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Geotour

Photos: Marcin Konsek (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Wikimedia Commons

Akhtala Monastery

Armenia · Religion

Getting there
About 1.5 h (70 km) from Tbilisi to the Sadakhlo–Bagratashen border, crossed on foot, then about 30 km (40 min) on a paved canyon road
Best time
April–October
Recommended stay
About 1 hour

About Akhtala Monastery

Akhtala is a fortified monastery on a cliff above the Debed canyon in Armenia's Lori province, about 30 km beyond the Georgian border at Sadakhlo–Bagratashen. Inside the walls stands the Church of the Holy Mother of God, whose interior is almost completely covered with frescoes painted in 1205–1216, in a Byzantine–Georgian style rarely seen in Armenia. It is the first stop on our Armenia day trip from Tbilisi, before Haghpat and Sanahin; allow about 45 minutes.

Tours Including Akhtala Monastery

See the tour

Must-See Attractions

  • Church of the Holy Mother of God

    The main church, its walls covered by early-13th-century frescoes, with the Virgin holding the Christ Child in the dome area and a Communion of the Apostles below.

  • Fortress walls and gate

    The 10th-century walls and towers follow the edge of the cliff and give views down into the canyon.

  • Canyon viewpoint

    From the terrace beside the church you look over the Debed gorge and the old mining town of Akhtala.

Nearby

  • Haghpat Monastery

    10th–13th-century monastery on a plateau, part of a UNESCO World Heritage site, about 20 km (30 min) south.

  • Sanahin Monastery

    Haghpat's neighbour, known for its vaulted halls and gravestones set into the floor, about 25 km (35 min) south near Alaverdi.

  • Sadakhlo–Bagratashen border

    The crossing back into Georgia, about 30 km (40 min) north.

Location41.1506° N, 44.7639° EView on map

Good to know

Getting there

About 1.5 h (70 km) from Tbilisi to the Sadakhlo–Bagratashen border, crossed on foot, then about 30 km (40 min) on a paved canyon road.

Best time

April–October

Best time

From spring to autumn the canyon is green and the road is clear, and October brings autumn colours, while winter visits are possible but snow can slow the drive.

Recommended stay

About 1 hour

Documents
Bring your passport; you leave Georgia and enter Armenia on foot at Sadakhlo–Bagratashen. Citizens of the EU, UK and US need no visa for Armenia; some other nationalities need an e-visa, and a single-entry Georgian visa does not allow you back in.
Currency

Armenia uses the dram (AMD); bring a little cash in dram or US dollars, as lari are rarely accepted.

Language

Armenian is the local language, and Russian is widely understood.

Fees

Entry to the monastery is free.

Transport

A Georgian car needs Armenian insurance, so on the Armenian side we usually continue with our Armenian partner's vehicle and guide.

What to wear

Shoulders and knees covered in the church.

History & culture

Culture

Most of the fresco inscriptions are in Georgian and Greek, a sign that the Debed canyon was shared borderland between Armenia and Georgia for centuries; Greek miners working the copper mines in the 18th–19th centuries also left inscriptions on the walls. The monastery belongs to the Armenian Apostolic Church and draws Armenian, Greek and Georgian pilgrims on 20–21 September.

History

The fortress on the cliff was built by the Kyurikid kings of Lori in the late 10th century, and medieval historians called the place Pghndzahank, 'copper mine', after the copper deposits nearby. In the 1180s it passed to the Zakarid princes, who served the Georgian crown. Ivane Zakarian (Mkhargrdzeli), who followed the Georgian Orthodox church, rebuilt the monastery in the early 13th century and paid for the frescoes, painted between 1205 and 1216. Copper was still mined and smelted in the valley below until modern times.

Local Cuisine

Lori village cooking: families in the Debed canyon serve lavash, Armenian barbecue (khorovats), herb salads and local cheese; our Armenia day trip includes lunch with a local family in the canyon.