Metsamor
Bronze Age metallurgy site and museum
- Area Armavir
- Type Historic site
- Time needed 1h
Metsamor is a Bronze and Iron Age settlement mound on the Ararat plain, excavated over decades and known for its evidence of early metalworking. A museum beside the site holds the finds, and the two together make up the visit.
Open in the planner →Getting there
The drive from Yerevan is roughly 40 km and about 43 minutes on the app's estimate, on flat roads west of the city. The last section runs through farmland on minor roads.
What you see
On the mound you walk among excavated foundations, cut rock surfaces, cisterns and smelting areas, with the shapes of a fortified settlement still readable. The museum displays pottery, bronze and iron objects, burial finds and jewellery from the excavations. Mount Ararat fills the horizon to the south on clear days.
What to pair it with
Sardarapat Memorial is further west on the same plain, and Echmiadzin lies between Metsamor and Yerevan.
When to go
Spring and autumn suit the open site best. Museum hours are seasonal and it closes on at least one day a week. [VERIFY — confirm current details]
What is hard about it
The excavated remains are low and need the museum or a guide to make much sense, and there is little shade or shelter on the mound. Interpretation on the site itself is sparse.
Common questions
What is Metsamor known for?
Evidence of early metallurgy and a long-occupied fortified settlement, which make it one of the more important prehistoric sites in the Ararat plain.
Should I visit the museum or the mound first?
The museum first. The objects give the foundations outside some meaning.
Is there an entrance fee?
The museum charges admission and hours vary by season. [VERIFY — confirm current details]
Nearby
- Echmiadzin CathedralMother church of the Armenian Apostolic Church
- Zvartnots Cathedral ruinsRuins of a 7th-century circular cathedral
- St Hripsime ChurchModel of classical 7th-century Armenian architecture
- St Gayane ChurchHarmonious 7th-century church in Echmiadzin
- Shoghakat ChurchSmall 17th-century church in Echmiadzin
- Sardarapat MemorialBattle memorial and ethnography museum
More of the same kind
- Garni TempleFirst-century Hellenistic temple above the Azat gorge
- PtghnavankRoofless 7th-century basilica above the Kasakh
- DvinRuins of Armenia's early medieval capital
- Areni-1 CaveCave where the world's oldest leather shoe and winery were found