Noah's Ark

Trip Start May 15, 2007
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Trip End Aug 29, 2007


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Flag of Armenia  , Ararat,
Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Arriving at Khor Virap would have provided an amazing view of Mt. Ararat but unfortunately it was raining.  The little monastery of Khor Virap looks out onto Mt. Ararat and the Turkish border.  The border is a highly militarized area and the border with Turkey is firmly closed. Just to the south is the breakaway province of Naxchivan, part of Azerbaijan.  This border is also closed. 



As a result of the rain and the clouds, it was impossible to see the peak of Mt. Ararat as well as any attempt to visually find Noah's Ark; not that it would have been visible on a clear day but at least one could have tried looking for it.  Though the trip out there was not wasted as I descended into St. Gregory's pit where he was imprisoned.  He was an important figure in Armenia's early history.  Khor Virap means "deep well / pit."



After Khor Virap, I went to Noravank monastery nicely sited in the Noravank gorge.  Passing over the Selim pass and its caravanserai, I traveled on the West side of Lake Sevan as travel on the East side is highly discouraged as a result of its proximity to Nagoro-Karabagh and Azerbaijan.
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