A Day Trip With Friends | Geghard Monastery, Bjni Fortress, and Lake Sevan HD

Varujan and his wife Zoya enriched our trip with dancing, laughter, friendship, and joy. During one of our many adventures together, we made our way to Geghard Monastery. While the main chapel was built in 1215, the monastery was founded in the 4th century by Gregory the Illuminator on the site of a sacred pagan spring located inside a cave. The spring was incorporated into the church during its construction and is still visited today by locals and travelers who stop by to take a sip from the spring or rub the water on an ailing part of their body. One need not search far to find remnants of pagan history and tradition. You can find traces of its existence on the stones over which you climb, beneath the churches you visit, or behind the stone slab of a medieval Khachkar (Cross-Stone) . Our next stop: Bjni Fortress, a rarely visited, unexplored, and abandoned medieval fortress built in the 9th-10th century and occupied by members of the Bagratuni Dynasty until the 14th century. Portions of the exterior walls still stand, but most of the fortress lays in ruins, covered by layers of earth, and entirely forgotten. During recent excavations, a portion of a secret passageway was discovered (through which we make our way) which, in case of a siege, would lead the residents of the fortress from the top of the plateau down to river several kilometers away. Ending our road trip at Sevanavank, a 9th century monastic church built on the top of a peninsula, we enjoy the dusty sunset over Lake Sevan. Our furry friend greeted us as we parked the car, guided us up the hill, sat on a ledge watching the birds soar through the sky as we enjoyed the sunset, guided us back down the hill and said goodbye. Filmed with Mavic Pro, iPhone 7, and iPhone 7+