Syunik Region

"Meghri - View of old street" © 2000 Raffi Kojian, All Rights Reserved

Meghri is situated at the southernmost tip of Armenia, overlooking the Iranian border.  It is famous for being the hottest place in Armenia.  The surrounding area is very brown, but the town and its fields are a lush green thanks to the ample water from the Meghri river.  From Meghri it is just an hour to the perennially snow-covered peaks near Kajaran.  The border crossing with Iran is in the nearby village of Agarak, and has a vehicular and foot bridge to pass through.

The Meghri Hotel is up above the main streets, next to a noisy bar. The rooms are standard post soviet hotel rooms, and cost about 4,000 (2,000 for locals). There is cold running water in the mornings. Notes: No toilet seats, toilet paper & towel is provided.

The town of Meghri (3371 v.) boasts a dilapidated hotel, lots of places for thirsty truckers to buy vodka for the road, and amazing lush fruits and vegetables.  The figs are particularly famous.  The setting is striking, with green gardens in the rocky desert.  There is a fortress on the hills on the N and E of town, known from the 10th century but rebuilt in the early 18th c. by Davit Bek.  It had four 2-story circular towers and two rectangular, but no circuit wall between them.  This was the only Armenian fortress specifically designed for firearms.  In 1727, 400 of Davit Bek’s men held off many times their number of Turkish troops for 5 days, till relief troops arrived.  In the Mets Tagh district below the fortress is a 17th c. Astvatsatsin church with interesting 19th c. wall paintings.  In the Pokr Tagh district SW is a 17th c. S. Sargis basilica church, with battered 17th c. frescoes.  Also in the SW part of town up the slope is Meghru Vank with a S. Hovhannes church (15-17th c.).  From the roof there is an excellent view of the entire district.  This area has crumbling remains of 18-19th c. houses. [This paragraph is from the Rediscover Armenia Guide.]

"Meghri Town - View" © 2000 Raffi Kojian, All Rights Reserved

"Meghri - part of fortress" © 2000 Raffi Kojian, All Rights Reserved