TravelswithCharie

  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 Arme...

  The Garni Temple was built in the first century AD, during the reign of King Tiridates I of Armenia. It is believed to have been dedicated to the pagan god Mihr (Mithra), who is associated with fire . Other scholars suggest that Garni was built as a tomb or mausoleum. One of the theories advanced by some scholars is that a pagan temple could not have survived after Armenia became a Christian state in the fourth century AD.  The elegance  of Garni Temple comes from the fusion of architectural styles and building materials of these three cultures, Hellenistic, Roman and Armenian. Twenty-four Ionic columns are inspired by classical Greek architecture. The structure incorporates arches and vaults which are of Roman origin. The temple is built with local basalt stone which was carved and fitted together without using mortar. The second important element of this Temple is its location. It sits on a promontory above Garni Gorge with views of surrounding mountains. A symbiosis ...