An early domed basilica on the canyon rim, with a funerary monument unlike any other in Armenia.
Odzun's church stands alone on the plateau high above the river. Next to it is a twin-arched memorial carved with Gospel scenes, one of the oldest surviving pieces of Armenian sculpture. The village is a good overnight base with views straight down into the canyon.
Good to know
- Walk south along the rim to the cliff-edge Horomayr monastery.
- Several guesthouses in the village serve home dinners.
Read more: Wikipedia: Odzun Church
Domed basilica church of Odzun
Getting there
320 m above the Debed river, which runs 1.0 km away in a straight line.
| From | Road distance | Drive time |
|---|---|---|
| Vanadzor | 48.9 km | 51 min |
| Alaverdi | 10.4 km | 13 min |
| Stepanavan | 31.9 km | 32 min |
| Yerevan | 164.1 km | 2 h 50 min |
| Tbilisi | 122.6 km | 2 h 19 min |
Details
- Type
- Church
- Where
- Odzun
- Elevation
- 1,101 m
- Built
- 5th–7th c.
- Denomination
- Armenian apostolic
Light
Golden hour is when the sun is less than 6° above the horizon — the warm light for photos. In deep gorges the sun leaves the valley floor earlier.
Photos taken nearby
From Wikimedia Commons, within 1 km. Click a photo for its author and licence.
Weather at Odzun Church
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Forecast for 1,101 m from Open-Meteo.
On these routes
- Debed Canyon in one day 1 day
- A Lori weekend from Yerevan 2 days
- Yerevan to Tbilisi through Lori 1–2 days
- Three slow days in the canyon 3 days
- Odzun rim walk to Horomayr hike, 1–2 hours
Sights nearby
- Katogh-MahardzanMonument 50 m same level
- Upper Horomayri MonasteryChurch 2.0 km same level
- Viewpoint near OdzunViewpoint 2.0 km same level
- Horomayr MonasteryChurch 2.0 km same level
- Viewpoint in AmojViewpoint 2.2 km 54 m lower
- DitaketViewpoint 4.1 km 349 m higher
Nature nearby
- Ispiri GadukPeak 2.0 km 193 m higher
- SrkakopPeak 3.0 km 283 m higher
- Kotkar HillPeak 3.1 km 308 m higher
- KondPeak 3.3 km 548 m higher
- BolorkondPeak 3.3 km 649 m higher
Stay nearby
- AyvaHotel 300 m same level
- GHGGGuesthouse 350 m same level
- Parvana guest houseGuesthouse 350 m same level
- Sergey Guest House, OdzunGuesthouse 1.1 km 63 m higher
- Guesthouse in AmojGuesthouse 2.2 km 80 m higher
Eat nearby
- Coffee House OdzunCafe 100 m same level
- Mendz EnCafe 5.2 km 160 m lower
- Cafe in AlaverdiCafe 5.5 km 154 m lower
- Cafe in SanahinCafe 5.5 km 93 m lower
- Restaurant in SanahinRestaurant 5.5 km 93 m lower
Services nearby
- A.A.A. MarketConvenience store 100 m same level
- Fuel in OdzunFuel 850 m same level
- Fuel in OdzunFuel 1.5 km 323 m lower
- FoodConvenience store 3.4 km 330 m lower
- Fuel in AkoriFuel 4.0 km 310 m lower
- CPSFuel 4.3 km 347 m lower
Distances in the "nearby" lists are straight-line; the height difference shows how much climbing a short distance can hide here.