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garni (dest)
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GarniGarni ("Գառնի" in Armenian) is a village in the Armenian province of Kotayk', situated approx. 33 km southeast from Yerevan, notable for its fortress complex. As it lies on the road to the well known monastery of Geghard (further 7 km southeast) it receives a large number of visitors. In the 3rd millennium BC the first fortification was constructed on an easily defendable terrain at one of the bends of the Azat river. It was conquered in the 8th century BC by the Urartian king Argrishti I and the site became a military base and the king's summer residence. Several additional buildings were constructed since then, such as the king's palace, baths and the site's most famous and best preserved building, a Parthenon like temple. The temple was constructed in the 1st century AD by the King Tiridates and probably funded with money the king received during visiting emperor Nero in Rome. The temple is most likely to have been dedicated to the Persian god Mithra. The roof is supported by 24 columns with Ioniac capitals and Attic basements. Unlike at other Greco-Roman temples, it is made of basalt. In 1679 it was destroyed by an earthquake. Most of the original pieces remained at the site until the 20th century, allowing the building to be reconstructed between 1969 and 1979. In recent years another theory arose among some archeologists. They claim that the temple was actually constructed as the tomb for a romanised ruler, probably Shaemus. In that case it should have been constructed around 175 AD and thus about a century younger than indicated by the first theory. After the adoption of Christianity some churches and a katholikos' palace were also constructed at the fortification site, but these are now in ruins like most of the other buildings except the temple. Other sites of Garni outside the fortification site include churches of Mother of God and St. Mashtots as well as ruins of the Havuts Tar monastery several killometers south east from the village. External link
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