Garni Village
Garni Village
Garni village is an amazing blend of nature and ancient churches. The village is renowned for its heathen Garni temple, ruins of Havuts Tar Monastery, incredible view of Canyon of Garni, Erebuni and Khosrov preserves. Geghard Monastery Complex with chambers carved from mountain is located pretty close to Garni. Garni is a wonderful and picturesque site.
General Description
Garni village is located in Kotayk Province of Armenia, about 28 km southeast from Yerevan. The overall population of Garni village is about 8000.
Garni is located 300 meters above the Azat River. Azat, a tributary of the Araks River, passes through Khosrov preserve. The Azat River is distinguished for its clear and cold waters. The river is also well-known for its brook trout and river crabs.
Garni Points of Interest:
Hellenistic - pagan temple Garni (1st century AD), which served as a summer resort of Armenian kings, is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Armenia. It is the only pagan temple in Armenia. Usually, there are local villagers next to the entrance of Garni temple, who sell souvenirs and even mountain cat fur.
An incredible view of Azat River Gorge opens in front of you from the Garni Temple. Next to the Garni heathen temple, there is a path leading to the Azat River gorge. The gorge is full of basalt cliffs. A medieval bridge, dating back to the 11 th century, has been preserved in this gorge.
Geghard Monastery, which is partially carved out of the adjacent mountain and is listed in UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a unique architectural construction located near Garni.
Khosrov and Erebuni preserves are located near Garni. Khosrov is one of the oldest preserves in Armenia. It was created by the king Khosrov III around 330 AD.
Ruins of Havuts Tar Monastery, located at the top of Garni Gorge, date back to the 11th century.
On your way to Garni you will see a sign, which indicates “Space Museum.” You have to walk three kilometers on a difficult road to get to Garni’s Space and Astronomy Institute. The technical achievements of the actual Institute are presented in the museum.
Food Specials
Many regions in Armenia are known for their local produce and specialties. Garni is known for its lavash (lavash is thin Armenian pita bread), fruits, cheese, young wine, walnuts, hazelnuts and almonds.
You can organize wonderful picnics and open air dining in the Garni Mountains. It is a wonderful experience to enjoy cheese and tarragon wrapped in lavash in the Garni mountains. The air is fresh, and there is an amazing landscape and nature.
There are many restaurants you can stop by when coming back from Garni. There, you can enjoy pork barbeque, fresh brook trout from the Azat River and local cheese with lavash and tarragon. A dinner for 3 persons will cost about $20.
How to get to Garni Village
It is easy to get to Garni from Yerevan. First, you need to catch a minibus to Yerevan Nor Nork District, which is in the eastern suburbs. Many minibuses run to Nor Nork District across from the Yerevan Yeritasardakan Metro Station. You should get off the minibus at Mercedes auto service center. Next to Palace trade center, a few steps from the bus stop, there are buses running to Garni. The fare of the bus is about AMD 250. You have to leave Garni no later than 5.30 pm., when the last bus leaves from Garni.
The road leading to Garni is very picturesque and beautiful. On the way to Garni there are usually many farmers. They sell canned greens, dried fruits and many other local products.
Garni is an hour drive from the center of Yerevan.
