Garni Temple

The Garni Temple is a first-century AD Hellenistic-style colonnaded temple near the village of Garni in Kotayk Province, Armenia. It is the only Greco-Roman colonnaded building standing in Armenia and was reconstructed in the 20th century using original stones.

The complex is dominated by the restored classical temple featuring Ionic columns and a raised podium, visible from across the Azat River gorge. Visitors also see the remains of a Roman-period bathhouse and traces of a surrounding fortress on the same hilltop terrace.

Originally erected in the 1st century AD as a pagan temple, the site belonged to the Armenian royal domain and was rebuilt or repaired in later Roman and medieval periods. The standing colonnaded form was reconstructed in the 20th century after earthquakes and centuries of ruin, using recovered original masonry.

The site sits above the Azat River gorge roughly 30 km east of Yerevan, close to the modern village of Garni and within a rugged volcanic landscape of basalt cliffs and terraced fields.

• Viewpoint: Best views are from the opposite rim of the Azat River gorge, where the temple sits on a rocky promontory. Arrive early in summer to avoid crowds and heat.
• Nearby UNESCO site: Often visited together with the nearby 4th-12th century cave monastery complex listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

What to See #

• Main Temple: A reconstructed Hellenistic-style colonnaded temple dating to the 1st century AD, notable for its Ionic columns and classical plan. The standing structure is a modern reconstruction completed in the 20th century using original stones recovered from the site.
• Bathhouse and Fortress Ruins: Remains of a Roman-period bath complex and foundations of a surrounding fortress and ancillary buildings located on the same hilltop terrace as the temple.