Sevan: the pearl of Armenia

Live blogger zhzhitel writes: This huge mountain lake is the largest lake in the Caucasus and, according to Armenians, the most beautiful. Sevan is located at an altitude of 1900 meters above sea level. It is 60 kilometers from Yerevan to Sevan.

(Total 24 photos)

1. To visit Armenia and not see Sevan? So, do not visit Armenia.

2. It has been cloudy in Yerevan for a month now. But it is worth driving a dozen or two kilometers, as the sun peeps out. The road is truly fabulous.

3. We approached Sevan from the side of the Sevan peninsula.

4. Once upon a time, monks founded a monastery on the island. After the water level in the lake dropped, the island became a peninsula. A staircase leads to the monastery. Khachkars - carved stone crosses - are installed near it.

5. Monks live here and now. The monastery is called Sevanavank, it has a theological seminary.

6. A very beautiful view opens up from the top.

7. Trees are decorated with white frost. Moisture settles and freezes with thin needles. Very beautiful.

8. Sun, mountains, snow, water - Sevan is magnificent.

9. Nature is what makes it worth going to Sevan.

10. But Sevan is famous not only for nature. It is also a very important historical site. In the 9th century, three churches were built on the top. Now only two have survived.

11. Armenian churches inside are very modest, I would even say ascetic. There is no luxury here, no desire to impress visitors with gold or rich painting.

12. Surb Arakelots and Surb Astvatsatsin churches in Sevan.

13. If you go further west from the churches, the path will be blocked by a fence. To the west of the monastery on the peninsula is the dacha of the President of Armenia.

14. Turn back.

15. Theological Seminary.

16. Let's go to the second church. There are many khachkars near the doors. All khachkars are different.

17. Stonework keeps traces of millennia.

18. Inside is also very modest.

19. Ancient stone inside.

20. Very beautiful.

21. Hoarfrost on the branches.

22. Theological seminary against the backdrop of Sevan and the mountains.

23. We go down. What is good about winter is that there are no crowds of tourists. There are a lot of people in Sevan in summer.

24. We go further. I really liked Sevan, it is necessary to visit at other times of the year.