[2025 Lusarat Attraction] Travel Guide for Khor Virap Monastery (Updated Mar)

Khor Virap is an Armenian monastery located in the Ararat Plain in Armenia. Khor Virap means deep dungeon. In the year 301, Armenia was the first country in the world to be declared a Christian nation. Khor Virap is the place where it all began. Gregory the Illuminator was initially imprisoned here for about 14 years by King Tiridates III of Armenia. Subsequently Saint Gregory became the king's religious mentor, and they led the proselytizing activity in Armenia. The reason why it is called Khor Virap (deep dungeon) is the pit underneath St. Gevorg Chapel. where Gregory was imprisoned. There are two pits inside the chapel, Grigor's is the farther one, 6 metres (20 ft) deep and 4.4 metres (14 ft) wide. Nowadays every single visitors can go down into the pit. However before doing it please remember that it is 6 meters deep and just 4 meters wide. Last time I went gown into the pit I got dizzy 😵‍💫 #createwithtrip #travellater #khorvirap #armenia #ararat #monastery #church #travellater

Celebrating New year holidays in Armenia, first place we went to was Khor Virap monastery located near the border with Turkey. It’s one of the most important places in Armenia honoured by its people. It is located on a hill with beautiful views and has a very interesting history. The place is recommended to visit in any season of the year but it’s especially beautiful in summer. #celebrateit

Travelers! Explore the Three Caucasus Countries and visit the museum! Enjoy a 9-day tour, experience the charm of history and culture, and collect the best! / The Three Caucasus Countries 🌍 are located between Iran and the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea. Here, you can find ancient civilization history 📜 and stunning mountain scenery 🏔️. It is known as the "forgotten garden" of God 🌺. / 🛫 Itinerary: Day 1: Arrive in Baku, meet your driver at the airport, and check in to your hotel. Day 2-3: Visit the mud volcanoes, Gobustan rocks, and old town of Baku, then head to Shamakhi, and finally arrive in Sheki to check in. Day 4: Cross the Agdam border, pass through Signagi, and arrive in Tbilisi to check in. Day 5-6: Travel to Yerevan, visit the Khor Virap and Echmiadzin Cathedral, then return to Tbilisi. Day 7: Visit the Ananuri Fortress, admire the Kazbegi snow-capped mountains from afar, and return to Tbilisi. Day 8: Visit the Uplistsikhe Cave Dynasty and Stalin Museum in Gori, then head to Mtskheta to visit the Jvari Monastery and the Svetitskhoveli Cathedral, and return to Tbilisi. Day 9: Visit the Holy Trinity Cathedral, old town, and other attractions in Tbilisi, and finally meet your driver at the airport for departure. / Recommended attractions: Holy Trinity Cathedral of Tbilisi ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Address: MRX8+3H8, Tbilisi, Georgia - Opening hours: 07:00-21:00 - Duration: 1-2 hours - The golden dome shines under the sun, and you can enjoy a panoramic view of the city from the top of the church. Ananuri Fortress ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Address: 5P73+G5H, Ananuri, Georgia - Opening hours: 09:00-20:00 - Duration: 2-3 hours - Known as the "national geographic business card" of Georgia, the ancient fortress stands quietly by the lake, telling the story of the past. Gergeti Trinity Church ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Address: MJ6C+V4J, Kazbegi, Oni, Georgia - Opening hours: Friday 09:00-22:00; Monday-Thursday, Saturday-Sunday 09:00-17:00 - Duration: 2-3 hours - This church is built on the mountain, with a magnificent view. Standing in front of the church, you can overlook the entire town, and the view is great. / Travel essentials: 📞 Phone card: Prepare a local phone card in advance for easy communication and avoid being out of touch. 🔌 Plug adapter: A German plug adapter is essential for charging. 🆔 Documents: Passport, visa, and itinerary are all essential. 👕 Clothing: The weather in February is slightly cold, so you should prepare a thick coat and long-sleeved clothes. 🔋 Charger and power bank: Charge your phone and camera at any time to avoid any regrets. 💊 Essential medicines: Prepare cold medicine and stomach medicine in case of emergency. 💰 Cash and bank card: Prepare a certain amount of cash, as well as UnionPay and VISA cards for shopping. / Travel to the Three Caucasus Countries and experience the charm of history and nature. Don't forget to leave your footprints and stories! 🌟

This monastery had a longstanding history and magical at every stone it stands on. There is an atmosphere of peace and harmony at every corner of it. You can see ancient buildings and talk to local people. Here you can find the best view of Ararat mountain you could ever find in Armenia. The view is just breathtaking and it give you goosebumps just instantly. Down the road you can find a small market where you can buy some souvenirs and taste a freshly squeezed pomegranate juice. Wonderful experience, highly recommended place to visit. 💰Average Price per Person: 1000 💞Reasons to Recommend: history, views of Ararat #Khorvirab

Measuring the 'Garden of God forgotten' Caucasus with footsteps 🚞 Station 37▪️Country 44🇦🇲𝐀𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐚☆Armenia▶️'Khor Virap Monastery' (the pit monastery, formerly a dungeon), located at the foot of Mount Ararat (also known as 'Mount Ararat', now within Turkey), offers a perfect panoramic view from the monastery's viewing platform. The sight of Mount Ararat and Mount Aragats is vivid before the eyes. Mount Ararat is a symbol of the Armenian nation, and its image is on the coat of arms of Armenia. Mount Ararat is the legendary final resting place of Noah's Ark. Many say 'God said let there be light, and there was light, and there was Armenia'. This was once a vast empire, the first country in the world to recognize Christianity as the state religion, and the final resting place of 'Noah's Ark' in the Bible, as well as the 'Garden of Eden'. When the great flood receded, 'Noah's Ark' hit Mount Ararat and stopped, and Noah's family, who survived the catastrophe, descended from the ark with various animals, some of whom stayed in the Caucasus mountains, while others went far and wide. The most special thing in the monastery is that mysterious building, going down the narrow, very narrow, very difficult stairs, oh it's so hard to go down, let's see what's down there, oh my goodness, it's a sarcophagus, seems like it should be a tombstone, wow so narrow, so narrow, look at the state now, such a small entrance, and then we have another place to explore over here, we see there is an iron staircase, right here wow I feel it's quite dangerous if one accidentally misses a step. Below the stairs is a huge underground chamber, where an uncle is confessing, so he temporarily became our tour guide. It turns out that this underground chamber was a place for ascetics to meditate, and Jesus had practiced here for fifteen years. When the ascetic reached the underground chamber, others would seal the only entrance with stones. The ceiling of the underground chamber has a fist-sized hole, which is the only way to communicate with the outside world, and every day at a specific time, a nun would deliver bread through the hole to ensure the survival of the ascetic. The feeling of staying in the underground chamber for 10 minutes is one of stuffiness and oppression, just imagine what it would be like to stay in an underground chamber without any light source for 15 years?

Armenia is also a country that exempts us from visas. The overall atmosphere here is good and it is relatively friendly to the Chinese. But prices are not cheap, so prepare yourself mentally before going. 🚉Transportation guide: There is no direct flight. It is recommended to fly to Tbilisi, Georgia, and then transfer to Armenia by bus or train. 🗓Itinerary: Day1: Yerevan Republic Square-Yerevan Stairs-Khor Virap Day2: Lake Sevan 📝Note tips: English is not easy to use here. It is recommended to download translation software first. You can buy phone cards in the city. It is more expensive to buy them at the airport. It is best to go to the city for currency exchange. If you go to the airport, you can use Visa card to withdraw cash. In the city, you can withdraw cash with ACBA Bank UnionPay card without any handling fee.

Khor Virap is a very representative monastery in Armenia, and the importance of religion, culture and politics has now become a must-see for Armenia. Khor virap means a deep pit, a deep well in which the legendary saint is imprisoned, and behind the Ararat, which the Armenians regard as a sacred mountain. It is called the Noah's Ark at the last stop of the Bible. It is more than 5,000 meters above sea level. The Turks took up and now belong to Turkey. At the foot of the monastery, it was 1 pm, and there were a lot of travel buses and trolleys. There was a school bus next to the students dancing and singing, and the people in a car were very happy. You can reach the monastery in ten minutes. We lined up one by one and went down to the deep hole. After entering, I was very surprised. The small space of less than 3 square meters actually held people for more than ten years, if not strong. The heart and beliefs will be mad in such an environment. We just came in less than a minute, and there were people who went down to the cave for the glimpse of the saint. As a holy place in the hearts of Armenians, many newcomers will choose to have a wedding ceremony here. The abbot held the cross to baptize the newcomer and complete the ceremony under the eyes of everyone.