The Hellenic temple of Garni is one of the most famous sights of Armenia, testifying to its thousand-year history. It is located on the edge of a cliff above the Azat River, 30 kilometers east of Yerevan. Further along this road is the Geghard Monastery, so many tourists come here.
The temple of Garni was built in 77 AD. It was the period of the highest heyday of the Roman Empire, and Armenia was an ally of Rome in those years. Hellenic culture prevailed throughout the Roman Empire and the territories conquered in the 4th century BC by Alexander the Great. It was a mixture of culture and religion of ancient Greece, Persia and other Asian countries.
In Garni there was not only a temple, but also a country residence of the Armenian kings. Rocky cliffs above the Azat River made it possible to create an impregnable royal residence. In addition, in summer, the temperature in the mountain gorge of the Azat River is much more comfortable than in the Ararat Valley, where Yerevan is located.
According to the deciphered cuneiform tablets of the ancient kingdom of Urartu, the Garni fortress was conquered by the Urartian king Argishti in the 8th century BC. Erebuni fortress, he built later, and then it turned into the city of Yerevan.
The temple of Garni is built in the classical style of the ancient Greek temple of the Ionic order. The Ionic Order prevailed on the islands of ancient Greece. It has a rectangular shape (15x11 meters) and is surrounded on all sides by colonnades. The temple is built of blocks of hewn basalt. During a strong earthquake in 1679, the Garni Temple and the nearby buildings of the royal palace were destroyed.
For a long time Garni was in ruins, but in 1966 it was decided to restore it. In 1976, people again saw the Garni temple in its original appearance. Nearby are the foundations of the royal palace and baths. The viewing point offers a beautiful view of the gorge of the Azat River. A kilometer from the Garni temple, beautiful rocks are visible, which are called the Stone Symphony. This is a unique rock formation made of hexagonal basalt tubes. Some of them reach a length of 200 meters.
