The Arch of Charents

Region

Kotayk

Distance from Yerevan

13.9 km

Type

Monument/Memorial complex

The Arch of Charents monument is located in the village of Voghjaberd in the Kotayk Province, on the right side of the Yerevan-Garni road, at an elevation of about 1500 meters above sea level. The arch is also known by other names such as the Arch of Ararat or the Temple of Ararat. It is constructed externally from basalt, with its inner facing made of orange tuff stone. The monument was designed by architect Rafael Israelyan and built in 1957. While traveling to Garni, Israelyan stopped at this spot and, captivated by the stunning view of Mount Ararat, decided to build an arch—a symbolic ""temple"" to Ararat. Along the arch is engraved a famous couplet from the great Armenian poet Yeghishe Charents's poem ""To My Sweet Armenia"": “Pass through the world, no peak like Ararat will you find, Like the path to unreachable glory, I love my Mount Masis.” This is why the monument is more widely known as the Charents Arch. From a distance, the structure appears to have naturally risen with the hill, serving as a platform from which to gaze upon Mount Ararat and appreciate its majesty. Israelyan succeeded in capturing the grandeur of a colossal mountain within a modest architectural form.