Description

"Golden apricot" 

 

Day 1 Arrival

Meeting at airport with a sign “TRAVEL BEE”. Transfer to the hotel.

Free time to wander through Yerevan.

2 Day  Etchmiadzin Cathedral , Saint Ripsime Church And Zvartnots Complex
 

Mother Cathedral of St. Echmiadzin. The Cathedral of Echmiadzin was founded at the beginning of the forth century and is one of the oldest churches in the world. According to the legend the church was built in the place where apparition of Jesus Christ was seen to Grigory the Illuminator in the dream. The interior of the church is covered with frescoes created by Hovnatanyan family. The residence of the Catholicos and the Theological Academy are situated near the Cathedral. Echmiadzin is the center of Armenian Apostolic church and the residence of the Catholicos of All Armenians.

The Museum "Treasures of Echmiadzin" is situated in the southeast section of the Cathedral. Unique holy relics and religious art are now housed in the museum. Among the many treasures are: the Holy Lance (Geghard) which pierced the side of Christ, housed in a silver reliquary; the relics of Noah's Ark in a reliquary that was created in 1698 and other valuable pieces of art. According to the history, the relic of Noah's Ark, was given to Patriarch St. Hakob (Jacob) of Mts'bna in the fourth century, as he desired to climb the peak of Mount Ararat to find Noah's Ark. After ascending the mountain, he fell asleep through the influence of God, and the angel of the Lord placed the reliquary of the Ark under his head. In a dream, the angel instructs St. Hakob to awaken, take the relic, and descend from the mountain. In addition to the pieces displayed, during archaeological excavations which were conducted due to renovation work of the Holy Altar, remnants of the original Holy Altar, founded by St. Gregory the Illuminator, dating back to 301-303 AD, were discovered.

Before entering the city of Etchmiadzin stands the majestic Church of St. Hripsime. Hripsime is the name of a martyr, whose grave is in the crypt, under the altar. Due to the spread of Christianity in Armenia, as well as her refusal to marry Trdat III, she was tortured and killed. At the place of her death in the 7th century Catholicos Komitas erected a temple. This is evidenced by the inscription on the western wall of the temple from the outside. Hripsime Temple is a classic example of cruciform central domed structures.

Church of St. Gayane. Among the many monuments of Echmiadzin, the most famous temple is Gayane, located south of the Cathedral. According to legend, the martyr Gayane was a friend of Hripsime, her mentor and, like her, died for the spread of Christianity. The temple was founded in 630. By Catholicos Ezrom. In the form of a domed basilica it was restored in 1652. Later, a gallery was added to its western facade - the burial place of the hierarchs of the Armenian church. In the southern aisle of the church, next to the altar apse, the relics of St. Gayane are rested.

Zvartnots. This marvelous temple is a result of skillfulness and brave creativity of Armenian architects of the 7th century. Having been built on several columns it could survive only till the 10th century. When in the beginning of the 20th century this site was being excavated many specialists could hardly accept its reconstruction model designed by famous Armenian architect Toros Toramanyan as it was difficult to believe that such a huge and complicated construction could have been built those days, and amazingly at that time one of the bas-relieves of St. Chapelle church in Paris came to prove Toramanyan's version; the bas-relief depicts Zvartnots temple with Noah's Ark and it looks like the model represented by the architect.
 

3 Day Khor Virap, Areni Cave, Noravank, In Areni winery
 

Khor Virap. Khor Virap is situated in Ararat region- on a hill in the nearby village of Small Lead. It is considered to be one of the holiest places of the Armenian Apostolic Church. According to the history, it was here that deep pit, into which Gregory the Illuminator has been imprisoned for preaching Christianity on the order  of Tiridates the III. Only after long years of imprisonment, when Gregory the Illuminator cures Тiridates the III of a serious illness, the king proclaimed Christianity as a state religion. Geographically Khor Virap is the closest spot to the Mount Ararat. From here you will have the opportunity to see the legendary mountain.Noravank. One of the significant cultural and religious centers of medieval Armenia is the Noravank monastery complex, which is located in the Vayots Dzor region in the valley of the Arpa River Gorge and is surrounded by impassable cliffs. Noravank consists of St. Karapet (1216-1221 гг.), St. Grigory the Illuminator churches (1275г.)   and St. Astvatsatsin (Holy Mother of God) two-storey church (1339г.), which is notable for its ideal constructive and sculptural work, the western facade of which is distinguished by its uniqueness: a narrow staircase, in the form of a pyramid, leading to the second floor of the Cave-Birds (Areni-1): The cave is located 12 kilometers from Yeghegnadzor on the left bank of the Areni river. The cave consists of 3 rooms and has an area of ​​500 m², most of which have not yet been studied. As a result of excavations in the cave, metal knives, fruit seeds, the remains of grain, ropes, ceramics, clothing, raisins and prunes dating to 4200-3500 were found. BC. Here was found the world's oldest leather shoes, which are more than 5500 years old, a women's skirt attributed to 3900 BC, as well as the oldest winery in the world. Currently, this winery is considered the oldest in the world and dates from the 4th millennium BC. The caves were not residential, and the consumption of wine for people was a ritual.

4 Day

5 Day City Tour In Yerevan

 

Yerevan is one of the oldest cities in the world. The city is 30 years older than Rome. We will start our guided tour of principal exhibits from the very heart of the city. Yerevan Cascade - an open-air museum is one of the unique components of the Cafesjian Museum of Art.

The museum’s collection includes works by world famous artists such as Fernando Botero, Arshile Gorky, Jennifer Bartlett, Lynn Chadwick, Barry Flanagan and others. Here we will certainly go up to the observation deck, from where a fantastic view of the pink city opens, and of course, if you are lucky, then you will have a magnificent view of biblical Ararat. You can climb both on escalators and on foot, well this is of course for our most athletic travelers. You can take the most beautiful photographs, and get acquainted with histories and stories about why Yerevan is considered a pink city, how Cascade was built and why the most delicious coffee is drunk in the open cafes of Cascade. Further, we continue our walk to Theater Square, where the Opera and Ballet Theater and the famous Swan Lake are located, next to which our beloved Arno Babajanyan proudly “plays” on the piano. Continuing our trip, we will walk along Northern Avenue, where restaurants, cafes and shops are located. It is here that you can meet a monument to the famous florist Karabala, who always gave flowers to lovers.
 

6 Day Back Home

Transfer to  Airport.

 

Note:

Company Travel Bee do not bear responsibility for weather conditions and mode of operation of excursion objects and may make some changes to the program, namely:

- replacement of excursions with similar ones

- change of days of excursions

- combining excursions

If it is impossible to provide any point due to weather or technical conditions.

 

The tour price includes:

Transport service

Qualified Guide Service

Accommodation in 3 * hotels with breakfast  (City Hotel By Picnic, City Centre Hotel By Picnic,   Konyak Hotel , Comfort Hotel    )

All excursions and entrance fees are indicated in the tour

 

The price does not include:

  Air tickets

  Insurance

  Personal expenses

 

Cost:

   Cost per person in a double room 285 $

   Cost per person in a single room 420 $ 

   Cost per person in a triple room 265 $

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