Garni Temple, Geghard Monastery, Garni Canyon Symphony of stones

On the edge of a triangular cliff, high above the roaring waters of the Azat River, rises the pagan temple of Garni the sole guardian of Armenia's classical heritage that has survived the centuries. Its elegant columns, turned toward the sun, seem to continue their silent homage to Mihr, the solar god to whom the temple was dedicated.rnrnIn the 1st century AD, King Tiridates I ordered a sanctuary to be built here, from which endless views of mountains and gorges unfolded, as if the Sun itself blessed these lands.rnrnu00a0rnrnWhen Christianity reached Armenia, the ancient rites fell silent, and Garni became a royal summer residence, where the echoes of prayers gave way to music, leisure, and inspiration.rnrnIn 1679, the earth shook, and the temple collapsed into a pile of stones, as though history itself had closed a chapter. For nearly three centuries it slept in ruins, until the 20thu2011century restoration returned Garni to its classical splendor.