Hidden treasures of Syunik Province

With this article I will tell you about the southern part of Armenia, particularly  Syunik Province, that is in some 200 km distance from Yerevan and has a lot of hidden treasures, such as Tatev Monastery, Vorotan gorge, the village of Khndzoresk, Kapan and Arajadzor, and so on. So let’s see what else is worth visiting in this region.

Shaki Waterfall

Shaki Waterfall is located in the Syunik Province of Armenia, over the river Shaki. Its height is 18 meters. It is in 3 km distance from the city of Sisian, and it is situated in the gorge of the river Vorotan. Legend has it that a long time ago, there was an Armenian girl who had blue eyes and long hair. Her name was Shaki. The soldiers of Tamerlan (the enemy) tried to capture her, but she liked the freedom, and in order not to be captured, she jumped into the Vorotan gorge. They say that the Waterfall Shaki reminds of Shaki’s hair while jumping.

The waterfall is beautiful in any season of the year and always attracts nature lovers. It is one of the nicest sites of Armenia, and some also find it to be one of the seven wonders of the region. The surrounding area of the waterfall is also amazing. There are several small caves in it. 

Vorotnavank monastic complex

Voronavank is a monastery complex again located in the same region. Like almost all ancient monastic complexes, this one as well is located in not a very easily accessible place to be able to stand the invasions. It overlooks the gorge Vorotan and is on 1300 meters above the sea level. This is where an Armenian philosopher and theologist Hovhan Vorotnetsi used to live and work. 

What you find in the complex is a pillar in the middle of the yard, where they say the inauguration of kings used to take place. There are two churches, one of which is called St. Stephanos and the other one St. Karapet. The first one was built by the queen Shahandukht in the 11th century, while the second one was also constructed during the 11th century. 

Vorotnaberd Castle

Vorotnaberd Castle is located by the Vorotnavank monastic complex (in some 3 km distance). It is considered to be Davit Bek’s castle. This castle was attacked many times by Seljuk-Turks, Mongol-Tatars and Lenk Temur (Turco-Mongol conqueror). The interesting thing about Vorotnavank and Vorotnaberd is that they were connected by the underground tunnel leading also to the Vorotan Gorge, that also served as a method to save the lives during the invasions. 

These were some of the hidden treasures of Syunik Province, that has many touristic sites. So, the more you search, the more new things you find.