The Best Things To Do In Goris

Goris is a town in Syunik Province located 254 km (158 miles) from Yerevan. Situated in the valley of River Goris, the town is the second-largest city in the region, and it offers historical and medieval landmarks to visitors. Similar to its neighboring town Tatev, Goris has a limited number of sights, but each is very impressive and worth a two-day visit. Here are the best things to do in Goris.

Wander through the Medieval Goris Cave Dwellings

Natural Feature

The Medieval Goris Cave Dwellings were inhabited by locals until the mid-twentieth century. Forests and rocks surround this unusual site that is only accessible by a swinging bridge. Once you cross the bridge, you need to ascend steep stairs in order to reach this abandoned settlement. Stroll down through those dwellings and admire the work that went into the construction.

Learn more about an Armenian poet

Museum

Literature lovers will enjoy their visit to the Museum of Axel Bakounts, an Armenian prose writer, translator, film-writer, and a public activist who was murdered during Stalin’s 1937 assassinations. Bakounts was always outspoken, and his first publication, a satirical story of the Goris mayor, had him imprisoned in 1915. Afterward, he served as a volunteer in the battles of Kars, Erzurum, and Sardarabad. This lovely villa with its timber veranda, stone walls, and courtyard garden was his home. It showcases his personal memorabilia and furniture from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

Admire the natural stone pyramids

Natural Feature

The city of Goris is surrounded by rocks that locals call the Goris Stone Pyramids Forest. The stones create amazing labyrinths of colorful pyramids, columns, cones, and towers. The area offers completely different views of the town depending on how sunbeams fall onto the ground. This forest is simply mesmerizing and should be at the top of your Goris itinerary.

Visit the church named after the Patron Saint of Armenia

Church

Gregory the Illuminator is the patron saint of Armenia and was the first head of the Armenian Apostolic Church. There are several churches dedicated to the patron, but the one in Goris is especially important. During the Soviet era, this and many other churches in the country were closed. Until the 1960s, this church was used as a geological museum and a grain storage facility. In 1989, the church was reopened, and seven years later, the seat of the Catholicos of All Armenians (chief bishop) was moved here.

Go shopping

Bringing a souvenir from the town you visited is always a good idea, especially when the souvenir is handcrafted. Goris Crochet is an organization that produces a wide variety of handmade high-quality items. Their products are mostly toys, animals figures, and bags that feature Armenian vegetables, fruits, and other cultural items. If you are thinking of bringing something back home from Goris, look in the different shops and souvenir stalls.

landscape with balloons floating in the air

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