Garni Temple

Գառնիի տաճար

A 1st-century Greco-Roman temple with Ionic colonnades, perched on a cliff above a gorge. It is the only complete classical colonnaded temple in the Caucasus and the former Soviet region.

Garni Temple lies in the village of Garni, about 30 kilometres east of Yerevan. It stands on a triangular cliff platform above the Azat River gorge. The temple was built in the 1st century AD during the reign of King Tiridates I of Armenia and is generally believed to have been dedicated to Mihr, the sun god. Surrounded by 24 Ionic stone columns on a raised platform, its design closely resembles Greek and Roman temples. After Armenia adopted Christianity, most pagan temples were destroyed, but this one survived as part of a royal summer palace. It collapsed in the earthquake of 1679 and was rebuilt between 1969 and 1975 using the original stones. Beside the temple are the ruins of a Roman bath, with floor mosaics depicting sea gods and marine creatures, as well as the remains of a 7th-century church and palace. From the edge of the platform, you can look down into the deep gorge. A path leads down to the valley floor (or you can drive around). From there you can see the striking basalt columnar cliffs known as the 'Symphony of Stones', where hexagonal columns rise like giant organ pipes. Admission depends on the site at the time. It is often combined with Geghard Monastery as a half-day or full-day trip. In the village you can eat freshly baked lavash flatbread at a farmhouse.

Garni Temple

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