The lonesome monastery of Tatev
Trip Start
Sep 28, 2005
1
8
18
Trip End
Oct 03, 2005
Tatev,
Armenia
Friday, September 30, 2005
The gorge is spectacular - hundreds of metres deep and the grey mist rolling in along its depths adds to the bleak atmosphere surrounding Tatev monastery.
Tatev is another Armenian site with a sad story to tell.
This monastery used to boast more than 1,000 inhabitants and housed an enormous library. Perched on a lip of land jutting out over the deep gorge, it should have been fairly well-hidden and protected but the Persians ransacked the place: slaughtering and burning books in the true maraading style
1. Tatev view from atop the gorge
. Again, its amazing that this place survived at all, let alone having enough stone to rebuild.
Inside the church the cupola rises far above us. An enormous chandelier hangs above. It's a huge wooden wheel, like something out of Robin Hood or some medieval drama. Naira points out a small stone missing from the wall just inside the entrance. It's as though it's been removed on purpose, but is far too high for a conventional ladder. Naira tells us that treasure was hidden in that alcove, behind the stone. The monks thought it safest, but the treasure was of course discovered.
Outside, we look at the Armenian anti-earthquake angles, inspect the valley from arrow-slits in the walls clambering into small rooms with spectacular valley views. We climb over the grassy walls, careful not to slip and fall through any gaps into the rooms below.
Before long, the light fades and the mist rolls further up the gorge. We depart Tatev, now shrouded in shadows.
