Kapan: Holiday Apartments and Holiday Homes

More than 450 historical and cultural monuments are recorded in the Kapan area.

Culture and History

Halidzor Fortress, a late-medieval architectural complex, lies 1 km southwest of Kapan. In the 1720s, the fortress became a center of Syunik’s liberation struggle. Vahanavank, a 10th- and 11th-century monastery on a wooded slope, is located 3 km northwest of Kapan. Its oldest church was built in 911; the burials of the kings and princes of Syunik are also located there.

Vahanavank includes the two-story Church of St. Astvatsatsin, built in 1086, and a monastery school operated next to it, which was attended by Catholicos Vahan I Syunetsi. The Church of St. Gregory the Illuminator and the adjoining narthex have been fully restored, while the portico has only been partially restored. Baghaberd was a politically and militarily significant center of Syunik from the 4th to the 12th century. Napat was used as a small fortified site for religious ceremonies.

The Kapan Modern Art Museum displays paintings, sculptures, graphic art, and decorative and applied art. It holds solo and group exhibitions by artists from Kapan, offers guided tours in Armenian and Russian, and has a wheelchair ramp. The Kapan Geological Museum presents the history of Syunik from the 19th and 20th centuries as well as archaeological collections; it organizes excursions, games, and events for tourists.

The Garegin Nzhdeh Memorial Complex was built in 2001 on the northwestern outskirts of the city, at the foot of Mount Khustup beside the Voghji River. It comprises a bust, four eagles, an ear of wheat, a bell, a globe, and plaques bearing aphorisms by Nzhdeh. Some of Garegin Nzhdeh’s remains, including an arm bone, were reburied in Kapan’s memorial complex in 2005. Following improvement works, the complex reopened in December 2012. A stone arch bridge from 1870 near Kapan is still standing and serves local residents.

Nature and Trails

Khustup Mountain lies 10 km southwest of Kapan and reaches an elevation of 3,201 meters. The Khustup State Sanctuary protects ecosystems of high-mountain forest, meadow steppe, and meadows. One route runs from Baghaburj through the Khustup State Sanctuary and Khustup Mountain to Shishkert. The eco-tourism trail in the Kapan area connects the Shikahogh State Reserve and Arevik National Park in seven sections suitable for day hikes.

Vahanavank Nature and Art Park offers an approximately 1 km walking path with land-art installations, wooden bridges, benches, and information about Kapan’s flora and fauna. The Kapan Municipality identifies ecotourism, mountain tourism, and extreme tourism as areas for tourism development.

Korkot is described as a traditional dish specific to the Kapan region. A Korkot festival takes place in Kapan every year.

Other destinations: Tatev, Ashotavan, Halidzor, Goris, Agarak, Sissian, Meghri.

Those wishing to rent a holiday apartment in Kapan can continue their accommodation search afterward.

For the broader travel overview: Syunik.