Goris features Old Goris, also known as Kyores, a historic complex of cave dwellings east of the modern city. These cave dwellings preserve traces of local life, protection, and adaptation to the rocky surroundings.
Culture and History
Goris was founded in 1870 as the center of the Zangezur district in Elisabethpol Province. Modern Goris features a grid-like architectural layout and two-storey public buildings. The St. Gregory the Illuminator Church was built in 1903 in a traditional architectural style.
The Goris Local Lore Museum has more than 5,300 exhibits, offers guided tours in Armenian, Russian, and English, and is located near the main square and the city’s administrative buildings. The collection includes a five-faced idol from the 2nd millennium BC. The museum also displays artefacts from the Early Bronze Age to the present day, as well as from the Soviet era.
Archaeological excavations in Goris uncovered Bronze Age jewellery, daggers, spears, amulets, and ceramics from the 3rd and 2nd. The Goris Museum of Regional Studies displays region-specific carpets, metalwork, ceramics, and other artefacts.
The local cuisine also includes its own specialities: Goris gata is prepared as a thick, round pastry filled with walnuts. The Goris region also has a variety of tolma wrapped in bean leaves.
Landscape
The “stone forest” of Goris consists of natural rock pillars rising from the slopes. The church offers views of this stone forest. Goris also has a natural landscape with towers, fortresses, pyramids, and caves.
Geographical Location
Goris is located on the Yerevan–Stepanakert road.
Those wishing to rent a holiday apartment in Goris can continue their accommodation search afterwards.
