UNDER CONSTRUCTION

   Tucked into an  inaccessible  corner of N Armenia, reachable only from the the Georgian town of Opreti, the village of Jiliza has on its territory a 13^th c. ruined fort and shrine and, in deep forest at 1300 m elevation somewhere on the  W  slopes  of    Mt. Lalvar, the architecturally unique Khorakert    monastery.  The   11^th   or

   The   main  road  follows  the   Tashir river N, passing Saratovka (mixed Russian, Armenian population).

12^th c.domed church has a 12-faceted, columnar drum. The gavit was built in 1252 in the days of King David of Georgia by Hovhannes Varnetsi’s son Stepanos. There is a ruined fortification wall, dining hall and, S of two little shrines, remains of a covered passage leading into the gorge. The monastery was restored in 1661 and 1710, but was already in ruins at the beginning of this century.