Arjeri

Arjeri Caverns - Archeri Caverns - Archer Cave - Bear Caverns

Useful Information

Location:	Near Yeghegnadzor. From Areni towards Arpi, after 6.4 km turn right across the Arpa river. After 7.6 km behind the old guardhouse, right of the road. (39.7099028, 45.2439770)
Open:	Gated, tours by appointment. [2026]
Fee:	yes. [2026]
Classification:	Karst Cave
Light:	none
Dimension:	L=3,300 m, VR=135 m, T=10-11 °C, A=1650 m asl.
Guided tours:
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:	no
Bibliography:
Address:	Tel: +37494844121.
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

1940s	accidentally discovered by a local hunter.
1980	a shepherd showed the cave to E. Sargsyan’s caver group, first exploration.
1984	explored by the Geographical Society and 3,250 m surveyed.
1985	total surveyed length reaches 3,500 m.

Description

Despite being no show cave, actually the cave is gated and a permit is required for a visit, this cave is unfortunately listed on numerous tourist websites. So this page is actually intended to tell you that this is not a tourist spot. This cave requires caving skills, caving equipment, a guide, a permission, and a key.

Arjeri cave is famous for outstanding speleothems, and is the longest and deepest cave in the country. The name Arjeri means Bear in Armenian, but actually it was not named for cave bear bones, the locals gave it that name because they had found bear hair and the bones of various animals at the entrance, so they thought it was a recent bear’s den. Unfortunately those remains were later destroyed by vandalism and were never studied in detail. However, it is often mistranslated as Archeri Caverns or Archer Cave, or even Arjeri Bear's Cave, which is obviously a Smile tautology. The actual name in Armenian is Արջերի քարանձավ (Arjeri k’arandzav, Bear Cave).

The cave is located about 7 km from Areni and 4 km from Arpi in the Vayots Dzor Province, in one of the northern spurs of the Waihi Range. There is a 50–80 m-thick lower Eocene limestone bed. The cave is of hypogene origin, it was formed by the up-flow of hot water through tectonic and lithogenic fissures, after which down-flow currents formed the karstic features. The labyrinthine system interconnected by vertical shafts and with multi-level chambers has a slope of 25-35 degrees. Needle-like cavities 1.5–2.5 m high are predominant, there are only a few large halls, which are on average 15–20 m long and 4–5 m high. The passages connecting the larger chambers and needle-like cavities are small, with a width and height of 0.5–1.5 m. In other words, any visit requires a lot of stooping and crawling.

The cave developed along two main directions, transverse (northwest to southeast) and longitudinal (north to south). They have an angle of about 70° to each other. These two cave axes intersect in the Լուսանկարիչների դահլիճ (Photographers' Hall). The cave is very rich in stalactites, stalagmites, stalagnates, curtains, helictites, and cave corals. The most magnificent decorations are found in the Հայ անձավագետների դահլիճ (Hall of the Armenian Speleologists). The cave is home to several species of bats.

The Հնագիտական դահլիճ (Archaeological Hall) once had a natural entrance and was visited for a very long time. Traces of a hearth, pottery shards, and 'seats' fashioned from broken stalactites and stalagmites were found here. The natural entrance collapsed and so the remains were protected. The cave is on the State Register of Historic and Cultural Monuments of the Vayots Dzor Province. It is under the supervision of the Foundation for the Preservation of Wildfire and Cultural Assets.