Hiking tour: Old Dilijan, Goshavank Monastery, Aghavnavank Monastery

• Old Dilijan
• Goshavank Monastery
• Aghavnavank Monastery    

The first point of the tour is Dilijan town.  In Old Dilijan we will see a unique historical street of Sharambeyan, where we will feel the breath of the old Dilijan of the 19th century. In the area there is a cafe, restaurant, bakery, and other interesting places representing the special life of the 19th century. Various craftsmen (potters, carpenters) exhibit their works in the territory of the street, that is why the street is often called the "street of carftsmen". Nearby we will also see a monument to the heroes of the "Mimino" film, where three main characters of the popular film are embodied: Frunzik Mkrtchyan (Rubik Khachikyan), Yevgeny Leonov (Ivan Volokhov) and Vakhtang Kikabidze (Valiko Mizandari).

The next stop is the Goshavank Monastery. The monastery was founded by Mkhitar Gosh, who was a famous spiritual scholar, fable-writer and jurist. The monastery was erected in the place of Old Getik Monastery, which was completely destroyed as a result of the earthquake of 1186. The construction of the monastery started at the end of XII century and came to its end in about one hundred years. That’s why it is more unified by the architecture of the monuments included in it. It was initially called New Getik Monastery, afterwards it inherited the name of its founder and was called Goshavank.

Goshavank was one of the famous centers of medieval spiritual culture and manuscript-writing. In the seminary working here were taught the following disciplines: law, history, philosophy as well as arts (architecture, miniature-painting, music, calligraphy). The spiritual figures who had studied here (Vanakan Vardapet, Kirakos Gandzaketsi and others), continuing the traditions of their school, later established spiritual schools in other places.

While Mkhitar Gosh was an abbot, here were erected two small churches (Surb Lusavorich, built of wood, and Surb Hovhannes-Karapet). Neither of the churches has survived. Surb Astvatsatsin Church with its narthex is also here. The construction of the monastery continued till the end of the XIII century. 

The last point of the tour program is hiking to the Aghavnavank Monastery. The hiking is of medium difficulty (about 5 km). It is desirable that Your clothes should be comfortable and your shoes should be non-slip. It is better to have sunglasses and a hat. You should also have 1 liter of water and food for one day.

Aghavnavank Monastery (also known as Surb Astvatsatsin Anapat Church or Aghnabad Monastery) is located on the right bank of the Aghavnavank River, in the territory of the Dilijan National Park, in the Aghnabad wooded area. According to the preserved lapidary inscription, the church was built in the 11th-12th centuries. This is a small, central-domed structure with two sacristies, erected with cleanly hewn stones of yellowish pumice. The dome, ending with a pointed vegar, a conical ceiling, rests on load-bearing arches supported by pilasters. Several purely hewn slabs covering the church roof have been preserved, and the vegar is completely bare. The curly stones of the cornice also crumbled. Two triangular niches are carved on the eastern facade. To the south of the monument, the remains of numerous structures have been preserved, which, in all likelihood, were monastic cells and farm buildings. Inscriptions are carved on the western facades of the sacristies, in letters typical of the lapidary art of the 12th-13th centuries.

Departure: 09:00
Arrival:  20:00

Departure place: Hakob Hakobyan str. 1/ next to the Mergelyan Institute