The Khor Virap ( meaning deep dungeon) monastery is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Armenia. Its location, near the closest point to Mount Ararat within Armenian borders, offers a spectacular view of the mountain, the national symbol of Armenia.

It is also significant as being the place of Gregory the Illuminator's 13-year imprisonment, after which Gregory, by converting the King Trdat III to Christianity in the year 301, made Armenia the first country to adopt Christianity as its official religion.