Mount Ararat & Khor Virap

아라랏산과 코르 비랍

Khor Virap is an Armenian monastery in the Ararat Plain, about 8 kilometres south of the town of Artashat and very close to the border with Turkey. Its name means "deep dungeon". On clear days the snow-capped peak of Mount Ararat, 5,137 metres high, rises behind it, although the mountain itself lies across the border in Türkiye.

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At a glance

Country: Armenia
Location: Ararat Province, Armenia
Built: 1662
Type: Religious building

Quick answers

Where is Mount Ararat & Khor Virap?

Mount Ararat & Khor Virap is in Ararat Province, Armenia.

When was Mount Ararat & Khor Virap built?

Mount Ararat & Khor Virap was built in 1662.

An Armenian monastery set against snow-capped Mount Ararat (5,137 m), a key Christian pilgrimage site.

The monastery matters to Armenians because Gregory the Illuminator, the patron saint of Armenia, was imprisoned here for 13 years by King Tiridates III. Gregory later became the king's religious guide, and in 301 Armenia became the first country in the world to declare itself Christian. It is one of the most visited pilgrimage sites in Armenia.

The deep pit

The place of imprisonment was called a "virap", meaning a pit, and later "khor virap", the deep pit. A chapel was first built on the site in 642 by Nerses III the Builder. It was rebuilt several times over the centuries, and in 1662 the larger chapel of the Holy Mother of God, St. Astvatsatsin, was built around the old ruins, together with the monastery, dining hall and monks' cells. The monastery once housed a theological seminary and the home of the Catholicos, the head of the Armenian Church.

Visiting today

Khor Virap stands on a small hill surrounded by pastures and vineyards. The Arax River flows nearby, and the closed Turkish border, marked by a fence, is only about 100 metres away. The capital, Yerevan, is about 30 kilometres to the north. Regular church services are still held in the chapel. The monastery is surrounded by green pasture lands and vineyards and is defended by military posts guarding the border zone, so the setting feels both peaceful and close to the edge of the country.

Fun facts

Mount Ararat, 5,137 m high, rises across the border in Türkiye.
"Khor Virap" literally means "deep dungeon".
Gregory the Illuminator was held here for 13 years before helping make Armenia the first Christian nation.
The closed border with Türkiye is only about 100 metres from the monastery.