Garni Temple

Garni Temple
Yerevantsi · CC BY-SA 4.0

The sole surviving Greco-Roman colonnaded structure in Armenia, built c. 70-80 AD by King Tiridates I and dedicated to the sun god Mihr (Mithra). Features 24 Ionic columns standing 6.54m high with imperial Roman ornamentation including acanthus leaf friezes. Survived Armenia's 4th-century Christianization, reportedly converted to a royal summer house, but collapsed in a 1679 earthquake. Reconstructed between 1969-1975 using original fragments. The site also contains a Bronze Age cyclopean wall, a Urartian cuneiform inscription, and a Roman bath with a Greek-inscribed mosaic floor.

TypeTemple complex
Period1 - 500 AD
CountryArmenia
Coordinates40.1128° N, 44.7308° E

Related resources

More sites in Armenia

Geghard Monastery · Charents Arch · Erebuni Fortress · Shengavit Settlement · Artashat · Teishebaini · Cathedral and Churches of Echmiatsin and the Archaeological Site of Zvartnots · Ushiberd · Metsamor Historical-Archaeological Museum-Reserve · Areni-1 Cave · Ancient City of Armavir · Teysheba · Ancient City of Argishtikhinili · Karchaghbyur · Horom Citadel · Old Horom · Yereruyk Archaeological Site · Hartashen Megalithic Avenue · Carahunge Prehistoric Monument · Baghaberd Fortress

All sites in Armenia

Was this page useful?

Keep exploring

Every site on this page sits on the globe, and the people who research them are on the Discord.

3D Globe · Sites by country · Story Archive · Research Library · Weekly Journal · Search