Agitu

Four kilometers east of Sisian, on the left bank of the Vorotan River, lies the village of Agitu—home to one of Armenia’s most unusual early medieval monuments. A 7th-century funerary structure dominates the site, perched above two deep burial chambers. The design is austere: a stepped rear entrance leads to a raised platform, above which stand three vertical elements—two pylons and a central column—linked by arches and crowned with a stone cornice. Originally, three arches rested on sculpted columns above the structure, though these upper elements have not survived. According to local legend, the monument honors three Syunik princes who defeated a Persian commander and his advancing army. In recognition of its cultural value, the image of the tomb once adorned the old 1,000 dram banknote.

Most visitors come seeking the famed “statue of death” nearby, unaware that just down the slope, hidden within the Vorotan Gorge, lies a site of far greater historical weight—the cave known as Agitu-3.

For nearly twenty years, archaeologists have been excavating this extraordinary cave. Their work has uncovered a trove of relics spanning millennia: from a Paleolithic sewing needle estimated at 29,000 years old to a Urartian figurine and medieval household items.

The primary excavation layer belongs to the Upper Paleolithic. Humans first settled in the cave between 40,000 and 23,000 years ago. Though abandoned during certain periods, the site was repeatedly reinhabited, suggesting its enduring importance.

By the 1st century BCE, the cave had become a place of worship. In the medieval era, it was repurposed for domestic use. During Soviet times, it served as a communal fruit-drying facility. More recently, plans to convert it into a restaurant nearly materialized.

Agitu is more than a village with a famous tomb. It’s a rare intersection of myth, history, and archaeology—where the grandeur of early architecture stands beside one of the region’s richest prehistoric dwellings.