We crossed the border from Georgia to Armenia, and devoted most of the day to visiting three important, ancient monasteries: 10th C Akhtala, and 10-13th C Haghpat and Sanahin. The latter two are UNESCO World Heritage sites.
With Akhtala Monastery in the background,
the sculpture symbolizes the close bond between the Georgian and Armenian faiths.
The Holy Mother of God Church in the Akhtala Monastery has many beautiful frescos,
of which a few are seen here behind the altar.
View of the large and complex Haghpat Monastery
Soaring, elegant column in the Haghpat Monastery
Gravestones with simple engravings in the Sanahin Monastery
Storage room in the Sanahin Monastery
The town of Sanahin is also the birthplace of the Mikoyan brothers, who have a monument here.
Artem Mikoyan, with Mikhail Gurevich, designed the MIG fighter (this is a MIG-21)
and his brother Anastas was a long-time, high-ranking Bolshevik and Soviet politician.
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