Cascade Third Terrace and Solar Bas-Reliefs Gallery

Why is it significant?

You have reached the midpoint of the Cascade's height—the third terrace, dedicated to celestial symbolism and ancient solar iconography of the Armenian highlands. Carved into the central travertine wall is a colossal stone sun disk—Arev—radiating stylized flaming rays.

Key Facts

Open the walk

You have reached the midpoint of the Cascade's height—the third terrace, dedicated to celestial symbolism and ancient solar iconography of the Armenian highlands. Carved into the central travertine wall is a colossal stone sun disk—Arev—radiating stylized flaming rays. In pre-Christian Armenian mythology, Mihr, the god of solar light, was revered as the bringer of fertility, truth, and cosmic justice, and his radiant sun wheel traditionally adorned medieval church portals and khachkars.

Examine the stone carvings flanking the solar disk: mythological griffins, winged lions, and Simurgh-like figures holding branches of the tree of life. These motifs trace directly to eighth-century BC Urartian bronze shields and palace frescoes excavated at the fortress of Teishebaini on Karmir Blur. Master stonemasons fused the archaic dignity of ancient Near Eastern reliefs with the minimalist precision of twentieth-century modernist stonecraft. Water emerges from beneath the sun disk into an ornamental basin.

Directly beneath this terrace is the central subterranean exhibition gallery of the Cafesjian Center, which regularly hosts world-class temporary exhibitions of modern graphic masters from Pablo Picasso and Marc Chagall to contemporary Armenian diaspora artists. Glass skylights embedded in the terrace floor channel natural daylight down into the galleries below, creating a dramatic interplay of natural light across modern artworks.

The view from this level is magnificent: the straight arrow of Tamanyan Street cuts directly through the urban fabric toward the majestic twin peaks of Mount Ararat. On clear days, Greater and Lesser Ararat appear in breathtaking clarity. Standing before the giant stone sun, you feel connected to the millennial depth of Armenian civilization, where astronomical knowledge and stonecraft flourished for thousands of years under the watchful gaze of the surrounding volcanic peaks. The ancient celestial motifs carved into the travertine walls celebrate the enduring resilience of the Armenian spirit through the ages.

Tackle the next flight of stone steps to reach the grand water amphitheater on the fourth terrace.