The next day we woke up and set out for another monastery called Sanahin. We had to first walk across Tamars Bridge. There are two sleeping beasts on the bridge. It is said that when a real man walks over the bridge the beasts will wake up.
Tamars Bridge. Tamar was the princess of Georgia who married a greek adventurer called Jason who sailed to Georgia with some people called the Argonauts looking for the Golden Fleece. Funny because in Georgia they still use sheeps fleeces to get the gold out of the rivers. Anyway, so after that they went and moved south and set themselves up in Media so it goes. We visit ancient Media later on.
The beast on the bridge. It didn't wake up when I went over it. I thought it might do when Hannah went across though - but no.
Then we had to go by cable-car up to the edge of the canyon.
An old soviet cable-car that local people use to get to the shops and that.
Great view of the mine.
Look theres sheep sleeping under the truck - aaw!
After a hot and sweaty walk we finally got to the monastery.
Inside it was atmospheric. The quality of the light and the acoustics were very special.
Gravestones polished by many feet.
Detail of a cat-like face on a pillar.
Check out the natural light!
Grave.
Armenian script.
Tamars Bridge. Tamar was the princess of Georgia who married a greek adventurer called Jason who sailed to Georgia with some people called the Argonauts looking for the Golden Fleece. Funny because in Georgia they still use sheeps fleeces to get the gold out of the rivers. Anyway, so after that they went and moved south and set themselves up in Media so it goes. We visit ancient Media later on.
The beast on the bridge. It didn't wake up when I went over it. I thought it might do when Hannah went across though - but no.
Then we had to go by cable-car up to the edge of the canyon.
An old soviet cable-car that local people use to get to the shops and that.
Great view of the mine.
Look theres sheep sleeping under the truck - aaw!
After a hot and sweaty walk we finally got to the monastery.
Inside it was atmospheric. The quality of the light and the acoustics were very special.
Gravestones polished by many feet.
Detail of a cat-like face on a pillar.
Check out the natural light!
Grave.
Armenian script.
Could you please give me some more info about ancient Media? I would love to visit it some time.
ReplyDeleteThe ancient capital was built at Hamadan NW Iran in 678BC by the united Median tribes for Deioces who they chose as their first king. The city is said to have been surrounded by seven circular walls, each higher than the next and each painted a different colour with the innermost ones being silver and gold. However, only four generations later Deioces' grandson King Astyages was captured by his own noblemen and turned over to his own grandson who was Cyrus the Great, King of Persia. From that day onwards the Medes were subjects of Persia. However, Median nobles and the priestly-astrologer caste of the Magi retained their prominent positions. Fine Median artefacts can be seen in the National Museum of Iran in Tehran. More on Wikiedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Media_(region)
DeleteThe Medes were the earliest Zoroastrians and their priests were the Magi. The Magi were astrologers and are famous in Christianity for their Biblical visit to the newborn Jesus Christ. Zoroastrianism became the state religion of Persia and when the Persians captured Babylon the Zoroastrian religion had a great influence on the early development of Judaism.
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