Haghpat and Sanahin sit on the opposite edges of a deep canyon in northern Armenia, and between them they hold some of the finest medieval religious architecture in the Caucasus. The two monasteries, founded in the tenth century and expanded over the next three hundred years, stand on terraces above the Debed river, near the town of Alaverdi. They are built of dark basalt and pale tuff, with steep roofs, carved crosses and cool, dim interiors, and they are on the UNESCO World Heritage list.
Both were centres of learning. Sanahin, in particular, had a famous school and a scriptorium where monks copied and illuminated manuscripts, and the library, with its niches for books, can still be seen. The old stone crosses, the khachkars, stand everywhere in the grass, carved with lace-like patterns of vines and crosses, each one different from the next. Sanahin is also the birthplace of the Mikoyan brothers, one a Soviet statesman, the other a designer of MiG fighter jets, which seems an odd destiny for a village of monks.
The riding is dramatic. The road from the Georgian border follows the Debed canyon, with steep forested slopes on both sides and the river rushing below. The surface is mostly good, but there are patches of broken tarmac and potholes, and heavy lorries use the route, so take care on blind bends. The villages of the valley, with their Soviet-era buildings and copper-smelting plant, have a rough edge. A cable car lifts passengers from Alaverdi to Sanahin, a short ride that was restored in recent years.
Fuel is available in Alaverdi, a town of around 13,000 people, a few kilometres from the monasteries, and it is wise to fill up there, as nothing is sold near the sites. A small café serves coffee and local food. Visit in the morning, when the light picks out the carvings and the tour groups have not yet arrived, and take a warm layer, as the stone interiors are cold even in summer.