Zorats Karer

Outside the remote village of Sisian, Armenia, stands a circle of Neolithic stones, well weathered with age. Some of the stones are pierced with a circular hole through which observers can see the sky and the stars.

The Zorats Karer, also called Karahunj or Carahunge, consists of 223 stones in total, arranged in a circle flanked by northern and southern arms. It has been dated to the Middle Bronze Age or possibly the Iron Age. Though its purpose remains unknown, several astronomers have suggested the site is an ancient astronomical observatory due to the circular holes that were bored into several of the standing stones.

An alternative theory is that the stones are what remains of the walls of an ancient Armenian city. Whatever the truth, these weather-beaten stones standing mysteriously atop a wild windswept hill are well worth the trip.