The temple of Garni with its 24 columns
Facts Garni
Garni
Region: Kotayk Province
The main attraction of Garni is the Hellenistic Mithras Temple with its 24 Ionic columns, which dates back to the 1st century. The temple was built by King Tiridates I, who did so in Garni because the place had served the kings as a summer residence at that time. The original temple of Garni was destroyed by an earthquake in 1679. It took almost 300 years until it was rebuilt in 1966 with the original material. Also worth seeing is the Geghard Monastery (part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site), located about 10 km east of Garni.
Collapsed during an earthquake in 1679, the Garni Temple was reconstructed in the early 1970ies.
«Symphony of Stones» in the Garni Gorge
Also worth a visit is the gorge of Garni, whose entrance is only 2 kilometres from the temple and can easily be reached on foot. In the gorge, you can admire bizarre rock formations, including basalt columns that the river has carved out of the mountains. This landscape is also known as the «Symphony of Stones».
It's a nice short hike from the Temple of Garni to the Garni Gorge with its bizarre rock formations.
Private tour to Garni
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How to get to Garni
By car
Garni is located about 30 km east of Yerevan and can be reached by car from the city center in 45 to 50 minutes.
By minibus
From Yerevan, you can get to Garni by Marschrutka for 250 AMD. The minibusses are waiting in the car park next to the Mercedes Benz showroom on Gai Avenue and leave for Garni every 30 minutes.
By plane
From the airport Yerevan, which is located west of the city, the journey to Garni takes 1h 15min. In heavy traffic, it takes longer, because the most direct way leads through the city.
By train
There is no train connection to Garni. For 8'000 to 15'000 AMD (17 to 31 USD), you can get a taxi in Yerevan to take you to Garni and back.
Guided tours to Garni
