Day Trip to Garni, Geghard and the Symphonic Stones

Getting to Garni and Geghard

Garni and Geghard are two small Armenian towns, situated roughly 30 and 40 minutes by car outside Yerevan, respectively. For such popular day-trip destinations- Garni with its ancient temple and Geghard for its UNESCO-protected monastery- neither are particularly easy to reach using public transportation. There is a bus that runs between Yerevan and Garni, but none go all the way out to Geghard. You would either have to transfer to a second bus line in Garni or take a cab out to the monastery (including wait time and return), which won’t be cheap for a solo traveler.

Basically, every hostel in Yerevan can arrange for a driver to take a group out to the two cities for the day. Split four or five ways, you’re probably looking at $20/person. Even better is to befriend a local who can show you around the historical sites. My newfound friend Sev’s uncle, who happens to own a car, was free to drive us out to Garni, Geghard and back again.

Gegham Mountains

Built along the Azat River that cuts through the Gegham Mountains, Garni and Geghard both have settings straight out of a John Ford film. Even if two of the most significant historical sites in Armenia weren’t located here, the mountains would be enough to warrant a visit to the area. The scenery is so stunning that even on an overcast day won’t spoil your photos.

The Azet River cutting through the gorge below

Garni Temple

While there is some disagreement within the scholarly community, most historians place the construction of Garni Temple in the First Century AD, making it one of the oldest structures in Armenia. The temple was built to honor the sun god Mihr, a powerful pagan god worshipped by the Armenians before Christianity was declared the national religion in the Fourth Century. When Christianity took hold, there was a massive campaign to destroy all pagan temples in the kingdom, but somehow Garni Temple slipped through the cracks and became the sole survivor from the previous pagan era. Today, not only is Garni Temple the only remaining Greco-Roman structure in Armenia, but the entire former Soviet Union as well.

The last remaining Greco-Roman building in the former Soviet Union

The temple used to be part of a fortress complex, the ruins of which surround the temple grounds today. There was a devastating earthquake in 1679 that destroyed much of Yerevan, Garni, and Geghard. The temple was totally destroyed, but the stones were left in the field, where they remained untouched for hundreds of years.

It wasn’t until nearly 300 years later, in 1969, that reconstruction of the temple began. Using all of the original stones found around the site, Soviet-Armenian archeologists where about to rebuild the temple with the aid of drawings and descriptions of the original structure. After six years, the new/old temple was completed where it still stands today.

The original temple inscriptions survived the earthquake of 1679

No matter your means of transportation, both Garni and Geghard can get crowded in the middle of the day. Therefore it’s best to arrive as early as possible or wait until later in the evening when the temple is illuminated at night; the grounds are open daily from 9-22.

Now, if I had come to Garni by myself, I would have visited the temple and promptly been on my merry way to Geghard, but here’s where knowing a local really paid off. Shockingly not even mentioned in my guidebook, Sev taking me down into Garni Gorge ended up being the highlight of the entire day trip. (Perhaps I will work on a post devoted to this topic, but Lonely Planet has really gone downhill over the years and their section on Yerevan is particularly lacking.)

Garni Gorge

By following the winding walking path into Garni Gorge, you will discover the awesome Symphony of Stones, so-called because they resemble the pipes of a church organ. The columns of basalt seem to defy logic and gravity, clinging to the sides of the gorge like an upside down box of crayons melted in place.

Sev and I ran into a few people having a picnic by the river and I wish we would have thought to do the same. If you continue along the trail you will eventually reach the Khosrov Forest State Reserve, so if you’re into hiking you could really make a whole day of exploring the surrounding forests and mountains. Of course, the descent into the gorge is easy, but save some strength for the climb back up, which can really knock the wind out of you if you’re not in peak physical condition. (Bring lots of water!)

Geghard Monastery

Geghard Monastery, founded in the 4th Century AD, is one of Armenia’s UNESCO sites and worthy of a solid hour of exploration. The monks’ cells were originally located in caves on the side of the mountain, accessible only by ladder or rope pulley. This afforded the monks maximum solitude for meditation and prayer. Beekeeping and honey production was a significant source of income for the monastery, a tradition that is still in practice today.

Monastic caves and boxes with bees and honeycomb

Eventually several chapels and the grand Surp Astvatsatsin Church were constructed on the monastery grounds in the early 13th Century. (The church was also destroyed in the same 1679 earthquake that brought down Garni Temple and was later rebuilt.) No electric wiring has ever been run through the church, allowing you to experience the building with only the aid of candlelight and a haze of natural light. The ancient stone carvings are exquisite.

Be sure not to skip the burial vault, which in and of itself is not so interesting, but the acoustics in the crypt are sublime and people gather there to sing old Armenian hymns in the space. It was a gorgeous experience and although I did film a little of the music for posterity’s sake, it was a nice opportunity to remind myself that sometimes you need to turn off your phone and just take everything in.

Outside the monastery walls, you can find old men playing traditional Armenian instruments as well as vendors selling dried fruit and other sweets. My favorite treat was a sheet of condensed, gummy fruit juice, kind of like a fruit roll-up, but without the high fructose corn syrup. The whole scene is a tad touristy, but fun and the prices are fair considering.

My surrogate Armenian grandmother selling sweets

Armenian Hospitality

As Sev’s uncle drove the two of us back to Yerevan, I assumed our little excursion was over, but how wrong I was! Sev’s Aunt Maria called him en route and when she found out he was with a foreigner, that good old Armenian hospitality kicked in. I was to immediately come over for lunch, which was promised to be only be a small, informal bite. I accepted on the condition that I wouldn’t be an inconvenience to her and made her promise not to go out of her way to feed me.

Maria met us at the door of her old Soviet-style apartment building; it was treat enough for me to see the actual apartment layout of one of these omnipresent former-Soviet housing units. Once inside, I was promptly told to take a seat on the couch and prepare myself for the never-ending stream of delicious food that would be stacked upon my plate.

Armenians, Georgians, and Azeris may fight amongst themselves, but taking care of outsiders is serious business. Warm conservation and a full belly when you leave is the norm. To be honest, it’s a bit overwhelming when compared to New York living where you don’t even speak to your neighbors, whose names you don’t even know after living in the same building for over a decade. But it’s overwhelming in a good way.

I will leave you with images of my feast. Thank you Sev and Maria for the wonderful memories of Yerevan!