The
Khor Virap (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.
