Dragon Stone Yerevan

Guarding Yerevan

Arpi from Yerevan

"The "Dragon Stone" in Yerevan is a 'vishapagar'. These prehistoric stones are surrounded by legends, mostly having to do with rain..."

If you are next to this monument, take a moment to imagine that you are standing in the mountains near a water source where there is such a horizontal stone but standing upright. That is how it should be. All these stones discovered in the Armenian mountains in the late 19th century share such a geographical location. Named vishapaqar (dragon stone) in Armenian, these prehistoric stone stelaes are shaped like fish and often carved with bovid hide on their bellies.

Unfortunately we cannot see it on our dragon because of its lying position. Different studies have shown their connection with dragon-fighting myths embedded into many Indo-European cultures. This myth tells of the thunder God fighting with the fish-dragon and defeating it. This victory gave birth to all the earthly waters and brought rain, fertilizing the earth. Well, modern humans could turn this legend into an awesome animation, but as our ancestors were devoid of such tools, they translated this myth into such stone monuments.

When I attended one lecture about dragons, the researcher said that once, when they were lifting the lying dragon near a mountain tent, local Yazidis were resisting, insisting that no one could touch it for it was their rain stone. Anyway, once they erected it, a disastrous storm happened. I am not a superstitious person but I believe that something went wrong after this dragon was relocated from its original place. Can we rehabilitate the world by taking it back? Ask the dragon!

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Yerevan Spotter Arpi

About me I am a tour guide and I love my job very much because I like multicultural environements and my job gives me the chance to experience different cultures without even leaving my country. That's why I chose to become a Spotter. Honestly, I am concerned with the idea that my country is being misinterpreted and misrepresented, because the regular touristic places give very limited insight about Armenia. Spotted by Locals is a unique chance for me to reveal more aspects of my country and help visitors explore it from different angles. I have been living in Yerevan since ...

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Circular Park

AMD

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Dec 5, 2025

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