Private tour:Mother Cathedral of Echmiadzin, Museum, Zvartnots, Tsaghkadzor, Kecharis, Ropeway
Mother Cathedral of Holy Echmiadzin, Treasures of Echmiadzin Museum, Zvartnots Temple, Tsaghkadzor, Kecharis Monastery, Tsaghkadzor Ropeway
1. Mother Cathedral of Holy Echmiadzin
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The center of Armenian Apostolic church – St. Echmiadzin is located 20 km far from Yerevan. The Cathedral of Echmiadzin was founded at the beginning of the fourth century and is one of the oldest churches in the world. According to the legend, the church was built in the place where apparition of Jesus Christ was seen to Gregory The Illuminator in the dream. The interior of the church is covered with frescoes, created by Hovnatanyan family. The residence of the Catholicos and the Theological Academy are situated near the Cathedral. Starting from the end of 2018 year till the present day reconstruction works are being carried out, thus the visit of Mother Cathedral currently is foreseen only from outside. The site is included in UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List.
2. Treasures of Echmiadzin Museum
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The Museum "Treasures of Echmiadzin" is situated in the southeast section of the Cathedral. Unique holy relics and religious art are now housed in the museum. Among the many treasures there are: the Holy Lance (Geghard), which pierced the side of Christ, housed in a silver reliquary; the relics of Noah's Ark in a reliquary that was created in 1698 and other valuable pieces of art. According to the history, the relic of Noah's Ark, was given to Patriarch St. Hakob (Jacob) of Mts'bna in the fourth century, as he desired to climb the peak of Mount Ararat to find Noah's Ark. After ascending the mountain, he fell asleep through the influence of God, and the angel of the Lord placed the reliquary of the Ark under his head. In a dream, the angel instructs St. Hakob to awaken, take the relic and descend from the mountain. In addition to the pieces displayed, during archaeological excavations, which were conducted due to renovation work of the Holy Altar, remnants of the original Holy Altar, founded by St. Gregory The Illuminator, dating back to 301-303 AD, were discovered.
3. Zvartnots Temple
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This marvelous temple is a result of skillfulness and brave creativity of Armenian architects of the 7th century. Having been built on several columns, it was able to survive only till the 10th century. When in the beginning of the 20th century this site was being excavated, many specialists could hardly accept its reconstruction model, designed by famous Armenian architect Toros Toramanyan, as it was difficult to believe, that such a huge and complicated construction could have been built those days, and amazingly at that time one of the bas-relieves of St. Chapelle church in Paris came to prove Toramanyan's version; the bas-relief depicts Zvartnots temple with Noah's Ark and it looks like the model, represented by the architect. The site is included in UNESCO Cultural World Heritage List.
4. Tsaghkadzor
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Tsaghkadzor city (translated as valley of flowers) is considered to be one of the most popular winter resorts of Armenia. It is one of the places of our mountainous country, where the beauty of the nature appears with its whole variety. Tsaghkadzor is situated in Kotayk region, 60 km north from Yerevan, on the eastern slope of Teghenis Mountain, surrounded with virginal woods and alpine meadows.
5. Kecharis Monastery
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Kecharis monastery is in the north-western part of Tsaghkadzor. It was built in 11-13th centuries. The monastery consists of four churches and a half-destroyed mausoleum of Grigorius Pahlavuni, who financed the building of the monastery.
6. Tsaghkadzor Ropeway
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In Tsaghkadzor, the popular ski resort of Armenia, there is a chairlift with 5 stations and more than a dozen ski runs. The armchaired ropeway of Tsaghkadzor is located on the eastern slope of Mount Teghenis 1966-2819 m above sea level. It has been functioning since 1967. From the height of 2819 m, where the speedy chairlift will take you in 32 minutes, all of Armenia is visible at a glance, and if weather is clear, you can enjoy a breathtaking view of Mount Ararat. In 2004 the former ropeway was replaced with a new, modern one, also in 2017 important investments were made. Now the ropeway is well equipped, the active and safe rest for tourists is guaranteed.
Inclusions
- Professional drivers
- Air-conditioned vehicles
- Bottled water
- Free pick-up & drop-off within Yerevan
- Vehicle & passengers insurance
- Extra stops on the route upon request
Exclusions
- Significant deviations from the route
- Alcoholic beverages if lunch option selected
- Audio guides
- WiFi in the vehicles
What to expect
- Explore incredible UNESCO World Cultural Heritage sites
- See the very first Christian cathedral in the World
- Take a look at the Holy Lance and relics of Noah's Ark
- Visit beautiful monastery of the 11-13th centuries
- Explore the picturesque mountain ranges
- Embrace the beautiful spirit of the valley of flowers
Booking conditions
Cancellation & modification
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