30 Cool and Unusual Things to Do in Armenia - Atlas Obscura

Unusual Attractions in Armenia

Garni Gorge

A geological oddity topped with a 2,000-year-old pagan temple.

Geghard Monastery

This Armenian monastery was carved out of cliffs and named after the spear used to stab Jesus.

Lusarat, Armenia

Khor Virap Monastery

The most visited pilgrimage site in Armenia once held a saint in a pit for 13 years.

Khndzoresk, Armenia

Old Khndzoresk Cave Village

Right up until the 20th century this network of man-made caves was the biggest village in Eastern Armenia.

Shaki Waterfall

After visiting hours, this picturesque waterfall is essentially turned "off" to be used for hydroelectric power.

Gavazan Column at Tatev Monastery

Centuries before the modern seismograph, Armenian monks measured quakes with this tilting pillar.

Levon's Divine Underground

She asked for a potato cellar and over the next 23 years he gave her a network of holy caves.

Areni-1 Cave Complex

This series of Armenian caves held the oldest brain, shoe, and winery in the world.

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Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Armenia

Tsovagyugh, Armenia

Fish-Selling Mannequins of Tsovagyugh

Men and special assistants stand by the road to sell the day's catch in this lakeside village.

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Stories About Armenia

All illustrations: John Mata for Atlas Obscura

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Homemade gata, a traditional Armenian pastry.

Armenia's Culinary History Hides in a Museum's Manuscripts

Using rare documents and notebooks, Sonia Tashjian is piecing together the nation's food story.

by Rafael Tonon

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