Khor Virap

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Khor Virap location

The Khor Virap ("Խոր Վիրապ" in Armenian, meaning deep dungeon) monastery is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Armenia. Its location, near the closest point to Mount Ararat within Armenian borders, offers a spectacular view of the mountain, the national symbol of Armenia.

It is also significant as being the place of Gregory the Illuminator's 13-year imprisonment, after which Gregory, by converting the King Trdat III to Christianity in the year 301, made Armenia the first country to adopt Christianity as its official religion.

In the mid-1990's, volunteers for the Canadian Youth Mission to Armenia helped renovate/restore the cathedral.

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Coordinates: 39°52′42″N 44°34′34″E / 39.87833, 44.57611