The Ancient Survivor Yerevan

Stone fauna of Armenia

Arpi from Yerevan

""The Ancient Survivor" is the statue of a leopard in front of the Hrazdan River Gorge in Yerevan. My theory is that it was petrified by the lava..."

Long, long ago, when Mt Gutanasar in the north of Armenia erupted, the lava flow accidentally started to chase after a leopard. However, she managed to escape by running long distances. When she reached Yerevan, she saw a gorge and decided to jump off there. The lava was about to catch her. The leopard crossed itself and jumped into the gorge. God had mercy on her and made the lava crystallize. Unfortunately, God was busy creating the Universe at that time and was not paying so much attention. So a drop of lava fell on the poor animal and she became petrified in an instant.

You can still see her stone statue in Hrazdan river gorge. It’s guarding the entrance or exit of the tunnel that guides people from the city center to the gorge. By the way, I forgot to mention the same god decided to create a passageway so that our leopard could escape from lava, but it (to avoid gender discrimination I use “it”) didn’t manage to make it at the right moment.

Well, since I knew nothing about this beautiful statue I had to invent this story. If you like to evolve the story visit this spot in Hrazdan river gorge. Even if you are not good in inventing the stories, you can still come here; the stone may speak to you.

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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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Hrazdan Gorge

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free

Dec 5, 2025

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