_{The Committee decided to inscribe the Monastery of Haghpat on the basis of cultural criteria (ii) and (iv) considering that it is of outstanding universal value and an exceptional example of ecclesiastical architecture that developed in Armenia in the 10th to 13th centuries which is unique by virtue of its blending of elements of both Byzantine church architecture and the traditional vernacular building style of this region.}

Day 6: Gyumri city tour – Marmashen – Gyumri

City tour in Gyumri – the second largest city in Armenia famous for its traditional architecture. Excursion tour of Gyumri, visit Ditoghtcyan museum. Drive to Marmashen complex near Akhuryan River (10 – 13th cent.). This impressive monastic complex sits on a picturesque shelf with fruit trees above the Akhurian River. The Katoghike church of St. Stepanos was built by Vahram Pahlavuni, whose gravestone sits in the ruined gavit, between 988 and 1029. The gavit itself is of 13th c. Overnight at hotel in Gyumri.

Day 7: The basilica and archaeological site of Yererouk (1995) and the Cathedral and Churches of Echmiatsin and the Archaeological Site of Zvartnots (2000)

Start tour to the basilica and archeological site of Yererouk. The fourth-fifth century basilica of Yererouk, which is built on a rocky knoll pierced by caves, is one of the earliest Christian monuments in Armenia. Following an earthquake in the seventeenth century, the church survives as a substantial ruin surrounded by the archaeological remains of monastic and secular buildings. Return to Yerevan after visiting the Armenian Vatican - Etchmiadzin Cathedral and Zvartnotz Temple - the jewel of the 7th century. The cathedral and churches (St. Hripsime, St. Gayane) of Echmiadzin and the archaeological remains of Zvartnots graphically illustrate the evolution and development of the Armenian central-domed cross-hall type of church, which exerted a profound influence on architectural and artistic development in the region. Overnight at the hotel in Yerevan.

"Justification for Inscription"

_{Criterion (i): The developments in ecclesiastical architecture represented in an outstanding manner by the churches at Echmiatsin and the archaeological site of Zvartnots had a profound influence on church design over a wide region.
Criterion (ii): The churches at Echmiatsin and the archaeological site of Zvartnots vividly depict both the spirituality and the innovatory artistic achievement of the Armenian Church from its foundation.}

Day 8: Monastery of Geghard and the Upper Azat Valley (2000)

Sightseeing with your guide starts with a tour around the ancient capital city of Yerevan during which you will visit the depositary of ancient manuscripts - the Matenadaran. Then time to visit the last Hellenistic Pagan temple of Garni (1 A.D.). During lunch time you will participate in Armenian bread lavash making process and will taste barbeque made in special ground stove. Continue to Gueghard monastery (13th century) listed as a World Cultural Heritage Site by UNESCO. The monastery of Geghard contains a number of churches and tombs, most of them cut into the rock, which illustrate the very peak of Armenian medieval architecture. The complex of medieval buildings is set into a landscape of great natural beauty, surrounded by towering cliffs at the entrance to the Azat Valley. Overnight at the hotel in Yerevan.

"Justification for Inscription"

_{Criterion (ii): The monastery of Geghard, with its remarkable rock-cut churches and tombs, is an exceptionally well preserved and complete example of medieval Armenian monastic architecture and decorative art, with many innovatory features which had a profound influence on subsequent developments in the region.}

Day 9: Departure

The criteria for selection:
_{ii to exibit an important interchange of human values, over a span of time or within a cultural area of the world, on developments in architecture or tecnology, monumental arts, town – planning or landscape design;
iii to bear a unique at least exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition or to a civilization which is living or which has dissapeared;
iv to be an outstanding example of a type of building, architectural or technological ensemble or landscape which illustrates (a) significant stages (s) in human history}