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UNDER
CONSTRUCTION
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Rind
E of Chiva, founded in 1967 to replace the old village of the same name
abandoned due to slides. There is a cave-shrine 3 km NE of the 10-15th
c.; old settelment Verin Ulgyugh 1-1,5 km E, of the 11-14th c., with S.
Astvatsatsin church
of the
13-14th c.
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The village of Areni
(formerly called Arpa) is famous for its wine. Visible to the right of the main road is the
Astvatsatsin church (Mother of God) of 1321, with interesting khachkars
and tombstones outside;
turn S into the village, cross the bridge, and turn left
on a clear road
up to the church. There are ruins of the
medieval
Areni village and mansion of
Tarsayich Orbelyan
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in
the valley and, reportedly, remains of a cyclopean fort SE of the
village on the edge of gorge and a 13th c.
bridge
remains
on the Arpa
river built by Bishop Sargis (1265-1287). There
is a cluster of shrines (S.
Sargis cave-shrine, S.
Grigor Nahatak),
as well as khachkars
and gravestones situated in diffrent parts of the
village. In Areni was found in 1981 an altar with a Greek inscription of
AD 163 dedicating it to the Olympian Goddess on behalf of a Roman
officer, Aemilius Ovalis, of the 15th Legion Apollinaris.
During the reconstructin of the wineries huge vine clay-pots site
of
medieval period was discovered. SE from the village, by the road to
Amaghu, atop of a mountain are traces of the medieval fortress
of Hrashkaberd.
Just left from the same road, in a small gorge is
a cave
complex, with traces of simple constructions and
pieces of medieval pottery.
On the main highway to Arpi, just left from the
road (after Noravank turnoff) one can notice standing
stones with
unusual ornaments. |
