Group Tour: Lori Fortress, St. Nicholas the Wonderworker Church, Odzun, Kobayr

During this tour you will visit Lori fortress, one of the impregnable medieval fortresses located at the intersection of the Dzoraget and Urut gorges. The next stop is foreseen at the Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, whose dilapidated but noble walls testify to the 175-year history of the church. Next in the program is the Church of Saint Astvatsatsin (Holy Mother) in Odzun, which stands out for its beautiful architectural solutions. Finally, visit the Kobayr Monastery, which was the spiritual and cultural center of medieval Armenia.

Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product

Stop At: Hyur Service, Nalbandyan str. 96, Yerevan 0010 Armenia

starting and ending point

Duration: 15 minutes

Stop At: Lori Berd, Armenia

Medieval city-fortress Lori (Lori berd) was founded in the 11th century. It is located at the intersection of Lori's picturesque gorges, and the two old bridges are connecting it with the outside world. One of them was completely repaired and only one part is kept from the other one. Regardless the fact that the fortress was cruelly destroyed, some parts of it, including the bathrooms and the chapel-mausoleum, were kept. There are unique murals found in the residential areas of the fortress, which, if compared to the other contemporary paintings, are in secular manner. The household and military possessions, found during the archeological excavations, tell a lot about its history and culture. There are different tools, weapons, jewelry, various vessels made of clay, glass or stone found in the fortress. They serve as a historical proof for different kinds of handicrafts being well developed in Lori.

Duration: 40 minutes

Stop At: Church of St. Nicholas, Amrakits Armenia

The wonderful nature of Lori region is completed by St. Nicholas the Wonderworker Church. The church, constructed in neo-Russian style for orthodox Russians, was built in 1848 in Nikolaevka village (nowadays Amrakits), which was established by Ukrainian cossacks. The church was hugely damaged during the earthquake of Spitak in 1988 and is still not functioning.
Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker is considered to be the prototype of modern Santa Claus. "Santa" is derived from the word "Saint", and "Klaus" is derived from the name "Nikolay". Nicholas the Wonderworker was famous for his infinite kindness. He distributed the wealth, inherited from his rich parents, to the poor. According to the legend, on the Christmas eve he used to drop food and purses full of money down the chimneys of the poor, and the presents often fell into the socks drying by the fire. This is how the tradition of putting gifts into the socks by the Christmas eve derived. 

Duration: 30 minutes

Stop At: Odzun, Odzun, Alaverdi, Lori Province

The village of Odzun is one of the biggest villages of Lori region. The domed basilica is situated in the middle of the village and is seen almost from every side. The inscriptions of the church do not convey any information about its foundation, though the architectural and artistic analyses have proven that it was built in the 6th century.

Duration: 40 minutes

Stop At: Kobayr Monastery Road, Dsegh Armenia

The fantasy of the architects and masons has reached outstanding achievements when building Kobayr monastery. It was built in the 13th century on a picturesque and inaccessible rock. The whole monastery seems to be integrated into the rocks. The monastery consists of three churches, chapels and a refectory. The main church is half destroyed and its only survived eastern wall, covered with stunning frescoes, is like a huge canvas towering over the rocks.

Duration: 1 hour

You can present either a paper or an electronic voucher for this activity.

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start time of the experience.