Garni Landmarks: Dates, Fees and Hours
Advice note, October 2026: the British FCDO warns against all travel in the 5 km zone beside Armenia’s eastern frontier and on the M16/H26 road linking Ijevan and Noyemberyan. Garni, in Kotayk, is outside both. Verify the latest on gov.uk and travel.state.gov.
The landmarks around Garni span nearly two thousand years. This page lists them oldest first, with practical details beside each.
About 77 CE: The Temple of Garni
Tradition dates the basalt temple to about 77 CE, in the reign of Tiridates I, and associates it with the god Mihr, though the link is disputed. Its 24 columns make it the sole surviving Greco-Roman colonnaded building in Armenia and the former Soviet Union. Tickets are 1,500 AMD for adults, 750 AMD for children, pensioners and students, and nothing for children under 12. The museum-reserve says it opens daily from 10:00 to 21:30, and +374-10-545570 reaches the office.
3rd Century: The Bathhouse Mosaic
The Roman-era bathhouse has a floor laid in natural stones of 15 colours, with a Greek inscription. Italian conservators began restoring it on 1 September 2025 for a project of about three years. Because the work is under way, viewing may be limited.
Medieval Period: Round Church and Palace
A round church from the medieval centuries stands near the remains of the royal summer palace. Both lie inside the museum-reserve compound.
11th Century: The Gorge Bridge
A single-arch bridge crosses the river in the valley. The trail to the ruins at Havuts Tar passes it.
1215 to 1288: Geghard
Geghard Monastery was inscribed by UNESCO in 2000. Katoghike church dates to 1215, the spring chapel of Avazan to the 1240s, the rock-cut church of Astvatsatsin to 1283 and the Upper Zhamatun of the Proshyan family tomb to 1288. That last room is the one known for its acoustics. The Holy Lance itself is kept in the Etchmiadzin treasury, in a case of 1687 in the museum there. The complex is 9 to 10 km east of Garni and free to enter, with parking at about 200 AMD. It is an active monastery, so dress modestly.
1679: The Earthquake
On 4 June 1679 an earthquake brought the temple down. Anastylosis, the careful re-erection of fallen stone, restored it between January 1969 and 1975.
1957: The Charents Arch
Rafael Israyelyan’s arch at Voghjaberd stands about 14 km before Garni on the Yerevan road, and Mount Ararat sits inside its frame.
Today: Symphony of the Stones
The basalt cliff columns in the gorge are reached on a 30 to 35 minute walk or a short drive, about 2 km below the temple. A small fee of a few hundred dram is paid at the booth, and signs warn against standing beneath loose rock.
Read more: Walking tours in Garni turns these sights into routes, and the Armenia 2-day itinerary gives a short plan.
For the official museum details visit garni.mus.am ; reference background is on Wikipedia . Tour listings are on Viator .