Armenia - Garni and Geghard

Garni Temple was dedicated to the Sun God, Mithra, and survived the Christianization of Armenia in 301 AD by becoming a royal summer residence. Geghard, meaning "Monastery of the Spear,” named after the Holy Lance (Spear of Destiny), is a medieval monastery in the Kotayk province of Armenia, partially carved into the adjacent mountain and surrounded by cliffs. It is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site with enhanced protection. While the main chapel was built in 1215, the monastery complex was founded in the 4th century by Gregory the Illuminator at the site of a sacred spring inside a cave. ‪@TheHumanLandscape‬