STELE D'AGHOUDI

7 km east of Sisian, on the road to Goris, the village of Aghoudi has in its center a curious monument that deserves a stop. It has kept until today the mystery of its conception. On a large pedestal rises an elegant arcade of two levels, whose stones are finely worked. This monument, which is said to date from the 7th century, is unparalleled in Armenia, if not farther north, a stele of rather similar design, which stands in front of the church of Odzoun. Specialists believe that this monument had a commemorative function.