Amberd Fortress & Byurakan Observatory

1. 1
   Hotel in YerevanPick-up at your address at the chosen time09:00
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   Armenian alphabet monumentThe Armenian Alphabet Monument stands by the road from Yerevan to Aparan, on the eastern slope of Mount Aragats near the village of Artashavan. It opened in 2005 to mark 1,600 years of Armenian writing. Thirty-nine tuff letters are covered in carved ornament, and among them stand statues of figures of Armenian culture, from Gregory the Illuminator to Hovhannes Tumanyan. Higher up the slope are a chapel and a cross made of many small crosses.20 min

   

   

   

   

   

   

   © BarevTrip

   The Armenian Alphabet Monument stands by the road from Yerevan to Aparan, on the eastern slope of Mount Aragats near the village of Artashavan. It opened in 2005 to mark 1,600 years of Armenian writing. Thirty-nine tuff letters are covered in carved ornament, and among them stand statues of figures of Armenian culture, from Gregory the Illuminator to Hovhannes Tumanyan. Higher up the slope are a chapel and a cross made of many small crosses.

   Free entry

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   Amberd FortressAmberd is a medieval fortress on the southern slope of Mount Aragats, set more than 2,000 metres above sea level on a promontory between two deep gorges. From the 10th to the 13th century it was one of the key strongholds of Armenian princes. What survives is a basalt citadel with semicircular towers, sections of wall, a bathhouse with underfloor heating and the Vahramashen Church of 1026. From the edge of the promontory you can see the gorges and the Ararat Valley, and on a clear day Mount Ararat.60 min
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   Tegher MonasteryTegher, a monastery from the first third of the 13th century, stands on the slope of Mount Aragats at about 1,700 metres, with a view over the Ararat Valley. It was commissioned by Princess Mamakhatun of the Vachutian family and built by the vardapet Aghbayrik. The Church of the Holy Mother of God has no interior pillars, and a spacious gavit (narthex) resting on four columns adjoins it. Two small domed churches stand on the western corners of the gavit roof, a rare arrangement in Armenian architecture. Medieval tombstones and building inscriptions survive inside the gavit.30 min
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   Byurakan ObservatoryByurakan Observatory, a working research institute of the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia, stands on the southern slope of Mount Aragats at about 1,400 metres. It was founded in 1946 by the astrophysicist Viktor Ambartsumian. Here Benjamin Markarian carried out the sky survey that revealed the Markarian galaxies, and its archive is inscribed on UNESCO's Memory of the World register. In the park between the telescope towers you can see the dome of the 2.6-metre telescope and Ambartsumian's house museum. Visits are by guided tour, booked in advance.45 min
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   Hotel in YerevanReturn to the same or another address in the city≈ 15:00

Driving between stops takes about 3.5 h. You can change the order by telling the driver.