On 23 October 2010, a beautiful and remote corner of southern Armenia, I had the pleasure to to seal with a Guinness World Records certificate the extensive efforts undertaken by National Competitiveness Foundation of Armenia to open its ancient Tatev Monastery to larger flows of visitors and encourage the revival of tourism and development in the region.
The new $13-million, double track Tatev Aerial Tramway, part of the $50-million Tatev Revival Project led by the public-private National Competitiveness Foundation, now connects the village of Halizor with the medieval Tatev Monastery in a non-stop, 5,752 m (18,871 ft) 11-minutes journey, offering a spectacular journey across the Vorotan River Gorge, with its deepest drop at 360 meters (1,181 ft).
On my way to Tatev, I had a first-hand experience of the secludedness of the monastery, which is bautifully perched on a green hilltop. The car journey up the hill took almost an hour, with the scenic road winding around the mountain in a succession of curves and turns. For the locals and visitors alike, thanks to the Tatev Aerial Tramway, there is now an easier, more comfortable option, which has the added benefit of offering a stunning panoramic view of the surrounding area.
The design process and foundation work for the aerial tramway began in 2009, with its opening ceremony and the official launch of the Tatev Revival Project on 16 October 2010. The aerial tramway is supported by three towers between its two terminals. One terminal is on a hill overlooking the village of Halidzor and the other is near Tatev Monastery, on the road to Tatev village. At top speed, the tramway will travel at 37 kilometers per hour, with the two cabins (each with the capacity to hold 25 people) operating at once and travelling in opposite directions. There are six cables altogether (three per cabin, with two cables suspending and one cable pulling each cabin), each uniquely built for the specifications of this project.
Source - community.guinnessworldrecords
