✦ Digital Preservation · Syunik Province · Armenia ✦
KhndzoreskԽնձորեսկ · Cave Settlement & Sacred Gorge
One of Eastern Armenia's oldest inhabited landscapes
A cathedral of stone, sky, and memory carved into the cliffs of Khor Dzor — preserved here in full digital dimension.
Heritage Profile
Khndzoresk — A Civilisation in Stone
From liberation fortress to thriving mountain city — one of Armenia's most layered highland landscapes.
Khndzoresk (Armenian: Խնձորեսկ, pronounced [χəndzɔˈɾɛsk]) is a village in the Goris Municipality of Syunik Province, situated on the steep slopes of Khor Dzor — the Deep Gorge — at 1,580 metres above sea level, spanning 6,772.8 hectares.
History
By the late 19th century, Old Khndzoresk was the largest village in Eastern Armenia — 8,300 inhabitants across 1,800 households. By 1913 it supported 27 shops, 3 dye-houses, tanneries, and 7 schools. A fully self-sustaining highland civilisation.
The fortress served as Mkhitar Sparapet's military base (1728–1730) during David Bek's liberation movement. In 1735, Catholicos Abraham Kretatsi visited and documented the community in his chronicles. The cave settlements — inhabited until the 1950s — remain eloquent witnesses today.
Cultural Heritage
Three sacred monuments anchor the gorge: St. Hripsime Church (17th century) at the gorge floor; the Anapat hermitage with Sparapet's tomb on a spur beyond; and the ancient cave church of St. Tatevos. Together they form one of Armenia's most spiritually resonant heritage landscapes.
Sacred Monuments
The Sanctuaries of Khndzoresk
Six heritage landmarks digitally preserved — each holding centuries of Armenian faith, military history, and daily life.
Virtual Experience
Walk the Sacred Ground — From Anywhere
High-resolution Matterport 3D walkthroughs of Khndzoresk's most significant spaces — step inside the gorge without leaving home.
Aerial 3D Model
St. Hripsime — Seen From Every Angle
A fully rotatable photogrammetric 3D model captured by drone and reconstructed to museum standard. Rotate, zoom, inspect every stone.
Aerial 360° Panorama
The Gorge From Above
Highest-resolution aerial 360° tour of Khndzoresk — look in every direction across the canyon, the village, and the mountains of Syunik.
Photography Archive
Khndzoresk Through Time
Contemporary images, archival photographs, and futuristic visual concepts — two centuries of documentation across three perspectives.
Visual Restoration
Before & After — Bringing the Past to Light
AI-assisted visual restoration reveals how Khndzoresk's monuments looked in their original glory. Drag the slider to compare.
Location & Geography
Find Khndzoresk
Goris Municipality, Syunik Province — accessible via the Goris–Stepanakert highway at 39°29′12.7″N, 46°25′19.3″E.
Digitization Credits
Those Who Made This Possible
Scanning & drone shooting by Spartak Garnikyan and Arshaluys Mkrtchyan
Visual Concepts by Andranik Asatryan
Project Funding by Safe Armenian Monuments Foundation and Armenian Treasures Team