The amazing Geghard monastery is situated six km away from the temple at Garni and is revered throughout Armenia as one of the greatest spiritual and cultural centers of Armenia. Geghard monastery is very specific architectural construction in the Kotayk province of Armenia. The history of amazing Geghard dates back to pre-Christian times. According to the legend the apostle Thaddeus has bring a spear to the Geghard. That was the same spear, which had wounded Christ on the Cross. And in 10th-13th centuries the monastery was renamed Geghard which mean «spear» or «lance» in Armenian.
The specific character of Geghard monastery reflects the peculiarities of the austere and majestic scenery around it. The gorge of Gegharda-dzor with its high and precipitous cliffs is extremely winding. And the picturesque monastery opens to view unexpectedly behind a turn of a steep path leading to it. This amazing monastery also contains a number of churches and tombs. Most of these churches cut into the rock, which illustrate the very peak of Armenian medieval architecture. This complex of buildings is a set into the landscape of great natural beauty: Armenian beauty, which surrounded by towering cliffs at the entrance to the Azat Valley.
The monastery of Geghard was very famous because of the relics that it housed. The most celebrated thing of these was the spear which had wounded Christ on the Cross, from which comes its present name Geghardavank and the first recorded in a document of 1250. This historical fact made the monastery very popular.
Most tourists visiting to Geghard monastery choose to visit the nearby Garni temple too. So visiting the both sites in one trip is so common that the visitors are often referred to in union as Garni-Geghard.