Khor Virap Monastery (Armenian Խոր Վիրապ)

Khor Virap is a monastery of the Armenian Apostolic Church located in Armenia, near the border with Turkey, at the foot of Mount Ararat. The monastery is famous for its location, which is one of the most marvelous views of the biblical Mount Ararat, on which, according to legend, Noah found himself on the ark after the Flood. Khor Virap is one of the shrines of the Armenian Apostolic Church, a place of pilgrimage.

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History

Instead of the fortress-monastery that exists today, it was originally the site of a royal prison, which gave the monastery its name. “Virap” in Armenian means pit. It is a deep pit filled with poisonous snakes and insects where condemned prisoners were thrown.

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In the underground prison, Armenian King Tiridates III imprisoned St. Gregory the Illuminator for 15 years before he was converted to Christianity in 301.

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Khor Virap Hill is located on the site of the ancient capital of Armenia, Artashat, built (c. 180 BC) by King Artashes I, the founder of the Artashesid dynasty. The entrance to the underground prison, which has survived to this day, is located in the Chapel of St. Gregory, built in 1661. The depth of the underground prison is from 3 to 6 meters. There is also the Church of Our Lady on the territory of the monastery.

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Khor Virap has long been a center of learning and a place of pilgrimage. The 13th century historian Vardan Areveltsi founded a school here with 40 pupils. In the XVIII century the temple was deserted and only in 1765 Catholicos Simeon Erevantsi managed to reconstruct it. More than ten manuscripts have survived from this center of education. Nowadays this ensemble has been thoroughly reconstructed.

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Tourists

Today this place attracts tourists not only by its rich history, but also by the fact that it is located close to Mount Ararat, behind it is already the border of Turkey, so you can see the legendary peaks in close proximity only from this ancient monastery.

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Address

Lusarat, Armenia

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How to get there

Getting to Khor Virap from Yerevan will not be difficult.

Cost
  • car for 4-6 seats – AMD 28,000;
  • bus for 8-15 seats – AMD 42,000;
  • bus for 35-50 seats – AMD 70,000;
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