The Temple of Garni (Armenian: “Garnu tacar”) is located in the village of Garni in Kotayk Province, Armenia, and it was once a pagan temple dedicated to the Armenian sun god Mihr. Built in the middle of the 1st century CE, the Temple of Garni remarkably survived the destruction of pagan temples following Armenia's conversion to Christianity in the 4th century CE, and countless invasions and earthquakes until its collapse in 1679 CE. After continuous excavations in the late 19th and early 20th centuries CE, the Temple of Garni was reconstructed between 1969-1975 CE. Today, it is the only free-standing Greco-Roman structure in Armenia and seen by many as a potent symbol of Armenia's classical past as well as its deep historical ties to the civilizations of Greece and Rome.
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Definition
Timeline
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63 CE - c. 88 CEReign of Tiridates I in Armenia.
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70 CE - 80 CEProbable construction date of the Temple of Garni in Armenia.
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c. 298 CE - c. 330 CEReign of Armenian king Tiridates the Great.
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1679 CEThe Temple of Garni collapses following an earthquake.
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1969 CE - 1975 CEReconstruction of the Temple of Garni.
