Talin, Armenia – Talin Cathedral Monastery Complex
We traveled from Yerevan to Gyumri, Armenia for an overnight trip. The one thing I should say is that driving around Armenia is not the easiest thing to do. We hired a driver to take us to Gyumri. It was great to have someone who is familiar with the local ethics of driving. The roads were in terrible condition. Surfaces were uneven and scared with potholes and other road repairs. Vehicles all had a varying rate of travel and at times there were four cars going down a two-lane road. There were nerving moments along the way. Sometimes there were four lanes of traffic on a two-lane road.
About halfway between Yerevan and Gyumri was a village called Talin. Within this village was a Cathedral constructed sometime during the 6th and 7th centuries. The monastery was still in decent shape, considering its’ age. Not to mention without the use of modern machinery. There were no tourists in site, nor was there any cost to enter. We simply parked the van and walked around. It was a single building that showed signs of damage. One side of the building was missing, and the dome was gone. Inside we could see the remnants of ancient paintings on the rock walls. It was difficult to see details well enough to make the picture. However, according to the information at the site the painting was supposed to be one of the few pictures in a fresco around the wall just below the location of the dodecagonal dome. I had to look this term up. It is a 12-sided polygon. The remains were amazing with the arches and columns. It is hard to imagine how the people of that time understood enough to make these amazing details.
I was surprised that we could so easily walkaround the interior of the building. The removal of the debris from within the Cathedral from the dome and the walls that had collapsed. It made it easy for people to walk around within the structure. Only one side of the structure had severe damage. The other sides of the Cathedral were in remarkable shape.
The Armenian Stone Carvings are uniquely Armenian. These stone carvings are a common feature in vast areas over the country at both active churches and others that had been abandon for years. I found it fascinating to see the intricate details carved into large stones.
It was a wonderful place to take a break. The drive between Yerevan and Gyumri was about 2.5 hours. However, there were no facilities in the area to relieve myself.
I found this YouTube video after visiting the site. It is interesting.
Talin Cathedral, Armenia – YouTube
