Khor Virap. The name refers to the famous monastery in Armenia that is the number one pilgrimage site in the country. But the name has a deeper, hidden meaning. The church stands on a low hillock, built over a deep vault carved out of solid rock. Saint Gregory the Illuminator was imprisoned within this pit for 13 years, surviving on food that local women smuggled in to him. The name Khor Virap is a reference to that grisly prison. It comes from the Armenian “virap nerk’in,” literally meaning “deep dungeon.”
It seemed incongruous to me that this most holy site would be named after a place of suffering, rather than for the Saint who was responsible for Armenia being declared the world’s first Christian country. But its name is not the only thing about Khor Virap that I found jarring. The hillock upon which it perches rises up suddenly from the Ararat Plain, surrounded by mile after mile of vineyards. A mere eight miles away, snow-capped Mount Ararat provides a stunning backdrop for the monastery.
Christians revere Mount Ararat as the resting place of Noah’s Ark; it too is considered a major pilgrimage site. Yet, no Armenians can visit Mount Ararat. It is located just over the border with Turkey, which is a sworn enemy of Armenia. I couldn’t help thinking that the incongruous nature of the site is the message. Perhaps it is a place meant to foster deeper contemplation about why there is so much war and hatred in this world.
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Good essay. Thanks for share
You’re welcome Harry. Glad you enjoyed my article.
Thanks for this nugget of info. Being a born-again non-Christian I urge the leaders of the different major religions to please get together and sign a pact that says you’ll never kill one another again because your god never told you to do that and it was just humans’ lack of understanding and wisdom. The Christian old testament or Hebrew bible should be updated or have parts where god killed or ordered the killing of masses be removed.
Nice place. Hope that someday i can come here
Certainly stunning scenery and ditto history!
Thanks Peter! Glad you enjoyed my article.
Wow! That is an amazing photo! I have heard of Saint Gregory but had never learned the story of his imprisonment. I find it mystifying also that they didn\’t name the holy site after the saint.
Definitely puzzling!