Hiking tour: Tezharuig Monastery, Hankavan Reservoir, Greek Church in Hankavan, Hankavan waterfall

Program:

Tezharuig Monastery/ 2 km

Hankavan Reservoir

Greek church in Hankavan (19th century)

Hankavan waterfall/ 2 km

Today we will have a hiking tour  to the Tejaruyk Monastery located on the top of a wooded cape and to the Hankavan waterfall hidden in the forest.

The first stop of the tour is the Tejaruyk Monastery or Trdatavank. The total length of the hiking is 2 km, the road passes through the forest and leads to the top of the hill. The monastery is located at an altitude of 2000 m. It was built in 1190 during the reign of princes Ivane and Zakare Zakaryans. There are sacristies in the church, on both sides of the semicircular altar. There are also tombstones of Armenian and Georgian historical figures and Chalcedonian figures.

The word "Tezharuyg" consists of the roots "tezh" (translated from Armenian - "hot") and "aru" (translated from Armenian - " rivulet"). This is connected with the fact that the monastery complex was built on a hot and fast section of the Marmarik and Meghradzor rivers. The name of the area dates back to antiquity, the area was called so until the 17th century, then the Karakalpak Turks were settled in Tezharuyg, they atarted calling the area Taycharukh. The given name arose as a result of compounding the words "tay" (pair) and "chay" (river), which meant the area spread between two rivers, and the monastery complex of the same name.

Tezharuig is one of the unique constructions preserved in Armenia: it is a Chalcedonian church and has many inscriptions in Georgian.

On our way we will also stop and take photos near the picturesque Hankavar reservoir.

Our next stop is the Greek church, which can be considered as one of the symbols of Hankavan., 250 Greeks lived in Hankavan village in 1989. Today, only three Greek families remain here. Hankavan cemetery of the XIX-XX centuries is an evidence of the large number of Greeks living here once. However, the St. George Church built in 1850-1890 is the most striking evidence of the Greek trace here.

Departure: 09:00

Arrival: 20:00

Departure place: Hakob Hakobyan str. 1