Odzi port
Location: Ardvi
From Yerevan: 186km/3h 30min.
Natural Healing Source in Ardvi village.
Odzi Port is one of the wonders of Lori Province. According to the legend, on the right side of the canyon there was a school, where wise old pilgrim educated his seven pupils. Very often on the left side a huge vishap (dragon, snake) appeared and his scaring voice silenced everything around. Once, a villager woman, walking down the slope with jug on her shoulder, noticed the animal and immediately turned into a stone. The sage send one the pupils to find out what was going on, but he did not return. All the seven pupils sent never appeared and the pilgrim decided to go and look for them. As soon as he left the school he faced the horrible creature. The pilgrim hit the dragon’s head with his rod and told: “You become a stone and let a spring come from your heart. You become a medicine for the sick.”
It seems as if two vishaps are “crawling” down the slope. These are two stone veins: one is longer and thicker and the other is shorter and thinner. From “Big Vishap” there are two streams, which just save tired travellers during summer heat. The first stream is an ordinary one and the second one has healing properties. The water stream, flowing from the Western side is thin; it is called “Odzi Port”. As the water is mountainous, it has healing properties. Water, which is used not only by locals, but by anyone who wished to … They say, once the woman with the jug was clearly seen, but in 1939 it was destroyed and the stones were used for shed building. The view is awesome and unique: comfortable settlement, wonderful monastic complex, picturesque gorge.
Visiting Lori region, you would be delighted to see Stepanavan Dendropark as well.
