Garni, Geghard and National bread “Lavash” baking and tasting tour
This fantastic tour will introduce you to the exotic Pagan history of Armenia, and then show the later development and spread of Christianity in the country. The first stop is Garni Temple (77 A.D.) – this is the only standing heathen temple in the whole post-Soviet area. The temple gracefully stands on a high plateau overlooking the Azat river gorge. The surrounding area itself is incredibly beautiful and is included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site.The greek-roman bath house with the mosaic, made out of 30,000 pieces of natural stones, as well as the ruins of the royal palace, will take you to 3rd century A.D.
The Monastery complex of Geghard is another historical site included to this tour. St. Geghard symbolizes the lance with which the Roman centurion pierced Jesus after crucifixion. Later the lance was brought to Armenia and kept in Geghard Monastery for 5 centuries. The complex presents 13th century Armenia, which is considered to be the Golden Age of the country’s architecture. However, the most astonishing part of this complex is its architectural solution of churches drilled into the solid rock that were constructed in accordance to the rules of Armenian architecture.
Not far from the temple of Garni, there is a cozy local restaurant with an amazing view of the temple, where you can relax and take part in a master-class and tasting of freshly baked lavash – traditional Armenian flatbread.