Armenia

Tatev Monastery and Vorotan Gorge

WHS Score 0.85
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Votes for Tatev Monastery and Vorotan Gorge

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  • Alexander Lehmann
  • David Berlanda
  • Els Slots
  • Jakubmarin
  • Jon Opol
  • Kevin247
  • Max Smits
  • Nick M
  • RobRos
  • Yevhen Ivanovych
The monasteries of Tatev and Tatevi Anapat lie in the geologically interesting Vorotan Gorge. Tatev has its origins in the 9th century. In the 14th and 15th centuries, the monastery hosted one of the most important Armenian medieval universities. Tatevi Anapat dates from the 17th century.

Site Info

Official Information
Full Name
Tatev Monastery and Vorotan Gorge (ID: 14)
Country
Armenia
Status
Nominated 2028 Site history
History of Tatev Monastery and Vorotan Gorge
1995: Added to Tentative List
Added to tentative list
Criteria
Links
UNESCO
whc.unesco.org
All Links
UNESCO.org

Community Reviews

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First published: 26/05/25.

Els Slots

Tatev Monastery And Vorotan Gorge

Tatev Monastery and Vorotan Gorge (Nominated)

Tatev Monastery and Vorotan Gorge by Els Slots

Seeing Tatev pop up as a potential WH candidate for 2028, I had to dive deeply into my memory for an opinion. Fortunately, I still have my diaries in Dutch available.

I visited in 2005, as a day trip from Yerevan with a car + driver. It’s in the direction of Iran and it would take us 5 hours to get there. We regularly encountered large trucks with Iranian number plates. The chance that they are bringing something to Armenia is greater than getting something, but Iran is (compared to Azerbaijan and Turkey) a good neighbour. We also got caught up in very large herds of sheep twice, accompanied by shepherds and dogs.

After an hour or two, we stopped at a roadside restaurant. It was more of a shack, but with two seats outside (photo top right). A small river flows by, and the restaurant also serves fish. And meat, because the owner came outside with half a pig and a cleaver to make slices of meat for the barbecue on a sawn-off tree stump. We only took coffee and enjoyed the surroundings. The driver didn't want me to pay, and the owner of the restaurant didn't want any money from the driver either, hospitality all the way.

Like all real monasteries, Tatev lies in an almost impossible location. First, we had to go down a winding road into the valley for half an hour, and then up again via the continuation of that winding …

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First published: 16/04/19.

Ammon Watkins

Tatev Monastery And Vorotan Gorge

Tatev Monastery and Vorotan Gorge (Nominated)

Visited in the summer of 2012. Very beautiful and well preserved monastery in an area full of impressive monasteries and definitely a highlight of a visit to southern Armenia. Didn't take the cable car but it was accessible by bus from Goris and made an easy 1/2 day trip. Whether or not it makes the WH list (it should) the setting was stunning and quite peaceful and worth the visit. Easily hitchhiked back to town as I recall. 

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First published: 31/07/14.

Jarek Pokrzywnicki

Tatev Monastery And Vorotan Gorge

Tatev Monastery and Vorotan Gorge (Nominated)

Tatev Monastery and Vorotan Gorge by Jarek Pokrzywnicki

One of best preserved monasteries in Armenia. Additional attraction is the famous "Wings of Tatev" - the longest cable car in the world (be prepared to long queues in the high season).

Access to the monastery is by chartered taxi (from Goris or Sisian, expect to pay around 8.000 AMR for return trip). Tatev is magnificently situated in the mountains, it is also one of the most visited sites in Armenia, so it is better to avoid weekends, especially during holiday months.

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