Horom's Cyclopean Fortress in Armenia

The Classical Greeks believed that, since the walls of ancient Mycenae (which was already in ruins in the Classical Era) was so magnificent, entirely made out of huge boulders, it was probably the Cyclopean giants that helped the Mycenaeans built the walls.

Me posing for a photo while standing among the ruins of Horom's cyclopean fortress

As I stand in the vicinity of Horom's Cyclopean fortress, I am in awe of the colossal rock fragments before me, prompting a lingering question: “How did our ancestors manage to lift such enormous weights during the 3rd-2nd millennium B.C.?”

Could giants have been involved, or did our ancestors simply master the ingenious methods of leveraging and pulleys? The sheer length of Horom's defensive walls, estimated to be approximately 7 km, only adds to the mystery.

Throughout the 20th century, numerous renowned researchers have explored this mysterious fortress, including Nikolai Marr, Boris Piotrovsky, Atrpet, Toros Toramanian, and others.

Prominent Armenian architect and architectural historian Toros Toramanian

Notably, Toros Toramanian, a celebrated Armenian architect and archaeologist, wrote about his impressions in his travel notes:

“Horom's fortress city is the only one among all ancient fortress cities in terms of its size and content, and it is impossible to observe without amazement what kind of extraordinary human power and resources were used to raise the wall stones on top of each other.”

I left this place with the intention of returning, because this time there was a strong wind and I could not lift my drone, and I hope that the area will be improved one day and it will become a popular tourist destination!