Monastery of Geghard

Surrounded by towering cliffs, the Monastery of Geghard is located in the Kotayk province of Armenia at the entrance to the Azat valley. The complex contains rock-cut churches and tombs that are remarkable examples of medieval Armenian monastic architecture and decorative art. While the complex dates back to the 4th century CE, inscriptions suggests that the main church was built in 1215 CE, and was excavated into the rock on an equal-armed cruciform plan. The Monastery of Geghard was digitally preserved in January of 2015 in partnership with the TUMO Center for Creative Technologies in Yerevan, Armenia. TUMO is a creative after-school learning environment for students aged 12-18 to develop and explore technological resources, and TUMO students were essential to the documentation of the monastery complex. Together, CyArk and TUMO employed state-of-the-art 3D technologies and embarked on a new initiative, Armenian Heritage: A Virtual Pilgrimage, to document and share Armenian heritage sites with the world.