Sevanavank Monastery on Lake Sevan
Sevan, Armenia
May 7, 2009
Sevan, Armenia
May 7, 2009
My first stop in Armenia was the scenic town of Dilijan in the North. The countryside outside the capital appears to have suffered irreparably from Soviet blight. Drab concrete apartment blocks are everywhere usually surrounded by the rubbish dumps and rusted farm machinery. The area around Dilijan was supposed to be the exception and it is notably greener and cleaner but it’s not much to write home about. The highlight of my visit was the homestay where our hosts served a feast of Khorovats (BBQ meats on a stick) washed down by a bottomless glass of home made apricot vodka. My head still hurts to remember the next day.
From Dilijan I took a day trip to the nearby monasteries of Goshavank and Haghartsin before visiting Armenia’s biggest lake at Sevan. It must have been stunning at one time but today it’s threatened by ecological disaster due to a Soviet-era project that drained the water level by as much as 20metres.
The little 9th Century monastery in the photo used to be on an island but these days it lies on the end of short peninsular easily accessible from the road. The ease of access makes it a very popular spot with local tourists.
