You can see more photos and get more info by going to:http://www.tatev.am/

"Hundreds of visionaries, philanthropists, government and church officials, and community leaders will gather at the ancient Tatev Monastery in southern Armenia on Saturday, October 16, 2010, for the launch of the innovative and forward-thinking Tatev Revival Project."

The Tatev Revival Project is a public-private partnership initiative implemented by the National Competitiveness Foundation of Armenia http://www.cf.am/ . The Foundation is an independent entity founded through the cooperation between the Government of Armenia and a group of leading international business executives.

The AERIAL TRAMWAY

The Tramway extends from Tatev monastery on the left of photo to Halidzor (village) in the middle . You make a round-trip by Tramway to Halidzor and back.

Spanning 5.7 kilometers across the spectacular Vorotan River Gorge, the Tatev Aerial Tramway - the longest passenger aerial tramway in the world - is poised to be one of southern Armenia's most popular attractions.

Truly an engineering marvel, the tramway will offer a spectacular journey with breathtaking views of the river gorge below, but most significantly, it will link visitors to one of the jewels of Armenia's medieval legacy - Tatev Monastery. In fact, you could say that the monastery is both the beginning and endpoint of the aerial tramway, because it's where - and why - the idea was conceived.

It all started with the idea of reviving the monastery. The Armenian Holy See of Etchmiadzin was looking for a way to bring life back into the walls of the once vibrant Tatev monastic complex. Discussions were all leading to one point: in order to revive the monastic, academic and cultural traditions for which Tatev is celebrated and in order to give it the recognition it deserves as part of the world's cultural heritage, the monastery has to be made more accessible. The Tatev Revival Project was born when one of its future benefactors suggested an innovative and ambitious solution to address the problem of accessibility which would also contribute to the economic development of the region and provide exciting new opportunities in the surrounding communities - building the world's longest aerial tramway.

The Tatev Aerial Tramway is being built by Garaventa, a world leader in the accessibility industry that has been building award-winning aerial tramways around the world for over 30 years. The design process and foundation work began in 2009, and construction will be completed in the fall of 2010, with the opening ceremony of the aerial tramway and the official launch of the Tatev Revival Project set for October.

The 5.7-kilometer aerial tramway is supported by three towers between its two terminals. One terminal is on a hill overlooking the village of Halidzor and the other is near Tatev Monastery, on the road to Tatev village. At top speed, the tramway will travel at 37 kilometers per hour and the ride will take approximately 11 minutes, with its deepest drop at 360 meters above ground. Two cabins (each with the capacity to hold 25 people) will operate at once, traveling in opposite directions. There are six cables altogether (three per cabin, with two cables suspending and one cable pulling each cabin), each uniquely built for the specifications of this project. They are capable of carrying 10-15 times more than the nominal load. The tramway is equipped with a diesel drive unit which will operate immediately in the case of a power outage.

Despite some major engineering challenges - the team had to invent a new type of foundation for the Tatev terminal because of poor soil conditions - and months of bad weather which hindered construction, the project is running on schedule and anticipation is in the air for the inauguration of the Tatev Aerial Tramway this fall.
(Note: Later this should include hours of operation, ticket prices and directions)
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The PROJECT
The Tatev Revival Project is designed to revitalize Tatev Monastery and its surrounding region, highlighting its religious, academic and cultural legacy, and making it a world-class destination. The project consists of several components: restoring the monastery, reviving its monastic and scholarly tradition, and developing tourism attractions and infrastructure in the adjacent villages, including the world's longest aerial tramway.

The project encompasses the villages of Tatev, Halidzor, Tandzatap, Svarants, Khot, Shinuhayr, and Khndzoresk, where rural, community-based tourism is being developed. It also includes the spectacular Vorotan River Gorge, which is home to such natural and cultural landmarks as Devil's Bridge and Mets Anapat Monastery. With several exciting initiatives underway, including the restoration of Tatev Monastery's 17th century oil mill, the development of a network of village bed and breakfasts, and a cuisine revival that will highlight and reinterpret local specialties, a trip to the Tatev region promises to be highly experiential - an invigorating blend of culture, nature and adventure.

The three-year Tatev Revival Project is one of the front runner initiatives of the National Competitiveness Foundation of Armenia, an independent organization structured as a public-private partnership and chaired by the Prime Minister of Armenia. It has a mandate to achieve breakthrough development toward competitiveness in key sectors of the Armenian economy, including tourism, health care and education.
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The SOUTHERN TOURISM CORRIDOR

As part of its strategy to develop and promote tourism in Armenia, the National Competitiveness Foundation of Armenia is creating corridors of tourism development, grouping together tourism assets and catalyzing synergetic development of attractions and infrastructure under a unified vision. Four corridors have been identified: Central, Lake Sevan, Northern and Southern.

Tatev is positioned as a major hub along the Southern Armenia Tourism Corridor, which covers the provinces of Vayots Dzor and Syunik. The Southern Corridor begins at Noravank Monastery and the nearby Areni wine region, winds down towards Armenia's southern caves, the spa-resort town of Jermuk, the ancient observatory of Karahunj, and continues towards the Vorotan River Gorge and Tatev. It then branches off to the picturesque towns of Goris (towards Nagorno-Karabakh) and Kapan (towards Meghri and Iran).

By developing and promoting sites of interest and linking them along a logical and flexible path, the Southern Corridor will allow visitors the possibility of turning the four-hour drive to the south of Armenia into an exciting and varied four-day journey.
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The MONASTERY

The 9 th century Tatev monastic complex is located in the south of Armenia in a beautiful and strategically advantageous natural setting, overlooking the Vorotan River Gorge and flanked by steep, rocky slopes.

During the Middle Ages, Tatev was one of Armenia's most important spiritual centers. It also had great academic and political significance. It housed Tatev University, whose legacy lives on today through a wealth of preserved manuscripts, and was the political stronghold of Syunik principality. Within its walls, the eminent Grigor Tatevatsi and his successors wrote missives to the world leaders of their time and penned scholarly treatises which are as much a part of the world's cultural heritage as are the architectural monuments of Tatev Monastery.

According to historian Stepanos Orbelian, the first church of what later became the mighty walled complex of Tatev was actually built in the 4th century. In the 8th century, it was made the throne of the Syunik bishopric and in the 9th century, it expanded, becoming a major feudal power. The main cathedral, St. Poghos-Petros (Peter and Paul) was built in 906. At the time, it was Armenia's largest and most renowned monastery, with 500 resident monks.

Tatev underwent a major academic and cultural revival in the 14th century, with the introduction of Tatev University. The university was founded in 1390 by Hovhan Vorotnetsi after the closure of the renowned Gladzor University, and later flourished under the leadership of Grigor Tatevatsi.

Philosophers, theologians, musicians, scribes, and artists... some of the greatest Armenian thinkers of the day gathered at Tatev University. Truly ahead of its time, the university had an institutional structure that closely resembled modern universities. It consisted of three schools, each divided into different faculties. The first school was dedicated to the study of the more traditional disciples (theology, philosophy, architecture, literature, and linguistics). The second was the school of manuscript production, including a special branch in miniature painting, and the third was the school of musical theory and practice. Tatev University had an extensive library, from which 140 manuscripts remain today, preserved at the Matenadaran book repository.

Tatev University's academic tradition came to an end in 1435, when the monastery was invaded by Shah Rukh, one of Tamerlane's successors, and the remaining monks reestablished themselves at Sanahin Monastery in the north.

In the centuries to come, Tatev Monastery would undergo periods of religious revival and several restorations, but would never return to its medieval glory. In 1931, an earthquake left the monastery in ruins. It was partially restored from the 1970s to the 1990s. Today, the restoration of the monastery and rejuvenation of monastic life are major components of the Tatev Revival Project, continuing a centuries-old tradition of protecting, preserving and enhancing our cultural heritage.
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The COMMUNITY [Tatev Village]

The Tatev Revival Project encompasses not only the monastery, but the seven villages that surround it - Tatev, Halidzor, Tandzatap, Svarants, Khot, Shinuhayr and Khndzoresk. Historically, the villages and the monastery have had a symbiotic relationship. Today, when viewing the region's potential as a destination for rural and community-based tourism, the same principal applies. Visitors to the monastery will surely want to get a feel for village life, and with the steady flow of tourists assured by the monastery, there lies great potential to develop and promote tourism assets in the villages.

Our tourism and community development projects are designed in keeping with the greater framework of the Southern Armenia Tourism Corridor, and the tourism development vision for Armenia, one that is progressive, experiential, environmentally friendly, and community-based.

The Tatev Revival Project is designed to be deeply involved with the local communities, with a focus on job creation. We are developing rural tourism initiatives, such as a network of village bed and breakfasts, and a revival of local cuisine and crafts. These projects will add to the tourism appeal of the region, engage community members, and boost the local economy.
Our motto for community involvement consists of Seven E's: Empower, Engage, Educate, Enthuse, Energize, Enrich, Entertain, Encourage.
Below are photos of Tatev Village:


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As an exciting new model for public-private partnerships in Armenia, the Tatev Revival Project offers several opportunities for participation and involvement.
If you'd like to volunteer, donate, become a sponsor, or if you would simply like more information about the project, please contact us at:
National Competitiveness Foundation of Armenia
5 Mher Mkrtchyan Street
Yerevan 0010, Republic of Armenia
Tel/Fax: +374 10 583521, 589193
E-mail: [email protected]

YEREVAN, JULY 16, ARMENPRESS: The cable way being constructed as part
of the `Tatev Revival' program will be put into operation in October
of the running year. Press officer of the Armenian National
Competitiveness Foundation Zara Amatuni told Armenpress that the cable
way will have two stations which will be located near Halidzor and
Tatev villages.

Zara Amatuni said currently it is the longest cable way in the world
the length of which is 5.7 km. The construction works launched in the
autumn of the past year. The route of the cable way is 12 minutes,
20-25 people may be roomed there. The greatest privilege is that the
cable way will function both in summer and winter.

`Tatev Revival' program though will not be accomplished with the
construction of the cable way only. During that period a part of
Tatev's roads will be reconstructed and the other part renovated.

Still from the past year the Competitiveness Foundation initiated
`Tatev's Revival' program within the framework of which it is intended
to restore Tatev's monastic complex and nearby territory as well as
built a hotel, develop infrastructures and work out tourism types like
`culinary tourism' directionsd.

Tatev aerial tramway, breakthrough in area tourism, set for October opening
by Paul Chaderjian
Friday July 16, 2010
http://www.reporter.am/index.cfm?furl=/go/article/2010-07-16-tatev-aerial-tramway-breakthrough-in-area-tourism-set-for-october-opening&pagewanted=all

Tatev, Armenia - Hundreds of visionaries, philanthropists, government and church officials, and community leaders will gather at the ancient Tatev Monastery in southern Armenia on Saturday, October 16, 2010, for the launch of the innovative and forward-thinking Tatev Revival Project.

"Tatev is one of our historic landmarks. It's a crown jewel in our cultural heritage and was for centuries a major focal point and religious center for our people. It was also where we studied theology, humanities, the sciences, and created art and literature," said Zarmine Zeitountsian, Fundraising Coordinator of the Tatev Revival Project. "Tatev is a 9th century landmark that, due to natural causes and centuries of neglect, is now in serious need of conservation and restoration."

The Tatev monastic complex underwent a flawed and unfinished renovation attempt in the 1980s under Soviet rule. Rain and snow continue to threaten the stability of the ancient structures and seep through to interiors causing more damage.

"There's still a massive construction crane from the renovation attempt, and it's been standing in the middle of the courtyard for the last 30 years," said Zeitountsian. "The work that was attempted in the 80s is historically inaccurate and unbefitting. It is important not only to conserve the structures of the Monastery, protecting them from deterioration, but also to undo some of the inappropriate interventions such as the hotel lobby-like marble floors in the holy St. Paul and Peter Church, and to restore some collapsed components such as the ancient monk cells."

Spearheading the massive $50-million Tatev Revival Project on behalf of a group of stakeholders, including the Armenian Government and Church, benefactors and the Armenian people is the National Competitiveness Foundation of Armenia.
This public-private partnership tackles breakthrough, strategic projects that act as catalysts for long-term development. Competitiveness Foundation projects trigger both government and private investments in sectors like tourism, education, and healthcare. Economists have identified these sectors as ones that will make Armenia globally competitive.

"Our challenge was not just to renovate the monastery, but to ensure that it will live, become active and self-sustaining," said Competitiveness Foundation CEO, Pegor Papazian. "Tatev is part of our Southern Armenia Tourism Corridor, where we have designed and are developing projects that are designed to create excitement and inspire confidence, so that our intervention will trigger further development. We are zoning and creating a master plan for the region, so that we can direct development and mobilize investments while protecting nature and the rural environment."

The far-sighted Tatev Revival Project will launch in October with the grand opening of the $13 million aerial tramway. Already under construction since last fall, this 5.7-kilometer (3.5-mile) aerial tramway - the world's longest teleferic - will allow visitors to bypass a 90-minute drive in and out of the rocky Vorotan River Gorge to reach the monastery. It will link Armenia's main regional highway to the village of Tatev.

"We have a very diverse group of donors, including quite a few non-Armenians and people of different faiths - Christian, Jewish and Muslim. As a result of their contributions, the 9th century Tatev complex may be reached by taking a 10-minute ride," said Zeitountsian. "This tramway will take visitors over picturesque green hills, steep cliffs, and the rushing white waters of the Vorotan River. In itself, it will be an impressive tourist attraction."

The Ruben and Veronica Vardanian and Friends Foundation is the main benefactor of the Halidzor-Tatev tramway construction. Several sponsors have also committed to covering the maintenance and operating costs of the Swiss-built ropeway. It will operate year-round, to allow tourists from around the globe to experience Tatev during all seasons, even during snow-covered winters.
"With our investors committed to the project, we also have Armenia's taxpayers and government stepping up to reconstruct and repave the roads leading to Halidzor and Tatev and to strengthen the area's infrastructure," said Zara Amatuni, Competitiveness Foundation Outreach Manager. "There are other investors looking into developing community-based tourism activities, hotels, bed and breakfasts, and eateries."

Among the many innovative breakthrough development programs in the Tatev Revival Project are the renewal of Tatev's monastic traditions, an arts and crafts revival, and culinary tourism. These sophisticated, multi-faceted projects are ambitious and reflect a long-term perspective.

"People value food, especially authentic ethnic food, and we want to make the region's cuisine more accessible. We want to revive old and forgotten recipes, use local ingredients to create new dishes, and offer tourists and global markets a new take on Armenian cuisine," said Papazian. "The same ideology will be applied to arts and craft revival, which will help make Armenia more competitive as a tourism destination. Projects such as these will result in economic growth that will naturally lead to more jobs, reduced migration, and a sustainable economy."

The monastic revival component of the Tatev Revival Project will bring back to life a time when Tatev was home to more than 500 monks and a thriving university that excelled in scientific, literary, and religious studies. In its heyday, Tatev was at the leading edge of education. Today, plans are in the works to make the monastery attractive for students, artists, academics and even pilgrims. The monastery has the potential to become a center for academic conferences, research projects, workshops, summer camps, science fairs, musical concerts, lectures, retreats, and sabbaticals.

"We are attracting financing and plugging Armenia into global networks and markets," said Papazian. "We want people to choose Armenia over another country they might be considering next time they plan their vacation. We want to be competitive across sectors, and especially in tourism, healthcare, and education which have great unrealized potential."

Information about the Competitiveness Foundation's mandate and other projects is available online athttp://www.cf.am/. The Tatev Revival Project is described fully on its own site athttp://www.tatev.am/.

This 5.7-kilometer (3.5-mile) aerial tramway - the world's longest teleferic - will allow visitors to bypass a 90-minute drive in and out of the rocky Vorotan River Gorge to reach the monastery. It will link Armenia's main regional highway [the road from north to Coris, road from Coris to Kapan] to the village of Tatev.

In the picture the red line is the tramway and the white line is the road to Tatev from Halidzor.
At the upper most part of the picture is Halidzor. The insert picture on the right shows village Halidzor and above it the tramway Halidzor station (and a hotel). The tramway goes from that station of Halizdor to Tatev monastery located above the Tatev village as shown in lower left part of the picture, all in record time of 12 minutes, bypassing the treachery zig-zag ground road from Halidzor to Tatev, along that road are the mineral natural pools known as devilish bridge (marked in the middle of picture toward the left) which now will be able to visit by road only. Mets Anapad, marked near the devilish bridge is another monastery.
Devil bridge is a strange looking natural stone bridge (that is why it has been called devilish) above the Voroton River, below and near by are the natural mineral pools with warm water and waterfalls were people go for taking bath and for recreation.