The Armenian Highland is a paradise where Adam and Eve lived

Excursion around the city of Goris and visiting the church of St. Hripsime in Verishen village.

28. Goris

Goris is a city in the Syunik region, located about 240 kilometers from the capital of Yerevan. The name of the city has various explanations. It is supposed that the name comes from the Indo-European prelanguage words "gor"(rock), "es" (to be), i.e. Goris "Kyores" means a rocky place. This place was inhabited since ancient times: it is likely that the first man settled here in the Stone Age. The ancient mention of Goris dates back to the Urartian era.

The Armenian king King Rusa I (8th century B.C.) left a cuneiform, where he mentioned that among the 23 countries conquered by him, "Goristsa" country was one of them. The scientists suppose that it is the same Goris.

On the Goris border a 2nd-century BC stone of Armenian King Artashes I with inscriptions on the mysterious Aramaic language was discovered.

During the Middle Ages, the town-settlement was situated in the eastern part of the present Goris, on the left bank of Goris river. It was called "Kores" and coincided with one of the villages of Goru and Goraik mentioned by Stepanos Orbelyan (13th century).

29. St. Hripsime Church

In the center of the village of Verishen, located not far from Goris there is the church of St. Hripsime (4-5 cc.). This is the largest single-domed church in Armenia with an architecturally distinct altar. Unfortunately, the church has been under-researched. In 1621 the church was completely restored. It belongs to one of the few churches with round apsides outside. The church is fully preserved and resembles the ark of Noah in its appearance.

The walls of the church are decorated with numerous khachkars with decipher and indistinct writings, and in the courtyard gravestones and khachkars are scattered. Many of them were taken from their original place and transferred here. In the courtyard of the church there are rare sculptures with crosses and tombstones belonging to different stages of Khachkar art. The church is built of solid local stone. From the courtyard of the church you can see the whole village.