DILIJAN TOUR

Sevan Lake: it is the largest body of water in Armenia and the Caucasus region, and one of the largest freshwater high-altitude lakes in Eurasia. Here we visit Sevanavank monastery, According to an inscription in one of the churches, the monastery of Sevanavank was founded in 874 by Princess Mariam, the daughter of Ashot I (who became a king a decade later). At the time, Armenia was still struggling to free itself from Arab rule.

The monastery was strict as it was mainly intended for those monks from Etchmiadzin who had sinned. Jean-Marie Chopin, a French explorer of the Caucasus, visited there in 1830 and wrote of a regimen restraining from meat, wine, youth or women. Another explorer visited the monastery in 1850 and wrote of how manuscripts were still being copied manually.

Dilijan: after Sevanavank we continue our trip to Dilijan, it is a spa town in the Tavush Province of Armenia. Usually called Armenian Switzerland or Little Switzerland by the locals, it is one of the most important resorts of Armenia, situated within the Dilijan National Park. The forested and reclusive town is home to numerous Armenian artists, composers, and filmmakers and features some traditional Armenian architecture. Here we visit Haghartsin and Goshavank monasteries:

Haghartsin is a 13th-century monastery located near the town of Dilijan in the Tavush Province of Armenia. It was built between the 10th and 14th centuries (in the 12th under ); much of it under the patronage of the Bagratuni Dynasty.

Goshavank is a 12th- or 13th-century Armenian monastery located in the village of Gosh in the Tavush Province of Armenia. Today the monastery is not a functioning religious complex, although it remains a popular tourist destination and has recently undergone some light restoration. These restorations are being financed by an Islamic individual from the United Arab Emirates for reasons not fully understood. The impressive monastery which has remained in relatively good condition also houses one of the world’s finest examples of a khachkar.