Garni

Garni

Garni is a major village in Armenia's Kotayk province. The settlement dates back to antiquity and is best known for the Hellenistic Garni temple. Garni's main attraction is the fortified complex, which includes the 1st century AD Garni Temple, the Surb Astvatsatsin Temple, the Mashtots Hayrapet Chirch, a ruined 4th century single-aisle church, the ruined Tukh Manuk Shrine, the St. Sargis Shrine and the Queen Katranide Shrine. Nearby is the Garni Gorge with its well-preserved basalt columns carved out by the Goght River. This section of the gorge is often called to as the 'Symphony of the Stones'. There is also an 11th century medieval bridge in the Garni Gorge. The medieval bridge was reconstructed in 2013 through the Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation, organized and paid for by the US government. People say the work destroyed the original bridge and turned it into a new structure with no historical value.