Garni Temple

King Trdat I had this temple built in the 1st century AD on the right bank of the Azat river, inside the grounds of Garni fortress. Its columns follow the Ionic order, a Greek style, and it was dedicated to Mihr, a sun deity worshipped in Armenia before the country turned Christian.

No comparable building from that period survives intact elsewhere in the former Soviet Union, which is why Garni is treated as the clearest marker left of pre-Christian Armenia.

The site opens daily, 09:00 to 18:00. Parking on site is paid, street parking is also available, and wheelchair-accessible parking is provided.

Garni Temple stands in the village of Garni, Kotayk region, about 20 km east-southeast of Yerevan in a straight line.