“Armenia 🇦🇲 ~Amberd Fort and Vahramashen Church”
In a word. Magic! Today was full of magic!
Just as we hoped for, we got a break in the weather and made our way back up the mountain, to see Amberd Fort. Not only did we make it all the way up the mountain, with much better roads, the “silver thaw” we got to see up at the high elevation was a huge bonus!
As soon as we saw a little blue sky, right around noon, we jumped in the car and headed back up the mountain. It is just over an hour, from the small town of Vagharshapat. The Amberd Fort and the church are quite old, and the scenery that surrounds these ancient gems, is not to be missed. We had plenty of snow, but the roads were clear of any ice, and we still made sure to head back down he mountain, way before the temperatures dropped! It was perfect, and we are so glad we waited around for a second shot at seeing these ancient sites.
The Vahramashen Church, is located near the Amberd Fortress in what is present-day Armenia, and dates from 1026 AD. This church was originally built for Prince Vahram Pahlavuni whose family clashed with the royal Bagratuni dynasty for power in medieval Armenia. The Vahramashen Church is a cruciform type church, containing four, two-story chambers in the corners. Like so many Armenian churches, a conical umbrella type dome was used in its construction.
The history of Amberd goes back to the 7th century when Armenian princes Kamsarakan started there construction of the Fortress. over time, a small outpost turned into a well-protected Fortress.
However, the Kamsarakans had to pass this strategic point to another Armenian noble family Pahlavuni, who made it their residence. The great commander Vagram Pahlavuni, who lived in the 11th century, ordered to fortify the complex of Amberd and build the church, later named in his honor; Vagramashen.
Despite excellent protection of Amberd, it was invaded by Seljuks coming from Central Asia in the end of the 11th century. Later, in the 13th century, Mongols captured and destroyed this beautiful Fortress. Amberd was later reconstructed and served as an outpost for several more, hundreds of years. Today, the Fort is in ruins, but the church still stands, preserved.
We have stayed three days at the lovely and cozy Artson B&B. $17 a night, plus $6 for dinner. The food is all homemade and excellent! We have heat, WIFI, electricy and hot water for showers.
Tomorrow, we will continue to make our way, north, and explore.
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Hello and Welcome to our Travel Blog Website, We enjoy writing about our experiences and taking photos of our adventuring along the way. Our names are: Daryl and Pen, but Daryl calls me “Bunny.” We met, quite randomly, whilst both… Read More
Looks so beautiful
We are definitely enjoying the snow. It is very pretty, as long as the roads stay clear!
What a magical place! I love all the history you guys share too. Make the photos have more meaning. I like to know what I’m looking at. Thanks
It was like a dream! Thank you Jean for saying! I love history, and hope others do as well!