An ancient burial vault from the world of Biainili - the land we now call Urartu - resting beneath modern Yerevan.
A tomb from deep time
The Biainili vault is an ancient burial site in Yerevan, named for Biainili - the indigenous name of the kingdom history remembers as Urartu, the Iron Age realm centred on the Armenian Highland. The vault is one of those quiet archaeological traces that remind you Yerevan's story runs far older than its modern streets.
An off-roader, driver-guides, and access to places an ordinary car can’t reach: Satani Kar (the natural bridge), the Vorotan gorge, hot springs.
Layers beneath the city
Discovered among the strata of the capital's long-inhabited ground, the vault speaks to burial customs and beliefs of a civilisation that built fortresses, canals and cities across these lands. It is a modest but evocative window onto a world that shaped the region's earliest history.
A one-day food tour: the Areni-1 cave with 6,100-year-old winemaking artefacts, a tasting at a family winery, and lunch by the red cliffs of Noravank.
Beneath the living city, the older one keeps its silence.
The site lies within Yerevan, easy to weave into a day exploring the capital's deep past. Before you go, glance at the Yerevan forecast - a quick check keeps your walking among the city's old and new comfortable.
The pagan temple of Garni, the Garni gorge with its basalt «Symphony of Stones», and Geghard — a 4th-century monastery carved into the rock. Lunch with lavash baking in a tonir.
From Yerevan to this place a car or transfer is the most convenient — public transport reaches most Armenian places rarely. Plan a day for the road plus at least half a day for the place itself.
Stay nearby
Where to stay if you're going for a day or more
A loft in old Yerevan
A loft in historic stone cellars, 5 minutes from the Cascade. Breakfast with gata and matnakash. Unlimited coffee.
Yerevan → Alaverdi (Lori)
Northern Armenia via Dilijan and Vanadzor. An optional stop along the way at Haghpat and Sanahin — both UNESCO sites.
Hyundai Elantra 2023
A modern sedan for the highways. Good for Sevan, Gyumri, Lori — on asphalt. It won’t make it to Khustup or Satani Kar.
- Full tank
- CASCO
- Parking sensors