The Temple of Garni is the only pagan temple preserved on the territory of Armenia. The temple was built in the 1st century by King Trdat I, dedicated to Mitra, the god of the sun, light, and justice. After the adoption of Christianity in Armenia, all pagan shrines were destroyed, but thanks to the sister of Trdat III, the king who then ruled the country, the Temple of Garni was preserved and remained the only monument that has survived from the Hellenistic era. Decorated with twenty-four columns and a roof with a triangular pediment, its classical Greek architecture, is reminiscent of the famous temple in Athens.
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Having driven just a couple of tens of kilometers from Yerevan, you will be transported into the atmosphere of ancient times.
The Temple of Garni is a visual reminder of the era of paganism that existed in Armenia before the adoption of Christianity. Fortunately, time has spared the monument. Visitors can see the remains of the royal palace, the ancient bathhouse, which was decorated with amazing mosaics, a cemetery, and a temple.
Few people know that, erected in the first century BC, the temple was mentioned by the ancient Roman scientist Tacitus. The Temple of Garni is the last and only monument, which is a reminder of the era of paganism and Hellenism. In 301, after the adoption of Christianity by the Armenians, the process of destruction of everything pagan began. The Temple of Garni, no doubt, expected the same fate. But the sister of King Trdat I, Khosrovanush, intervened in the matter. Trdat I, yielding to the entreaties of his sister, spared the unique temple.
The Temple of Garni was erected on the top of the Urartian hill, modeled on the unique Greek Temple of Athena. In the 17th century, due to a strong earthquake, the temple collapsed, but in 1970 it was reconstructed. The 24 pillars of the temple remind that there are only 24 hours in a day, and the nine steps that must be overcome to get to the temple are very high and difficult to overcome. And it is no coincidence. In order to master such high levels, a person willy-nilly has to bow down.
The royal bath deserves special attention. Thanks to the archaeological excavations carried out in Armenia, a great contribution was made to the technology of building bath rooms. Bath rooms of the II-III centuries were discovered in Armenia. The royal bath of the temple is one of them.
A four-room bath house was built half a meter from the temple. The first room was richly decorated and served as a dressing area, in the second room people took a shower, cooled off and prepared for bath procedures, followed by a warm bath, a hot bath and a steam bath. The bath had a double floor, with hot steam circulating inside, which was supplied from the firebox. This circulation system was also used in ancient Rome and was called the “hypocaust”. An idea of the decoration of the bath can be made from some of the fragments that have come down to us. Particularly impressive is the floor mosaic of the cloakroom. The mosaic is made of stones of 15 shades, which depict mythical heroes and water scenes with the goddess Tethys.
On the way to Garni, it is worth making a short stop at a small hill, on which a spring-monument to the outstanding Armenian poet Yeghishe Charents has been erected. From here you can also admire the Ararat valley and the snowy peaks of Mount Ararat.
Garni Temple is located in a picturesque place. Behind the temple there is a platform from where from a great height an amazing view of the gorge of the Azat River and the rocky Gegham Range opens.