Aruchavank

Aruchavank was built around 666 by Grigor Mamikonian and it was very large for its date, a single-nave hall with a dome on a wide span, now standing open to the sky since the dome fell. Fragments of the original wall painting survive in the apse, which is rare for the seventh century in Armenia. Beside it are the foundations of Mamikonian's palace and, across the road, a caravanserai from the thirteenth century.

What you actually see

• The seventh-century hall - a wide domed church, now roofless, with the walls standing full height.
• The apse painting - surviving fragments of seventh-century wall painting.
• The palace ruins - foundations of the princely residence beside the church.
• The caravanserai - a thirteenth-century travellers' hall nearby.

When to go

April to November is comfortable; the plain is exposed and very hot in midsummer. Morning light reaches into the apse and shows the painting best. Winter is cold and windy here.

Honest expectations

The church is roofless and there is no shelter on the site. The wall paintings are faint and easy to miss without knowing where to look. Interpretation is minimal.

Nearby

Talin Cathedral is west along the same road, and Ashtarak is east.