Photo – Dadivank

Movie about Artsakh (Nagorny Karabakh). All about Artsakh people, Karabakh sightseeing places, tourism and culture.

Photo – Stepanakert city panorama

Photo – Amaras monastery

While the main chapel was built in 1215, the monastery complex was founded in the 4th century by Gregory the Illuminator at the site of a sacred spring inside a cave.

The monastery had thus been originally named Ayrivank, meaning “the Monastery of the Cave”. The name commonly used for the monastery today, Geghard, or more fully Geghardavank (Գեղարդավանք), meaning “the Monastery of the Spear“, originates from the spear which had wounded Jesus at the Crucifixion, allegedly brought to Armenia by Apostle Jude, called here Thaddeus, and stored amongst many other relics. Now it is displayed in the Echmiadzin treasury.

The monastery was famous because of the relics that it housed. The most celebrated of these was the spear which had wounded Christ on the Cross, allegedly brought there by the Apostle Thaddeus, from which comes its present name, Geghard-avank (“the Monastery of the Spear”), first recorded in a document of 1250. This made it a popular place of pilgrimage for Armenian Christians over many centuries. Relics of the Apostles Andrew and John were donated in the 12th century, and pious visitors made numerous grants of land, money, manuscripts, etc., over the succeeding centuries. In one of the cave cells there lived, in the 13th century, Mkhitar Ayrivanetsi, the well-known Armenian historian.

No works of applied art have survived in Geghard, except for the legendary spear (geghard). The shaft has a diamond-shaped plate attached to its end; a Greek cross with flared ends is cut through the plate. A special case was made for it in 1687, now kept in the museum of Echmiadzin monastery. The gilded silver case is an ordinary handicraft article of 17th century Armenia.

The aerial tramway spans 5,7 km, the highest point is 330 meters. It takes 11 min from the village Halidzor to the famous medieval Tatev monastery. Wings of Tatev was granted certificate from the Guinness book of Records officially verifying the status of the longest reversible aerial tramway.

The Nagorny Karabakh Republic (Artsakh Republic) Government’s tourism department and «Yerkir Media» TV present «Karabakh: a Hidden Treasure» a Jivan Avetisyan film. This is the Armenian version of a film. English and Russian versions coming soon.

See also -

News from Artsakh in Armenian, English and Russian
All about Stepanakert city of Artsakh
Shushi & Stepanakert photo-story

3D Virtual Travel to Tatev Monastery, Armenia. Project by Vizerra

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The Republic of Mountainus Karabakh (Nagorno Karabakh Republic) Government’s Tourism Department and Yerkir Media TV presents “Karabakh: a Hidden Treasure” a Jivan Avetisyan’s documentary film.

The goal of the creative group was to create a film which will contribute to the development of tourism in Artsakh and make it competitive in the world market. The film is in three languages (Armenian, Russian, English) and the creators hope it will be shown on international TVs as well.

Karvachar fields

A mountainous territory, with forests, rivers, hotsprings, ancient ruins, and Christian monasteries, Karvachar covers an area of roughly 1,936 km². The remote region still has no petrol for sale, has not seen road work in decades, and has no overnight accomodations. The regional center is the town of Karvachar. Karvachar region is the perfect place for the extremal and eco tourism.

Jermajur - Karvachar Region

Small Al Lake

Karvachar is situated on the territory of the historic Vaykunik district of Artsakh in the Kingdom of Armenia. The district was known as Upper Khachen during the medieval period and later known as Tsar. It was part of the Khaghbakid branch of the Siunid princes of Khachen who were descendants of the Tsar meliks who held the region until it came under Russian rule

Karvachar mountains

Karvachar Mountains

Karvachar nature

Karvachar is bounded to the north by the Mrav Mountains. It can be broken roughly into three main river canyons. Most famous areas in Karvachar: Levonaget-Trtu River Canyon – This canyon, which serves as the primary road connecting northern Karabakh to Armenia is not usually visited, except perhaps for a quick visit to Dadivank.

Trtu River Canyon  – The branch of the Trtu that leads up to Karvachar town, and from there up to Tsar and beyond.

Tutkhun River Canyon – Driving through a tunnel rough-cut right through stone, this rarely visited canyon has a great hotspring and beautiful scenery.

Karvachar Nature

Karvachar region mountains

Karvachar rocks

Tartar river (Trtu)

Rocks

Photos by MazzoniGuide. Text by ArmeniaPedia.org

Armenian poster "Noah's Rote" wins "Peoples Choice" Award

On October 8-14, Korea hosted the 19th session of the UN World Tourism Organisation General Assembly, with representatives of 154 countries participating. On session sidelines, an online voting for Vettor Giusti tourism posters competition was organised with Armenia announced as the winner of People’s Choice Award nomination. UNWTO Secretary General Talib Rifai handed the prize to Armenia’s Deputy Minister of Economy Ara Petrosyan.

Today Sevan with its surrounding is a beautiful resort with hotels, motels, holiday houses, tourist centers and restaurants for holiday makers with different financial means. Lake Sevan is beautiful in any season and in any waether, but of course, most of the holiday makers visit the sight in summer season.

For the inhabitants of Armenia Sevan is a place where one can escape from heat and problems; for numerous tourists from abroad it’s a place to go on piligrimage and on opportunity to enjoy the wonderful natural panorama of the blue lake. By the way, this lake has a special light-turquoise color which greatly impresses everybody who sees it for the first time.

St. Astvatsatsin (Mother of God) monastery overlooking Sevan Lake. Erected in 874 AD on orders of Princess Mariam of Sunik, daughter of King Ashot Bagratuni.

The mountains sourrounding Sevan, its mineral resources, clear air and unique natural environment make it even more charming (there is an artifical food of pine-tees and see-buckthorn of the lake’s shore).

Much has been done for the last few years to make Sevan an international tourissm center: it has been developed the infrasttructure, a lot has been done to raise the level of service in hotels and holiday houses built around the lake for the present. There are also luxurious villas among them.

One can make a trip  around the lake by quite different transportation means – by bycicle, motorcycle or by car over the ring road or by rowing boats or sailing vassels along the shore. The length of the trip by all the means of transportation makes no longer than 200 kilometers. People come here to have a rest, swim, sunbathe and to taste the excellently cooked trout, crawfish, and other gifts of the lake.

Swimming season opens in mid-June and lasts till mid-September. In summer the temperature of water on the lake’s surface  makes 18-20 ºC. The temperature of air falls down in the evening and one needs to have warmer clothes with him.

As Sevan is a mountain lake, it is very easy to get sunburn here, so do yourself a favor don’t stay in the sun long the first few days not to suffer later.

In comparison with other resorts, Sevan is also famous for many numerous cultural and hstorical monuments on its territory.

One day at lake Sevan, Video by Ani Nurik (Նուռիկ) Boghossian