Tatev Monastery
9th-century monastery on a cliff above the Vorotan gorge
- Area Syunik
- Type Monastery
- Time needed 2h
Tatev is a ninth-century monastery on a basalt spur above the Vorotan gorge in Syunik, reached by the longest reversible cable car in the world. It was once a university of hundreds of scholars and the seat of the bishops of Syunik.
Open in the planner →Getting there
Four and a half hours by road from Yerevan, which is the single most important fact about visiting it. The Wings of Tatev cable car runs from Halidzor across the gorge in 12 minutes; the alternative is a long hairpin road down and up. There is no sensible day trip from Yerevan — stay in Goris, Halidzor or at the monastery guesthouse.
What you see
The church of Saints Paul and Peter of 906 dominates the complex, with the gavit added later. In the courtyard stands the Gavazan, an octagonal pillar of 904 engineered to sway in a tremor or at the touch of a hand — a seismograph eleven centuries old. The views from the walls into the gorge are the other half of the experience.
What to pair it with
The Great Hermitage below in the gorge, Khndzoresk's cave village and Goris itself. Karahunj and Shaki waterfall are on the road down from Yerevan and work as a first-day stop.
When to go
May to October. The cable car closes on Mondays for maintenance and in high wind, which is worth checking before committing a day to it. Autumn colour in the gorge is the best of the year.
What is hard about it
The distance. Many people try it as a day trip from Yerevan and spend nine hours in a car for ninety minutes at the monastery. The cable car queues badly in summer and stops in wind. The monastery has been heavily restored, and some of the stonework is obviously modern.
Common questions
How do you get to Tatev from Yerevan?
Four and a half hours by road to Halidzor, then the cable car. Plan an overnight in Goris rather than a return day trip.
How much is the Wings of Tatev cable car?
[VERIFY — check the current fare and timetable before publishing]
How long do you need at Tatev?
Two hours at the monastery, plus the cable car each way. With the drive, it is a full day even from Goris.
Nearby
- Wings of TatevRecord-breaking 5.7 km reversible cable car to Tatev
- Tatev Great HermitageFortified hermitage in the gorge below Tatev
- Karahunj (Zorats Karer)Prehistoric standing stones, sometimes called Armenian Stonehenge
- Shaki Waterfall18-metre waterfall near Sisian
- Old KhndzoreskCave village linked by a swinging footbridge
- VorotnavankFortified monastery on the Vorotan river
More of the same kind
- Geghard MonasteryPartly carved into the rock face, a UNESCO World Heritage site
- Havuts TarRuined monastery reached by a hike across the Azat gorge
- Kecharis Monastery11th-century complex in the ski town of Tsaghkadzor
- Aghjots MonasteryMonastery tucked into the Khosrov forest edge