Pokr Vedi village is located 45 km southeast of the city of Yerevan. This place is notable for the fact that from the II century BC. – II century, with the exception of several years, near was one of the capitals of Armenia – the city of Artashat. It was a very rich and beautiful city, which the Romans called “Armenian Carthage”. And as in any city, it had its own prison, called “Khor Virap”, which means “deep pit”. It is here that the origins of Christian Armenia are located. In this prison, King Trdates III imprisoned Gregory, who later became the first Catholicos of the Armenian Apostolic Church – Gregory the Illuminator. The first building of the Khor Virap monastery was a chapel built by Nerses III above the underground. The Church of Surb Astvatsatsin (Holy Mother of God) was built in the 17th century.
Since the monastery is located directly at the border with Turkey and at the foot of the biblical Mount Ararat, you can admire the greatness of this mountain from the observation deck. Climbing the citadel of the former city of Artashat, you can take great pictures of both the mountains and the Ararat valley.
Near the monastery there is the Otyats Cross (shelter), dedicated to the apostles Fadeus and Bartholomew.
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