Levon’s Divine Underground is a hand-carved underground complex beneath a family home in Arinj, Kotayk Province, Armenia. It began as a cellar and grew into a network of rooms and passages, making it an unusual outing from Yerevan for anyone interested in Levon Arakelyan’s remarkable work.
- Location: 9 Fifth Street, Arinj.
- What it is: A handmade underground complex with tunnels, shrines, stairs, halls, and chambers.
- Access: The visit involves stairs, narrow passages, and uneven stone.
- Before setting out: Confirm access and current arrangements with the family.
What is Levon’s Divine Underground?
Levon’s Divine Underground is a network of hand-carved rooms beneath a family home in Arinj. Levon Arakelyan started digging in 1985 after his wife, Tosya, wanted a place to store potatoes. The excavation continued for 23 years, expanding into tunnels, shrines, stairs, halls, and multiple chambers.
The visit is not limited to the underground rooms. It also includes a small family-home museum with Levon’s tools and personal items, a garden with plants and his paintings, and souvenirs available to buy. These accompanying spaces offer context for the work and the family behind it.
How should you plan a visit?
Plan around a privately run family site, and confirm the arrangements before travelling. Hours are given as daily 10:00 to 18:00 or 10:00 to 20:00, while admission is reported as donation-based or 4 USD per person. Contact the family to confirm access, hours, and any fee; check the official site before you go.
Opening hours
- Monday to Sunday: 10:00–17:00
Last checked November 2026. Hours can change on holidays and for special events.
A visitor contact number is +374 77 178850. The address is 9 Fifth Street (also written as 5th Street, house 9), Arinj. The official contact and current visit-arrangement instructions could not be verified, so confirm that the site can receive you before setting out.
How do you get from Yerevan to Levon’s Divine Underground?
Directions describe bus and taxi options from Yerevan, but don’t establish a route from the hotel itself. One bus option is bus 47, which serves stops including Komitas Avenue, Marshal Baghramyan Metro, Opera, Mashtots Avenue, and Central Bus Station toward Arinj; from there, the directions continue to 5th Street, house 9. A taxi from Yerevan is also an option. Confirm the current route and service before travelling.
From Nork Residence, Levon’s Divine Underground is about 15 minutes by car. You can view the available room options at the hotel while planning your visit.
What should you know about access and the route?
The underground route involves a staircase reported to have approximately 80 steps, along with narrow passages and uneven stone. The site is inaccessible for visitors with mobility limitations, so consider those conditions before arranging a visit.
The enclosed passages may also be uncomfortable if you have claustrophobia. The route’s confined spaces and uneven footing are important practical considerations, not just details of the site’s history.
FAQs
Where is Levon’s Divine Underground?
It is beneath a family home at 9 Fifth Street in Arinj, Kotayk Province, Armenia.
How long did Levon Arakelyan dig?
He began in 1985 and continued the excavation for 23 years.
Is the underground site accessible for visitors with mobility limitations?
No. The route includes stairs, narrow passages, and uneven stone, and the site is inaccessible for visitors with mobility limitations.