Gnishik Canyon / Noravank Monastery

Arpa river together with its streams has made a lot of narrow and deep gorges, canyons, that is why most of the geographical names in this place end with word dzor (canyon). And one of these names is Gnishik canyon ( Gnishikadzor).

Gnishik canyon is located in the province of Vayots Dzor, near Noravank monastery. It is also called “Noravank Gorge” because of its close proximity with the monastery. It is located about 140 kilometers from Yerevan. The Gnishik canyon leads up to it, with many rock formations made by volcanic activity. There are several caves in the area.

Sometimes after heavy rains the waters that flow from the cliffs forms waterfalls, giving special beauty to the canyon. On sunny days the cliffs and caves make a symphony of light and shadow which makes the beauty of the the canyon indescribable.

Near the village of Rind, there are found khachkars. These are believed to be very old, from the 9th-10th centuries. Their design is indicative of the earliest of khachkar artworks.

Noravank Monastery

Noravank (New Monastery) is an Armenian monastery near Yeghegnadzor. About 7 centuries old, it dates back to the 13th century AD, started by Bishop Hovhannes. Noravank was once a very important center for education and culture. Religious leaders and noblemen resided there, including the Orbelian princes, part of the royal Orbelian family from Syunik province, and bishops and religious leaders in the area.

A notably picturesque natural setting compliments the old structure. It is situated in the valley of Amaghu, which was once a village. Red cliffs surround the monastery, making a natural scene that is itself worth seeing, let alone the monastery. For this reason the Noravank is sometimes called the “Red Monastery”.

Photos by Araks Asatryan, Babken Arzumanyan and Tigran Shahbazyan