Deep in a pit at Khor Virap, Armenia's Christianity began. Imprisoned here for his heretic faith, St. Gregory the Illuminator was not released until he cured Armenia's king of a terrible disease (some legends say he had turned into a boar). The king, in gratitude converted himself, and Armenia with him, into the first officially Christian nation in the world. The fortified monastery sits on a small hill in a very flat Ararat Valley. The view of the mountain is the best you'll get, though the monastery otherwise is not so remarkable. 45 minutes from Yerevan, this is an easy morning trip, or a quick stop along the road heading to Southern Armenia.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Central Armenia
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Central Armenia - updated May 2024
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Central Armenia Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
