Armenia Day 5 - Churches & Monasteries

Our fifth day in Armenia began like the previous ones with a delicious breakfast at the hotel to prepare us for the long day ahead, as we departed by bus at 9:00 AM. Once again, we were accompanied by our guide Tzovinar, who provided us with interesting information about the architecture and religious history of Armenia during the ride, as religion was the focus of the day. Our first stop was the St. Hripsime Church in Echmiadzin. According to tradition, the church was completed in 618 AD and is thus one of the oldest preserved in the country. It was built over the mausoleum of Saint Hripsime, who is a venerated martyr in the Armenian Apostolic Church.

Afterwards, we proceeded to the Cathedral of Echmiadzin, which is revered as the oldest Christian site in Armenia, represents the religious center of Armenia, and is one of the most significant architectural monuments. It is considered the first Christian church built by a state (around 303 AD) and was the oldest church during the Soviet era on its territory. After visiting the cathedral, we had some free time to explore the grounds or enjoy a coffee.

On our way to lunch, we drove through beautiful landscapes that varied greatly from one location to another. Along the way, we saw many apricot orchards, and Tzovinar explained that Armenia is the homeland of these fruits, whose Latin name is “Prunus armenicana”, making them taste particularly good here. To test this for ourselves, we made a spontaneous stop at one of the orchards and tried them. The apricots were super delicious, and we continued our journey feeling refreshed.

Shortly after, however, we made another unplanned stop on a particularly beautiful mountain road, where we seized the opportunity for our first group photo of the day, even using Tamino's drone. With a stunning view of Armenia, we eagerly took photos and continued on our way after a while.

When we finally arrived at the restaurant, we were very hungry and enjoyed the traditional food. In an annex, we could watch Armenian women bake lavash. Lavash is a flatbread that is considered the most commonly consumed bread in Armenia and Iran.

After lunch, we walked to the Temple of Garni, the only Greek temple in Armenia. The first written mention of this fortress dates back to the mid-first century BC. There, we took many more photos, including group photo number 2, and the acoustics of the temple were tested by singing three pieces.

In the afternoon, the bus brought us to our last site we wanted to visit, the Geghard Monastery. Tzovinar guided us through the ancient walls and shared some interesting information and facts about the monastery. In a chapel, we sang “Bogoroditse Devo” and “Lux Arumque” and afterwards had some free time to admire the nature or to take a sip from the holy spring of the monastery.

Exhausted after the long day, we made our way back to the hotel around 7:00 PM. But of course, there was one more spontaneous photo stop where we admired the Armenian landscape at sunset, and naturally, a third “Grubbafoddo” was not to be missed. (At this point, a thank you to the bus driver for accommodating our spontaneous ideas!)

When we finally returned to the hotel, we had the rest of the evening free to spend as we wished. Most of us went in search of a place for dinner, while others took it easy and relaxed. By the end of the day, we were all very tired and looked forward to our beds.

Joke of the day ():