Sanahin

Sanahin ("Սանահին" in Armenian)is a village in the Northern Lorri province of Armenia, now considered part of the city of Alaverdi (the cable car that connects it with the Alaverdi centre is supposed to have the steepest climb in the whole former USSR). The village is notable for its monastery complex, founded in the 10th century and listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Related Topics:
Armenian - Lorri - Armenia - Alaverdi - Cable car - USSR - UNESCO - World Heritage Site

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The name Sanahin literally translates from Armenian as "this one is older than that one", presumably representing a claim to having an older monastery than the neighbouring Haghpat. The two villages and their monasteries are similar in many ways, and lie in plain view of each other on a dissected plateau formation, separated by a deep "crack" formed by a small river flowing into the Debed river.

Related Topics:
Haghpat - Dissected plateau - Debed

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As with Haghpat, Sanahin is frequented by an increasing number of tourists, due to its recent inclusion on the itineraries of numerous Armenian tour agencies, the beauty of its monastery complex matching that of Haghpat's. The complex belongs to the Armenian Apostolic Church with numerous khachkars (stones with elaborate engravings representing a cross) and bishop gravesites scattered throughout it.

Related Topics:
Armenian Apostolic Church - Khachkar - Bishop

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Sanahin was also the birthplace of the two well-known Mikoyan brothers. Artem Mikoyan was a well known airplane constructor, and one of the "fathers" of MiG. Anastas Mikoyan was the politician with the longest "career" at the Soviet politburo. He was involved in negotiating the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, was a member of the Soviet delegation trying to improve relations with Tito's Yugoslavia, and played a major role in the Cuban Missile Crisis negotiations. A fraction of visitors to the monastery also stop at the small nearby museum in the former school, run by Mikoyans' relatives.

Related Topics:
Artem Mikoyan - Airplane - Constructor - MiG - Anastas Mikoyan - Politician - Politburo - Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact - Tito - Yugoslavia - Cuban Missile Crisis

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