Monasteries of Armenia, by David Trombly

Throughout this trip, we got the chance to see many monasteries in the mountains of Armenia. These monasteries are centuries old and bear the mark of the Christian faith that has been rooted in Armenian culture. It constantly amazes me how these monasteries were built in the times when they didn’t have the help of modern-day innovations. It is almost unimaginable to think of how these monasteries could be built with such massive stones. Some of these places such as the Tatev Monastery are so secluded that it must have taken days or weeks to get the materials to build. These elegant structures in the mountains are a reminder of the spirit of the Armenian people. One of my favorite monasteries to visit was the Tatev monastery. Although the drive to this monastery was long, the terrain was breathtaking. This drive was marked with rolling mountains and snow-topped peaks. When we got to our destination, we took the world’s longest aerial tram with even more immaculate views until we got to the Tatev Monastery. This monastery hangs on a cliff overlooking waterfalls and many mountains.