Ancient Armenia |
ANCIENT ARMENIA
KARAHUNJE
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A dwelling-observatory
the beginning of 2nd millennium some researchers refer to
Neolithic age (New Stone Age).
Huge menhirs, each of
them has precise direction and holes. The menhirs are placed in a
big circle and a small one in the centre.
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There are also “apartments”
of Stone Age, cyclopean walls. According to philologists Karahunje –
Kareh shunj (the stone breath) word is typical Armenian word: stone
sound, stone voice or stone soul (breath, soul). There are some opinions
that England’s Stonehenge is the same Karahunje, because in English is
“stone”, but there is no such word as “henge”. These two monuments are
inexplicably alike. |
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METSAMOR
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Metsamor is the most ancient
place in Armenia late 4th-3rd millennia BC. It was a
developed city and occupied over 100 hectares.
The citadel with its huge
cyclopean walls and the large temple complex with seven sanctuaries and
zikkurat observatory sited on a low mountain ridge are excavated perfectly. |
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Near historical place there is a
museum opened in 1968 with 22 000 artifacts. It is very interesting the
jewelry treasury, among them are an agate frog-weight in the possession of
the Babylonian ruler Ulam Vurashin (end of the 16th cc BC) and
seal of cornelian with Egyptian hieroglyphs owned by the Babylonian ruler
Kurigalz (15th cc SC) and west European (13th-14th
cc BC), Kilikian (11th-12th cc BC), Hulavitian (12th-13th
cc BC), Van Kingdom’s (8th-9th cc BC) coins. The role
of Metsamor is important by the 1st well persisted foundry in the
world (4th millennium BC). The melting ovens, boilers are
persisted very well, which are dug in the roc |
EREBUNI
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Erebuni-Yerevan the capital of
Armenia was founded in 782 B.C. by Argishti the 1st king of Van
Kingdom. It is situated in south east of present Yerevan on Arin-berd hill.
It was a huge fortress with mighty
walls. In some places remained even three rowed walls and they have 12m height.
The fortress has one gate with stairway entrance. The best conserved building of
the fortress are king hall (palace) in north of the large yard, Khaldi temple,
with large and small halls.
Khaldi or Hayq was the main God of
Van kingdom. It is curious that during the excavation of Khaldi temple there
were found huge logs put in horizontal way in two rows and close, and the logs
were covered by wooden decks, which are like our present parquet.
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There is also Susi temple not so big only 40 sq.m. Then there are warehouse, garrisons, two
service premises with huge deep water jar with 600 liter capacity.
There is a
museum near the fortress with 30 000 exhibits. Especially stone sphinxes, bronze
weapons, Argishti the 1st's and Sarduri the 2nd’s bronze
shields, seals ceramics, inscriptions, etc. |
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The museum is
built in old Armenian style peculiar to Van kingdom – stone square building
without windows, with one entrance and with big square breach on the roof for
the air and light.
GARNI
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Garni pagan temple and fortress
is 28 km far from Yerevan.
Arni temple is the most famious
sights of Armenia. IT
was famous with its inaccessibility, unique scenery and wonderful climate.
That's why it was summer residence of Armenian kings in 1st century AD.
According to historian Movses
Khorenatsi (5th century) the temple was founded in 2167 BC by Tiridate the 1st.
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The temple is situated on a
square foreland in three sides is surrounded by
precipitous canyon of the Azat
river with 150 m depth.
In one side only the foreland joins to the Garni plateau, which is
surrounded with huge walls.
The rampart of Garni temple is
very special: it is built of 1.5-2 ton basalt blocks, which are joint by
iron lever and lead. |
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The walls have 15 height and 2
m thickness and they have towels of 12 m height.
Garni temple is built in
Hellenistic style, the rampart is in Roman style. The temple is devoted to
the ancient Armenian God of The Sun Mihr.
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