Garni. Still Standing Pagan Temple in Armenia

The pagan temple in the territory of Armenia.

The invincibility of the fortress was provided both by natural conditions: inaccessible rocks, the narrow deep river valley of the Azat River, perhaps, and a powerful wall of the fortress, which was lined with massive stones from basalt.

On the territory of the fortress palace buildings, buildings for the king’s soldiers were built, as well as other constructions, which, unfortunately, were not preserved

Garni bathhouse

Of great interest is the palace bathhouse (3rd century). Being a unique property of the urban architecture of Ancient Armenia, Garni Bath attracts attention as an artistic value, since it has an unusual cross-shaped floor covering. The crosses on the floor are formed of local stone, and the plot itself is taken from Greek mythology.

The fortress of Garni allows us to imagine the royal court of Ancient Armenia and be imbued with the mood of past times, admire the depth and originality of the architectural heritage of our ancestors.

The pagan fortress of Garni is the only example of the Hellenistic era on the territory of Ancient Armenia.

The fortress was built in the second half of the first century in the time of the King Trdat.

The historian Movses Khorenatsi mentions the construction of the temple and the inscription in Greek, which says about the construction of an impregnable fortress…

Who would have thought that this picturesque place was once the summer residence of the kings… And for what reason was this place chosen?

First, inaccessibility and reliability. Secondly, a mild climate and favorable weather conditions. And, of course, a strategic location.

History of Garni

Cuneiform, preserved from the time of Urartu, says that the King Argishti conquered Garni in the eighth century BC, then the entire population of Garni was used as a labor force. Later, the king went to Yerevan and built there already the fortress of Erebuni, which later became the capital of Armenia-the city of Yerevan.

The basalt stones have a length of two meters. They are connected by massive pins and staples.

The facade of the temple is decorated with nine huge steps, each of which is 30 centimeters.

How did the fortress manage to survive? Apparently, because the place was exactly the summer residence of the kings and not the place of permanent habitation.

A strong earthquake destroyed the temple in 1679, and already in the twentieth century, the final reconstruction works were completed.

Garni – the treasure of Armenian History

We do not have the power over time, but human affairs live in creations.

What was created with trepidation, ecstasy and love, has reached us. Let not in its original form, but retained the spirit of the era and the power of millennia.

The Garni Temple, once a place of worship of the Sun, is now imbued with a warm aura of sunlight in Armenia and attracts the attention of a huge number of people from all over the world.

Pagan times have passed, but we all honor our history, which the majestic walls of the Garni temple so reliably preserved.

The road that leads to the temple seems endless, because under the blue sky Garni Temple is lost in non-existence, and you go to the dreams that have pierced through your consciousness…