{{Infobox Settlement
|official_name =Garrni
|native_name = 
|pushpin_map            =Armenia
|mapsize                =150px
|subdivision_type       = Country
|subdivision_name       = Armenia
|subdivision_type1      = Marz (Province)
|subdivision_name1      =Kotayk
|leader_title           = 
|leader_name            = 
|established_title      =
|established_date       = 
|area_total_km2           = 
|area_footnotes           = 
|population_as_of         = 2008
|population_total =7415
|population_density_km2   =
|timezone =&nbsp;
|utc_offset             = +4
|timezone_DST           =&nbsp; 
|utc_offset_DST         = +5
|latd=40 |latm=07 |lats=10 |latNS=N
|longd=44|longm=43 |longs=23 |longEW=E
|elevation_m            = 
|area_code              = 
|website                = 
}}
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'''Garrni''' or '''Garni''' ("Գառնի" in Armenian; until 1936, '''Bash Gyarni''') is a village in the Armenian province of Kotayk', situated approx. 32 km southeast from Yerevan, notable for its fortress complex. As it lies on the road to the well known monastery of Geghard (further 7 km southeast) it receives a large number of visitors.

In the 3<sup>rd</sup> millennium BC the first fortification was constructed on an easily defendable terrain at one of the bends of the Urartian king Argishti I and the site became a military base and the king's summer residence. Several additional buildings were constructed since then, such as the king's palace, baths and the site's most famous and best preserved building, a Tethys. One of the intact inscriptions in |thumb|150px|left|Mosaic on the floor of the bathhouse of Garni
The temple was constructed in the 1<sup>st</sup> century AD by the King Ionic columns on Attic bases. Unlike other Greco-Roman temples, it is made of basalt. It was sacked in 1386 by Timur Lenk.  The town contains the ruins of a 4th century church.  In 1679 it was destroyed by an earthquake. Most of the original pieces remained at the site until the 20th century, allowing the building to be reconstructed between 1969 and 1979. 

thumb|right|300px|Garni, [[Kotayk]]
In recent years another theory arose among some archeologists. They claim that the temple was actually constructed as the tomb for an Armeno-Roman ruler, probably Sohaemus. In that case it should have been constructed around 175 AD and thus about a century younger than indicated by the first theory.

After the adoption of Christianity some churches and a katholikos' palace were also constructed at the fortification site, but these are now in ruins like most of the other buildings except the temple.

Other sites of Garni outside the fortification site include churches of Mother of God and St. Mashtots as well as ruins of the Havuts Tar monastery several killometers south east from the village.  Much of the population descends from people settled in the population exchange of 1829-1830, following the Treaty of Turkmenchay between Russia and Persia.  

==References==
*
*[http://world-gazetteer.com/wg.php?x=&men=gcis&lng=en&des=wg&geo=-17&srt=npan&col=abcdefghinoq&msz=1500&pt=c&va=x World Gazeteer: Armenia] &ndash; World-Gazetteer.com
*Kiesling, ''Rediscoving Armenia'', p. 51, available online at the [http://yerevan.usembassy.gov/armenia.pdf US embassy to Armenia's website]

{{Positionskarte
 |Armenien
 |label=Garni 
 |lat_deg=40 |lat_min=07
 |lon_deg=44 |lon_min=43
 |position=right
 |width=200
 |float=right
 |caption=Garnis Lage in Armenien
}}
thumb|200px|Mithras-Tempel im Winter
thumb|200px|Mithras-Tempel im Sommer
'''Garni''' (armenisch , russisch ) ist eine armenische Kleinstadt in der Provinz Kotajk. Sie liegt etwas 30 km östlich von Eriwan im Tal des Azat-Flusses oberhalb der Basaltschlucht von Awan.

Garni war einige Jahrhunderte lang Sommerresidenz der armenischen Könige - Ruinen der Festung Garni existieren noch heute. Innerhalb des Festungsgeländes ließ Tiridates I. im 1. Jahrhundert einen kleinen hellenistischen ionischen Säulen errichten. Er wurde bei einem Erdbeben 1679 zerstört und seit 1966 mit Originalmaterial rekonstruiert. Bei jüngeren Ausgrabungen wurde ein römisches Badehaus mit gut erhaltenem Mosaikfußboden entdeckt. Sehenswert ist auch die antike Kirche aus blau-schwarzem Basalt.

Garni ist ein beliebtes Touristenziel für Tagesausflüge von Eriwan aus; ganz in der Nähe liegt das Geghard-Kloster aus dem 12. Jahrhundert, das zum großen Teil aus dem massiven Felsen gehauen ist.

In der Umgebung von Garni werden Wein, Obst und Walnüsse angebaut.

==Weblinks==
* [http://www.armenica.org/cgi-bin/armenica.cgi?=2=be=1====bez0000 Garni in Armenica.org]
* [http://www.armeniapedia.org/index.php?title=Garni Armeniapedia Garni Temple]