Inside Levon’s Divine Underground

In the quiet village of Arinj, just outside Yerevan, lies one of Armenia’s most unusual landmarks — Levon’s Divine Underground, a vast hand-carved cave created by a single man over more than two decades.

This extraordinary site was built by Levon Arakelyan, who began digging in 1985 after his wife, Tosya, asked him to make a small cellar for storing potatoes. What started as a simple household project turned into a lifelong mission. Levon claimed that soon after he began digging, he experienced a vision — a voice from a mist urging him to keep going.

Master Levon at work

Armed only with a hammer and chisel, Levon continued to excavate tirelessly for 23 years, refusing to use power tools even as he dug through hard volcanic rock. The result is a 21-meter-deep network of seven rooms, connected by winding stairways and tunnels that cover about 300 square meters. Each chamber, he said, was inspired by new visions that guided his work. Levon even installed lights and wiring himself, envisioning a total of 74 unique rooms — a project left unfinished when he passed away in 2009.

After his death, Mrs. Tosya turned the site into a museum to preserve her husband’s legacy. The cave maintains a constant temperature of around 10°C year-round. The museum’s first floor displays Levon’s personal belongings, tools, press articles, and guestbooks filled with visitors’ impressions.

Outside in the courtyard, flower pots crafted from leftover stones and two wall murals — one depicting Levon with his hammer and chisel, and another showing Tosya holding a potato — serve as touching reminders of how a simple domestic request grew into a national curiosity.

This is “Levon’s Eye.” At one point, Levon’s daughter asked me to look up — and my heart sank. It felt as if a vigilant eye was watching from above. This was one of the most striking moments of the visit. The ventilation shaft, carved in the shape of an eye, never fails to give visitors goosebumps.

Today, Levon’s Divine Underground stands among Armenia’s most fascinating attractions, drawing travelers who come to witness the result of one man’s unwavering devotion and vision. The ticket sales, still managed by his family, continue to support them — keeping Levon’s story alive beneath the surface of Arinj.