Another afternoon, another legacy of another Empire.
From Geghard to Garni. On the drive back to Yerevan we stopped off at the Temple of Garni.
It is thought that Emperor Nero funded the construction of this temple after the King of Armenia paid a tribute visit to Rome. A beautifully perfect classical temple, it is perched high on a cliff overlooking a strategic curve in a river.
The whole complex also has the ruins of a basilica and a hypocaust complete with mosaics of dolphins. It comes too with another tale of Armenian ducking and diving.
When Armenia converted to Christianity it is said that the local Priestess convinced the monarch of the time to spare her temple in return for her convincing the local population to convert. The monarch agreed, the population converted peacefully and the Temple was spared.
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