Friday, January 15, 2010

St. Gregory's Well

So what's the best way to change a nation's religion???



Have a king throw you in a well for 12 years, then cure that king of madness. Or so the story of St. Gregory goes. King Trdat, the pagan ruler of Armenia banished Gregory to this well at Khor Virap where rumor has it he was fed by pious Christian women through a small hole in the pit.

When my family was here we made our way to this Monastery. The well is now housed in a small church next door to the larger of the buildings on the monastery grounds. Trusty Lonely Planet and more importantly other academics attribute Trdat's switch to unite his people (and keep his power) as a calculated one in the face of Roman aggression.

The picture below is of my sister climbing out of the pit that is now visited by tourists who want to see for themselves where Gregory was imprisoned before his actions helped Trdat to embrace this new religion. It's a bit of a claustrophobic experience on your way down and bit scary on your way up (Armenia has yet to embrace true safety regulations).



The trip to the Khor Virap is well worth it. On the border with Turkey in the distance, Mount Ararat seems to float in front of you.

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