Garni-Geghard
Like many other Armenian towns, Garni is a keeper of ancient history secrets as well: long ago, in IV-III cc BC, a fortress serving as a residence for Armenian kings towered over the town with palaces, kings' main apartments, dwellings, a church and a bath-house inside. The oldest surviving building in Armenia is the Temple of Sun situated at the highest point of the former fortress. This temple, built in the second half of the I century AD, was dedicated to one of the deities of Armenian pagan pantheon, Mitra the Deity of Sun. The adoption of Christianity in Armenia in 301 AD resulted in the destruction of pagan temples. However, this one standing in the kings' residence was fortunately not encroached upon by the preachers of new religion. The temple was built from basalt; and only local masters were able to do the fine hewing and carving of this solid rock, not the alien Romans who used to work with pliable marble.
7 km to the north-east of Garni, further up the Azat river gorge is the Geghard, famous for its rock architecture and the church carved inside the rock. The exact time when the church was founded is not known; most probably Ayrivank (i.e. the Cave Monastery) was in this place in the beginning of the 4th century, which was later renamed into Geghard. Today's name of the church comes from a legend. According to it a spear (geghard in Armenian) was kept here with which Jesus Christ was pierced on the cross by one of the Roman legionaries guarding him. The Geghard Monastery makes a strong impression with its rough simplicity and splendor seemingly borrowed from surrounding scenery - equally severe and beautiful. The monastery is as majestic from inside as from outside: the twilight of the rocky interior illuminated only by the weak candle flames and the scattered sunrays from the vaulted window on the carved ceiling, and the gentle murmur of water flowing down the walls add a special mystery to it. One of the monastery's outside walls is covered with small hollows where the visitors try to throw stones for luck.
