|
Syunik Marz contains
some of the most dramatic scenery in Armenia, and is home to
some of the most important historical and cultural remains.
Little explored archaeologically, the region, is
a wilderness of high mountains of Zangezur
range cut by huge, deep river gorges which dominant
features are Vorotan,
Voghji,
Tsav
and Meghri. The
southern tip of the country, around Meghri, can be reached now
only over a high and often foggy or snowy pass, its normal, easy
access through Nakhichevan along the Arax River now cut off by
politics. The roads
are being steadily improved, but you should count on a full day
to reach Meghri from Yerevan. Unquestionably, however, the
trip is worth it, in terms of natural beauty and cultural
riches. Important destinations in Syunik include
the standing stones near
Sisian, the
Sisavan church of the 7th c. in Sisian, the
large 7th c. funerary monument in Aghitu,
the cave-dwellings of Khndzoresk, Tatev
Monastery, the spectacularly sited religious capital
of S Armenia, Vorotnavank,
Vahanavank, the natural monuments such as Satan’s
Bridge on the road to Tatev, the
waterfall of Shaki,
the waterfall of
Karchevan, the nature preserves such as Sev
Lich and Shikahogh. Another sites that are
recommended to visit are: a
5-6th c. church near Spandarian, Neolithic
dolmens, medieval churches (S. Astvatsatsin, S. Stepanos, S.
Hazaraprkich, S. Vardan) and unusual khachkars in the limites of
Angeghakot, S.
Stepanos Protomartyr church and ruines of a medieval castle in
Shaghat, the
ruines of Shakivank monastery in Shaki, the
S. Grigor church of 1704 with a gavit/cupola of 1848 housing
tombs of the Melik Tangi family in Brnakot, ruined
medieval castle and bridge near Hatsavan, Tanahati
vank church of the 5th c. near Arevis, cyclopean
castle near Uyts, medieval
cemetery near Tolors, Bronze
Age Megalithic monuments and a ruined S. Sargis church in
Aklatyan, an Orbelian prince’s tombstone of
1321 and medieval churches in Bnunis,
a 17th c. bridge near
Vaghatin, the
9-14th c. khachkars and 1855 bridge in Vorotan, the
Vorotnaberd fortress of the 5-18th c. near Shamb, a
church and a shrine of 1347 in Ltsen, the
ruined S. Astvatsatsin church of the 13th c. built by prince
Tarsayich Orbelian and his wife Mamakhatun and the so called
Arzumani bridge of 1680 in Darbas, the
so-called Spitak Khach khachkar monument of 1271 in Lor,
important prehistoric
petroglyphs on the slopes of mountain Mets Ishkhanasar N from
Ishkhanasar, the
ruined Kotrats Caravansaray of 1319 and a 13th c. bridge near
Harzhis, the
famous medieval cave-dwellings and
the 18th c.
house of meliks (notables) in Goris, the
interesting remains of the Old Khndzoresk largely hewn into the
soft rock, S. Hripsime church of 1663 and the 17th c. Anapat
hermitage with the tomb of Mkhitar Sparapet in the limits of
Khndzoresk, the
4-5th c. church rebuilt in later times, fine khachkars and old
houses including the 18th c. mansion of Melik Barkhudarian
family in Tegh, large
S. Hripsime church built in 1621 on 5th c. foundations in
Verishen, cyclopean
structures, remains of medieval fortress and the 10th c. water
channel remains near Brun, the
famous Tsitsernavank monastery of the 5-17th c. near Khnatsakh,
ruined medieval
castle of Khanapa near Khot, fine,
tall 16th c. khachkar in Shinuhayr, the
17th c. church and the Vanasar site with khachkars in Halidzor,
Tatev hermitage of
the 17th c. and Tsuravank monastery of the 10-17th c. in Tatev,
the Tsuraberd ruined fortress near Svarants, the
10-13th c. monastery in Tandzatap, the
17th c. church in Aghvani, the
17th c. church and medieval fort ruines in Tandzaver,
the 10-14th c.
Ghazarants hamlet with S. Astvatsatsin church near Verin
Khotanan, Melik-Stepanian
family tomb in Arajadzor, the
17th c. church and medieval fort in Dzorastan, the
10th c. church in Okhtar, the
17th c. Horomants church near Gharatgha, the
10th c. S. Hripsime church in Antarashat, the
10-11th c. church in Shrvenants, the
Bgheno Noravank monastery of the 10th c. and the Karkopi S.
Minas church of the 17th c. near Bardzravan, the
10th c. ruined grave monument and medieval bridge in Davit Bek,
the 6th c.
Yeritsavank church, a small 9th c. church with 11th c. khachkars
and 4-1th c. BC fortress ruines near Artsvanik, the
10-17th c. churches in Sevkar, the
ruines of the 10-13th c. churches near Yegheg,
White Spring Cross
(Spitak Aghbyuri Khach) church with
10-19th
c. khachkars and remains of a medieval
market near Yeghvard,
a church built in
1629 by Grigor Ustan and the 12-13th c. funerary monument in
Uzhanis, the
Chorekdrni Vank church near Khdrants,
the 17th c. Halidzor
fortress with church remains within near Kapan, the
10th c. church and a 16-17th c. bridge in Chakaten, the
17th c. S. Hripsime church in Srashen, the
medieval Aghjkaberd and Ghazaghan castles near Tsav, the
10-13th c. Ashaghui Vank church in and Greek church and Achanan
castle near Achkhlu,
the ruines of the
famous Baghaberd castle-the capital of the Syunik kingdom in the
12th c. near Davit Bek, the
ruines of Geghi castle and a 10th c. church near Geghi,
the 17th c. church in
Kard, the
5-6th c. Katoghike church in Lernadzor,
the S. Stepanos domed
basilica of the 17th c. in Tashtun, two
17th c. bridges on the Meghri river, one 17th c. bridge on the
Arevik river, and the 17th c. S. Karapet and Dzvaravank churches
in Lichk, the
17th c. church and bridge in Vank, the
17th c. Astvatsatsin church in Kaler, the
17th c. church in Thkkut, the
17th c. S. Gevorg and Karmravank churches in Vahravar,
the 17th c.
Astvatsatsin church in and Kakavaberd castle ruines near
Gudemnis, the
small 17th c. S. Sargis church in Kuris, the
18th c. Astvatsatsin church in Karchevan, the
fortress of Meghri (10-18th c.), S. Astvatsatsin (17th c.), S.
Sargis (17th c.) and Meghru Vanki S. Hovhannes (15-17th c.)
churches in Meghri, five
14-17th c. churches in abandoned villages of Malyev, Upper
Malyev, Apkes and Tos near Alvank, the
17th or 18th c. aqueduct in Shvanidzor. The little
hotel in Sisian, though shabby, is a clean and satisfactory
place to spend a night or three. The hotel in Kapan is adequate. Every
road offers beautiful streams or sacred spring sites, often with
covered picnic tables, by which to pitch a tent. Due to its
rough terrain and isolation, Syunik stayed relatively autonomous
under the control of local Armenian notables long after the rest
of the country had been incorporated in Mongol, Turkish or
Persian fiefdoms. It
was a hotbed of insurrection under Davit Bek, and the last
redoubt of independent Armenia in 1921 under Garegin Nzhdeh.
|
