Havuts Tar
Ruined monastery reached by a hike across the Azat gorge
- Area Kotayk
- Type Monastery
- Time needed 2h
Havuts Tar is a ruined monastery on a spur above the Azat gorge, reached on foot from Garni across the valley. Parts of the complex date from the medieval period, and most of it was left as rubble by earthquake and abandonment.
Open in the planner →Getting there
The trailhead at Garni is about 32 km from Yerevan, roughly 35 minutes by road, with the walk itself added on top.
What you see
What stands is a jumble of collapsed vaults, a partly surviving church with carved stonework, and lengths of fortification wall along the ridge. Khachkars and worked blocks lie where they fell, and the red and black banded masonry is striking where it survives. The setting, looking back across the gorge towards Garni, is as much the point as the ruins.
What to pair it with
The natural combination is Garni Temple and the Symphony of Stones in the same gorge, with Geghard Monastery nearby.
When to go
Spring and autumn are best. Summer on this exposed slope is very hot with no shade, and snow or mud in winter makes the descent and climb awkward.
What is hard about it
This is a proper walk, down into the gorge and up the other side, on rough unsurfaced paths with no facilities and no reliable waymarking. Route-finding is not obvious, so a track on a phone map or a local guide is sensible, and the ruins themselves are fragmentary.
Common questions
How long is the hike?
Allow around two hours at the site including the walk in and out, and more if you explore the ridge. It is a steady climb rather than a technical one.
Can I drive to it?
No reliable road reaches the monastery. Rough tracks exist but the normal approach is on foot from Garni.
Do I need a guide?
Not necessarily, but the path is unsigned. Carry water, wear proper shoes and download an offline map before setting off.
Nearby
- Garni TempleFirst-century Hellenistic temple above the Azat gorge
- Geghard MonasteryPartly carved into the rock face, a UNESCO World Heritage site
- Symphony of StonesBasalt columns lining the Garni gorge like organ pipes
- Kecharis Monastery11th-century complex in the ski town of Tsaghkadzor
- TsaghkadzorMountain resort with a cable car up Mount Teghenis
- PtghnavankRoofless 7th-century basilica above the Kasakh
More of the same kind
- Aghjots MonasteryMonastery tucked into the Khosrov forest edge
- SaghmosavankMonastery on the rim of the Kasakh canyon
- HovhannavankCanyon-edge monastery with carved portals
- Tegher MonasteryAustere 13th-century monastery on Aragats