Khor Virap is one of Armenia’s most iconic pilgrimage sites and arguably the most photographed monastery in the country, thanks to its dramatic location at the foot of Mount Ararat. Khor Virap is located on the western side of the Araks River. The importance of the Khor Virap Church is closely linked to Saint Gregory the Illuminator, who made Christianity the official religion. Saint Gregory the Illuminator, Armenia’s patron saint, was imprisoned here for 13 years in a deep underground pit (the “khor virap”) by King Tiridates III. After Gregory miraculously survived and later healed the king’s madness, Tiridates converted — leading to Armenia becoming the first Christian nation in 301 AD.