Temple of Garni entered the list of the best monuments of the world during the Roman Empire

The pagan temple of Garni is included in the list of the best architectural monuments of the world heritage of the Roman Empire. The rating was published by the Belgian edition of Le Vif Weekend. The list includes 51 architectural creations of that period.

The rating was headed by the Roman Colosseum, built in the 1st century AD. In second place is the temple of Jupiter, the ancient Roman god of the sky, which was located in the ancient city of Baalbek, now Lebanon. In third place is the Roman Pantheon or “Temple of All Gods”, dedicated to the ancient Roman gods, also built in the 1st century.

Temple of Garni is located on the 37th place in this list. It was built by the Armenian king Trdat I (54-88) in 76, as evidenced by his Greek inscription found there. This is the only monument that has survived in the territory of Armenia, belonging to the era of paganism and Hellenism. The garni is an elegant Hellenistic-Roman type peripter.

Unfortunately, the temple has not been preserved in its original form. As a result of a strong earthquake in 1679, the temple was almost completely destroyed and was restored in the 60s of the XX century.

Near the temple, the remains of an ancient fortress and the royal palace, as well as a bathhouse built in the 3rd century, have been preserved. The building included at least five rooms for various purposes. The floors are decorated with Hellenistic mosaics.

Garni is only 40 km from Yerevan, and the tour to Garni is one of the most popular among our tourists.