The Roman era temple at Garni, Kotayk Province, is believed to date from the first century CE and is the most notable Classical monument in the countries of the former Soviet Union. However, the temple today is the result of a reconstruction that took place in 1969-1975 as the original structure was destroyed in an earthquake in 1679. The site is included here not only because its significance for Classical architecture in the Caucasus in general, but also because the remains of a seventh-century centrally-planned church abut the temple on its western side. There is also a Roman-era bath house complex north west of both the church and the temple. It seems Garni remained significant throughout its history as there is ninth and tenth century Arabic graffiti still visible on the monument and a number of European travellers recorded their impressions of Garni even after its destruction. Today the temple is one of the chief tourist attractions in Armenia as well as being the main cult centre for Armenian Neopaganism also called Hetanism. On the day of the site visit a ritual was being enacted in the cella of the temple and some images of this event are included in this entry.
Creator
Emma Loosley
Date of Visit
11th August 2017
Contributor
Emma Loosley
Peter Leeming
Rights
Metadata and all media released under Creative Commons
unless otherwise indicated
Related Resources
https://www.academia.edu/29064869/A_NEOPAGAN_MOVEMENT_IN_ARMENIA_THE_CHILDREN_OF_ARA
Type
Architecture
Tags
Armenia, Bath, C10th, C1st, C7th, C9th, Centrally-Planned, Church, Classical, Garni, Hetanism, Neopaganism, Roman, Temple
Collection
Comparative Armenian Ecclesiastical Monuments
Citation
Emma Loosley, “Garni,” Architecture and Asceticism, accessed December 22, 2024, https://architectureandasceticism.exeter.ac.uk/items/show/848.