Travel Guide Geghard

After leaving Garni, the road winds its way through the ever wilder landscapes of the upper Azad valley, and at the end of a narrow gorge, whose walls show basalt organs in places, the elegant silhouette of the monastery, classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the entire surrounding area is visible. A mecca for Armenian tourism, but one that allows for authentic sensations, as the local population likes to go, especially at weekends, to the monastery to perform the sacrifice of the "madagh" on sheep or chickens, hang votive ribbons in the trees on the banks of the stream, which is also a picnic area, and of course pray under the superb muqaba (stalactite) vaults of the main church and chapels, which are also rich in khatchkars.The place being isolated, it is necessary to know that there is no infrastructure around the monastery. But in its immediate surroundings, you will find merchants selling souvenirs and other handicrafts, as well as regional specialties. You should taste the products of the local farmers, fruits, but also walnut and hazelnut soudjoukh (not to be confused with spicy sausage) and above all, these succulent gata, thick buttered cakes, sometimes filled with dried fruits, and generally marked with a cross on the golden surface