#akhtala

原本我和阿文包車，只打算一遊 Hagpat 哈格帕特和 Sanahin 薩那欣兩座著名的修道院 (以後有機會再介紹)，兩座修道院離首都Yerevan 葉綠凡差不多五六個小時車程，旅行社的職員卻提議我們可以順便去看看 Hagpat 和 Sanahin 附近的另一座修道院 Akhtala。這座修道院和薩那欣一樣，最初是建於十世紀，至今已有千年歷史。我們心想，反正都花那麼多時間坐車，不如就多去一間修道院看看吧。

那天剛好是復活節前的星期四，即受難日前一天。我們來到修道院時，修道院剛好正進行洗腳禮 / 濯足節，我們當然不能錯過。

原本坐在頌經的主教後面的人脫去鞋襪，逐一坐到他前面的椅子上，主教跪到地上用水沾濕他們雙腳，再用毛巾抹乾(是用同一塊毛巾…錯重點)

洗腳禮是基督宗教重要的日子，目的是紀念耶穌最後的晚餐為門徒洗腳。

最後的晚餐時，耶穌脫了衣服，拿一條手巾束腰，隨後把水倒在盆裡，就洗門…

Globe-T. @ Akhtala Monastery (Armenia). Akhtala was built in the late 10th century. The fortress played a major role in protecting the north-western regions of Armenia. The murals are some of the best representations of Byzantine art in the country.

A Thousand Year’s Watch

More photos at http://www.rebirtharmenia.com/blog/

Hilltop Hideaways and Homemade Hospitality – Alaverdi, Armenia

With our Iranian visas finally in hand we shoulder our packs and squeezed our way onto the local bus to the Ochatala station headed for new frontiers in Armenia. Spending out last 2GEL on a final kachapuri and securing two seats in the minivan headed to Yerevan we wait for the remaining seats to fill and hit the road. Fruit trees everywhere were covered in white blossom flowers signalling that…

Akhtala monastery, Armenia | Flickr