Armenia - Garni

 

 

Armenia's only Graeco-Roman-style building, Garni, stands in a magnificent valley, with canyons whose vertical walls are at places made of basalt organ pipes. What exactly the function of this building was is subject to questions: a temple dedicated to Mirtha (or maybe Helios) say some, the tomb of Romanised ruler Sohaemus say others. Temple or tomb, the building was destroyed by an earthquake in 1679 and restored between 1969 and 1975.