The well-known Belgian online magazine Le Vif Weekend has published a list of the finest architectural monuments pertaining to the heritage of the Ancient Roman period (754/753 BC – 476 AD). Among the 51 most beautiful monuments is also the Armenian pagan temple of Garni, which is located in Armenia’s Kotayk Province, in the valley of the Azat River.
According to information from Armenpress.am, Garni has appeared in 37th place on the list.
The pagan temple of Garni was built in the 1st century AD by King Tiridates I of Armenia. It is the only monument preserved on the territory of Armenia that dates to the era of paganism and Hellenism.
The list published in the magazine is headed by the Colosseum in Rome — the world’s largest amphitheatre and one of the seven modern wonders of the world.
In second place is the temple dedicated to Jupiter, the ancient Roman god of the sky, light and thunder, which began to be built under the Roman emperor Antoninus Pius and was completed under the emperor Nero (37-68 AD); it is located in the ancient city of Baalbek (modern-day Lebanon).
In third place is the Roman Pantheon, or the “Temple of All Gods,” which is dedicated to the ancient Roman gods and was built in the 1st century by order of the Roman emperor Hadrian.
