Planning a trip? Build a personalized plan with Maya - your AI travel assistant by Live the World

Chat with Maya

Levon’s divine underground

3 minutes to read

Travel Tips For Arinj

Get personalized advice based on this article from AI assistant Maya
Get the most authentic Art and culture experience. Check out these guided tours and skip-the-line tickets around Arinj.
If you use the above links, you pay the same price and we get a small commission - thanks for your support!

Sometimes when you travel to different countries, you are in search of unique places, you want to find something that you can't see in any other land. Of course, in each country there are those kinds of hidden places, and travelers who are very curious about finding them will definitely do that. One of those places in Armenia is only 2 km from the capital Yerevan, in the village of Arinj. It's called "Levon’s divine underground". It is a huge hand-carved building created below the surface and it will blow your mind.

©Unknown
©Unknown

What’s interesting, being a local, I have never heard of this place and I have never went there before August 2017. Once a friend of mine from Britain, who visits Armenia very often, told me about it. Apparently, he visits the Levon's underground each time he comes to Armenia. That made me think it should be something really unusual, if people are not bored to make their way to the same place every year. He invited me, so I went.

©Unknown
©Unknown

In Arinj, we met Tosya (Levon’s wife) who told us the whole story. She asked her husband Levon (when he was 44) to make a potato cellar beneath their house. Levon started to carve, but he could not stop. His wife told us that very often Levon dreamed about a voice that was telling him to keep on carving. That was the reason why he used to work the whole day (almost non-stop). He had very simple carving tools such as hammers and chisels. All the neighbors started to think that he had mental problems. Each time, when passing by, they would tell him that, instead of digging a useless hole, he should earn money for his family. Ignoring all the comments, he continued his job until 2008, when he passed away. During all those years, he made seven floors beneath his house, with separate halls and rooms with nice carvings on the walls, all in dark orange color. This is a sort of a labyrinth, that’s why when they have guests, Tosya always goes downstairs with them, so they do not get lost (though there are also signs that show how to get out from there).

©Unknown
©Unknown

The energy in the underground and the vibes are fantastic. You can literary feel how this place clears your mind and inner world. I guess each visitor at some point starts to realize why Levon spent all those years there… that's because here you feel like there is no time, no need to rush, you just relax, stay alone with yourself, with your nature and enjoy the positive energy around you.

©Unknown
©Unknown

Levon’s neighbors thought that he did not earn money for his family (maybe that was true), but he did it after his death. Every visitor of Levon’s divine underground leaves some money (there is no entrance fee, but still, they leave as much as they want) thanks to which his family earns daily living. Levon left this world, but his name will always be remembered. Following this, I urge everybody to follow your dreams, and your inner voice as those can show you what's your mission in this life. Stay well, and keep on reading my stories.

Levon's divine underground
Levon's divine underground
Arinj, Armenia

Want to plan a trip here? Talk to AI travel assistant Maya.





The author

Lusine Vardanyan

Lusine Vardanyan

I’m Lusine, from Armenia. I like to travel and explore new places. I'm interested in art, culture, music and sports. On itinari I’ll show you Armenia the way I see it.

Plan a trip with Maya - your AI travel assistant

Chat with Maya

Stories you might also like