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Khor Virab
Built upon the 'Noah's Ark', the magical 'Khor Virap'
Measuring the 'Garden of God forgotten' Caucasus with footsteps 🚞 Station 37▪️Country 44🇦🇲𝐀𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐚☆Armenia▶️'Khor Virap Monastery' (the pit monastery, formerly a dungeon), located at the foot of Mount Ararat (also known as 'Mount Ararat', now within Turkey), offers a perfect panoramic view from the monastery's viewing platform. The sight of Mount Ararat and Mount Aragats is vivid before the eyes. Mount Ararat is a symbol of the Armenian nation, and its image is on the coat of arms of Armenia.
Mount Ararat is the legendary final resting place of Noah's Ark. Many say 'God said let there be light, and there was light, and there was Armenia'. This was once a vast empire, the first country in the world to recognize Christianity as the state religion, and the final resting place of 'Noah's Ark' in the Bible, as well as the 'Garden of Eden'. When the great flood receded, 'Noah's Ark' hit Mount Ararat and stopped, and Noah's family, who survived the catastrophe, descended from the ark with various animals, some of whom stayed in the Caucasus mountains, while others went far and wide.
The most special thing in the monastery is that mysterious building, going down the narrow, very narrow, very difficult stairs, oh it's so hard to go down, let's see what's down there, oh my goodness, it's a sarcophagus, seems like it should be a tombstone, wow so narrow, so narrow, look at the state now, such a small entrance, and then we have another place to explore over here, we see there is an iron staircase, right here wow I feel it's quite dangerous if one accidentally misses a step. Below the stairs is a huge underground chamber, where an uncle is confessing, so he temporarily became our tour guide. It turns out that this underground chamber was a place for ascetics to meditate, and Jesus had practiced here for fifteen years. When the ascetic reached the underground chamber, others would seal the only entrance with stones. The ceiling of the underground chamber has a fist-sized hole, which is the only way to communicate with the outside world, and every day at a specific time, a nun would deliver bread through the hole to ensure the survival of the ascetic. The feeling of staying in the underground chamber for 10 minutes is one of stuffiness and oppression, just imagine what it would be like to stay in an underground chamber without any light source for 15 years?
The legendary "Noah's Ark landing site" is right in front of us
The central emblem of the Armenian coat of arms features a mountain.
The snow-capped mountain in the top left corner of my cover photo❶ is the "holy mountain" depicted on the coat of arms, known as Mount Ararat (with various translations, such as "Mount Ağrı").
Since ancient times, Mount Ararat has been not only a spiritual symbol for Armenians but also a sacred mountain in the eyes of Christians, attracting numerous pilgrims.
Legend has it that Armenia is the resting place of Noah's Ark as mentioned in the Bible; when the great flood receded, Noah's Ark struck Mount Ararat and came to a halt, and Noah's family, along with various animals, settled down here. It is said that Armenia was founded by one of Noah's great-grandsons.
This "final resting place of Noah's Ark" even preserves a fragment of the Ark, according to legend, and people believe that the savior Noah was the first resident here. Armenia also became the first country in the world to adopt Christianity. Although Armenia is currently surrounded by a host of Islamic nations, it remains an unequivocal Christian country.
However, due to repeated territorial disputes, the weak nation has always been at a disadvantage, and today the holy mountain is no longer within the territorial scope of Armenia. Nevertheless, from most parts of Armenia (including the capital), one can still gaze upon the eternal totem in the hearts of Armenians. Near the road to the Khor Virap Monastery, our guide brought us to the best vantage point to look up at Mount Ararat.
The ancient architecture and the snowy peaks reflect each other, presenting a picture where culture and nature blend harmoniously. The explorer Sven Hedin, who had been to Xinjiang, described his trip to Armenia as follows: "Never in my life have I had anything else to compare with it. We are surrounded by the great mountains of the Caucasus, with the handsome cliffs revealing strange sights, backed by the snow-covered peaks." Today, I took one photo after another of the majestic "holy mountain," as if following the captivating text, searching for the mysterious "Ark" legend.
The "Khor Virap Monastery" at the foot of the snow mountain is not large; legend has it that Saint Gregory the Illuminator was once thrown into a deep pit here by the then pagan king. The pit, 6.5 meters deep and 4.5 meters in diameter, was full of venomous creatures. Saint Gregory was imprisoned here for 14 years, surviving by divine power and the secret aid of a woman. Later, the king repented and led the entire nation to convert to Christianity.
I did not go down into the pit, but I took photos of the snow mountain and the monastery from various angles time and again. Our local guide, Xia Tong (Chinese name), exclaimed in amazement when she saw the photo of my cover image❶: "This could enter an Armenian photography competition": The pristine new snow, the red-roofed church, and the ripe crops, along with the clear blue sky, made for a clear and beautiful shot. Guide Xia Tong has taken many people here for photos, and she said she has never seen such a vertical panoramic beauty.
Even though my endorphins were soaring at the time, it seemed that my heart was more concerned with the Noah's Ark that once symbolized redemption here. In these tumultuous years, hasn't humanity been constantly calling for "Noah's Ark"?
Noah's Ark perfectly interprets people's dreams; a better life really does need more dreams.
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