Thirty-nine giant Armenian letters are haphazardly clustered alongside the highway, 20km northeast of Byurakan and 15km from Ashtarak. The letters were erected in 2005 to honour the 1600th anniversary of Mesrop Mashtots inventing the Armenian alphabet. Mashtots, who is also memorialised with a statue on the site, created the alphabet to give the recently established Christian kingdom its own Bible.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
29.6 MILES
Named after the lance that pierced Christ’s side at the crucifixion (a shard is now on display at the museum in Etchmiadzin), this World Heritage–listed…
Armenian Genocide Memorial & Museum
16.36 MILES
Commemorating the massacre of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire from 1915 to 1922, this institution uses photographs, documents, reports and films to…
17.32 MILES
Its simply extraordinary collection of Bronze Age artefacts make this museum Armenia's pre-eminent cultural institution and an essential stop on every…
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27.5 MILES
Built by Armenia’s King Trdat I in the 1st century AD, this Hellenic-style temple set on the edge of a gorge overlooking the Azat River was dedicated to…
16.46 MILES
Housed in a vast flight of stone steps known as the Cascade, this arts centre is one of the city's major cultural attractions. Originally conceived in the…
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16.99 MILES
For something totally unique, head to this museum near Hrazdan Gorge. Crammed with collages, drawings, photographs and assemblages created by the…
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16.65 MILES
Standing at the top of Yerevan’s grandest avenue, this cathedral-like manuscript library is a source of enormous pride to all Armenians. The first…
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17.33 MILES
From dawn till late into the night, Republic Sq is Yerevan's focal point and beating heart. Designed by architect Alexander Tamanyan as part of his 1924…
Nearby Armenia attractions
2.05 MILES
Surrounded by a fortified wall and commanding wonderful views over the Kasagh Gorge and to Mt Aragats, Saghmosavank (Monastery of Palms) is located in the…
4.72 MILES
Perched on the edge of the Kasagh Gorge, this monastery in the village of Ohanavan was once an important educational and theological centre where…
6.37 MILES
This handsome 17th-century church is located in the neighbourhood of Mughni, on the northern edge of Ashtarak. It features striped bands of stone around…
7.49 MILES
Across from Pascal & Diodato and up a short staircase is a tiny 7th-century church with a roof of red clay tiles and an octagonal cupola. From the door,…
5. Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory
8.01 MILES
A large research staff observes and studies the stars through five observational instruments at this Soviet-era observatory complex, focusing on research…
8.25 MILES
Constructed on a ridge above the confluence of the little gorges of the Amberd and Arkashen streams, this majestic stone fortress dates back to the 7th…
11.33 MILES
Snow covers the top of the highest mountain in modern Armenia almost year-round, so climbing is best from July through September. Be careful, though –…
15.82 MILES
All Tosya Arakelyan wanted was for her husband Levon to build her a potato cellar. What she got in return was an extremely intricate seven-level…