Caucasus Day 11: Dilijan – Goris | Allison’s Wanderlust

Sophie, Olivia and I were the only ones to brave the cold morning air for a quick hike at 7am. The sun was just appearing on the hills opposite our hotel which made a picturesque start. A couple of local dogs made sure we found the way.

Our days first destination was Lake Sevan, one of the world’s largest high altitude lakes (1900m). It and its surrounds are above the treeline and so is a whole different environment: arid, cold, harsh winds and poor soil.

Our one stop on the lake was the medieval Sevanavank Monastery complex – 2 churches and ruins of a monastery. I’m afraid I and a few others took off to explore the peninsula under the glorious cool sun so I missed any commentary from our guide. According to the sign a hermit established a pagan temple here in 305, in 874 a proper monastery was built but destroyed by Mongols in the 1440’s, rebuilt, then….you get the idea.

*One of the highlights was this gravestone, named The Bible in Stone, for its dramatic carvings*

*Saved bits from the ruins, where’d they find green stone?*

We continued down the western side of the lake, viewing grassy plains with snow-capped mountains in the distance. Volcanoes really. There’s over 500 (extinct?) ones here.

Climbed again through another mountain pass at 2400m, did I mention Armenia is 90% mountains (therefore only 10% agricultural)? The barren land being good only for cattle and wheat. Harvest time, based on the scenery. Saw many homes with huge haystacks piled outside, even in towns. Did they keep animals in the towns??

Just over the other side of the pass is the Selim Caravanserai, dated 1332 and reputed to be the best preserved of its type in the country (meaning unrestored). So cool to see what they actually looked like rather than trying to imagine from a modern restaurant conversion. You enter reception first, you and your horse or camel, then turn into the long gallery where the animals would be tied up in the side aisles and the people would sleep in the center, with warming/cooking fires under the open domes.

*Marcia and I are always the first to explore!*

Once down into valley it turned lush with orchards and vineyards. Our lunch stop was in a private cabana riverside and we were served delicious grilled salmon! A poor musician tried to serenade us but only got through one song when some in my group complained about the noise and he had to stop. 🙄

After lunch we turned eastward and gradually climbed another pass (2344m) and down to the “Armenian Stonehenge” Carahunge. 7500 years old. No one is sure of its purpose. Temple and graveyard obviously based on the burial sites found but also perhaps the oldest observatory? There’s holes bored into some of the standing stones that seem to tied with observing the constellation Orion on August 11th….