Pilgrimage Tour to Hartagyugh, St. Hovhannes Chapel

Aparan St. Khach Church was founded in the fourth century. It's the only structure from the once-large monastic complex that has reached us. Fortunately, the main St. Khach church, whose walls date back to the 5th century, still stands. For thousands of years, the church and its territory have been the epicenter of many historical events. There have been wars, earthquakes, and bright days here. In 1877, the temple's roof was restored, and in 1959, it was again transformed from a warehouse into a church.

We go to Hartagyugh, where we start the pilgrimage and the ascent to the top of Srbi Mountain. After about one and a half to two hours of walking, we reach St. Hovhannes chapel, where, according to tradition, the relic of Hovhannes the Baptist, brought here in the 13th century, is enshrined. The chapel, which was blown up three times during the Soviet years and restored, was renovated for the last time in 1958. Since 2005, khachkars have been placed around the chapel to mark the fulfilment of the covenant. This popular destination attracts more and more pilgrims and visitors every year.

The last stop of the tour is the Armenian Alphabet Monument. After all, there are no more than 70 alphabets in the world, one of which is Armenian. Created in 405, Armenian letters and the Armenian people have been inseparable for around 1,600 years. Being a nation with its script, Armenians have created and distributed thousands of manuscripts, books, and journals throughout their history. And so, in 2005, marking the 1600th anniversary of the creation of letters, the Alphabet Monument was built. The 38 letters are in the form of sculptures, standing on a small field on the slope of Aragats Mountain, and behind the letters are the most famous figures of the culture of the Armenian people: Mesrop Mashtots and Grigor Lusavorich.