UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Armenia

Ruins of the Temple of Zvartnots

Zvartnots Temple was a three-storey circular structure built in the 7th century. Its beauty captivated the Byzantine Emperor, Constantine III, who brought the builder with him to Constantinople to build a similar structure. Unfortunately, the builder died along the way. Zvartnots Temple stood for around 300 years. By the 10th century, it was in ruins. It is not certain how it was destroyed. A strong earthquake may have caused its collapse or it may also have been due to continued Arab raids. The Zvartnots Archaelogical Site also includes the Catholicos Palace ruins which together with Etchmiadzin Cathedral became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000.

Etchmiadzin (Echmiatsin) Cathedral

Armenia was the first country to adopt Christianity as the state religion in 301 AD. Etchmiadzin was built under the reign of King Tiridates III and Saint Gregory the Illuminator who introduced Christianity to Armenia. Etchmiadzin is the main church of the Armenian Apostolic Church. Its architectural plan consisting of a cruciform layout with a central dome has influenced not only ecclesiastical architecture in the region but also those in Eastern and Western Europe.

Altar - Etchmiadzin Church

The Church contains relics of the spear that pierced Jesus Christ (and which were originally kept at Geghard Monastery) as well as fragments believed to be that from Noah's ark.

Geghard Monastery

This monastery is named after the spear of Longinus that pierced the side of Jesus Christ during the Crucifixion. Geghardavank means monastery of the spear. That spear was presumably brought to Armenia by the apostle Jude Thaddeus. It was later transferred to the museum in Etchmiadzin. Geghard and the Upper Azat Valley were inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000.

Octagonal Dome

Geghardavank was previously known as Ayrivank which means Monastery of the Cave. It was founded in the 4th century by St. Gregory the Illuminator. The current church was erected in 1215. Prior to that, the monastery complex was built inside a cave. The church is connected with the chapels and tombs dug from the rock.

Khachkar

Khachkars are stone slabs or pillars used in the ancient world as gravestones, commemorative markers or as demarcation, often with carved ornamentation and in Armenia, with a cross representing the crucifixion of Christ. The Armenian Khachkar is a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage object.

Garni Temple (UNESCO World Heritage Site Temporary List)

For more information about Garni Temple and Complex, follow this link: https://www.travelswithcharie.com/2025/06/the-history-and-architecture-of-garni.html. Armenia submitted its request to UNESCO to include the Garni Complex to the Temporary List in March 2025.

How to get there from Tbilisi, Georgia: I traveled to Armenia with G7 Euro Travel and Tours. Please check out my post about G7 here: https://www.travelswithcharie.com/p/travel-tips.html

Where to stay: Holiday Inn Express is a ten-minute walk to Republic Square and beside Mashtots Park. It's on Buzand 97/2. It offers free breakfast. Reservations link is ihg.com.

Currency in Armenia : Dram. $1.00 is equivalent to 383.23 dram (exchange rate on June 14, 2025).

Electrical outlet: Type C or F

Stay connected

*****

Images by TravelswithCharie

The Art of Carlos Botong Francisco - Progress of Medicine in the Philippines

Pre-colonial period Pag-unlad ng Panggagamot sa Pilipinas (The Progress of Medicine in the Philippines) is a group of four large-scale paintings depicting healing practices in the Philippines from pre-colonial times to the modern period. Carlos Botong Francisco was commissioned in 1953 by Dr. Agerico Sison who was then the director of Philippine General Hospital (PGH) together with Dr. Eduardo Quisumbing of the National Museum, Dr. Florentino Herrera, Jr. and Dr. Constantino Manahan. These oil on canvas paintings measure 2.92 meters in height and 2.76 meters in width (9.71 ft x 8.92 ft) and were displayed at the main entrance hall of PGH for over five decades. Owing to its location, the artworks were in a state of "severe deterioration" at the beginning of the 21st century from exposure to heat, humidity, dirt, dust, smoke, insect stains, grime, termites and an oxidized synthetic resin used in an earlier restoration. These canvases were restored three times, the last was...

The Philippine Village Life by Vicente Silva Manansala

Pamilya (Family) With the completion of their new headquarters in Manila in 1961, PhilAm Life (a life insurance company) commissioned Vicente Silva Manansala to do a series of paintings for their cafeteria. (Lucky employees!) Before long these seven large-scale paintings about Philippine village life were moved to the front lobby which was deemed a more appropriate setting for the canvases. They remained there until the building was sold in 2012. Mindful of the cultural significance of the paintings and the need for its preservation and conservation, the management of PhilAm Life decided to loan these treasures to the National Museum in 2014. “Pamilya reflects Filipino values of family solidarity and solemnity showing a common scenario of praying before sharing a meal with one’s family.” National Museum of the Philippines Pagkain (Food) One of the Thirteen Moderns and Neo Realists, Vicente Silva Manansala had the good fortune to study art in Canada, the United States, France and Switz...

Filipino Struggles in History - Carlos Botong Francisco

In 1968, Antonio Villegas (then Mayor of Manila), commissioned Carlos "Botong" Francisco to paint the history of Manila for Manila City Hall. The series of large scale paintings was called Kasaysayan ng Maynila (History of Manila). The paintings deteriorated over time and no attempt was made to preserve these historical canvases until 2013 when Mayor Amado Lim sent them to the National Museum for extensive restoration. Four years later, in 2017, Mayor Joseph Ejercito Estrada and the Manila City Council signed an agreement with the National Museum to leave the paintings at the museum so they may reach a larger audience in exchange for museum grade reproductions to replace the originals. Kasaysayan ng Maynila was later renamed Filipino Struggles in History and is now on display at the Senate Hall of the National Museum . Carlos "Botong" Francisco died in March 1969, a few months after completing the paintings. He is one of the first Filipino modernists and...

TravelswithCharie

Search This Blog