Description of the attraction
Garni Temple is one of the architectural and cult sights of Armenia. This ancient pagan temple is dedicated to Mithra - the pagan god of the sun, heavenly light and justice. It is located 28 km from the Armenian capital, near the village of Garni, on a triangular cape that rises above the gorge of the Azat River.
The presumptive date for the construction of the temple is the second half of the 1st century. - during the reign of the Armenian king Trdat I. After the adoption of Christianity by Armenia, almost all pagan shrines were destroyed, the temple of Mithra is the only one that survived.
The Garni temple is made in the classical style of Greek architecture and in its appearance resembles the famous temple of Athena. The facade of the temple is decorated with 24 slender Ionic columns, which are crowned with a roof with a triangular pediment. The base of the temple is a high basalt podium, which can be reached using a wide staircase located on the side of the facade. One of the features of the temple is its luxurious decoration, indicating a high level of development of sculpture in ancient Armenia. In the inner room of the monastery, near the altar, there was a statue of Mithra, so everyone who came to worship God could see her.
In 1679, a strong earthquake struck Armenia, which destroyed many buildings, including the temple in Garni. The fragments of the temple could be found all over the gorge of the Azat river. In the early 1930s. famous Yerevan architect N. G. Buniatyan examined Garni and made a project for the reconstruction of the temple. Thanks to the work of experienced restorers and local residents, who have been collecting scattered pieces of the temple building on the surrounding slopes for more than one year, the shrine was restored in 1966-1976.
The pagan temple of Garni is the only monument of the Hellenistic era in Armenia. Near the temple you can see the remains of an ancient fortress, the royal palace and the building of the bathhouse, erected in the III century.
