Wings of Tatev

Wings of Tatev[1] (Armenian: Տաթևի թևեր Tatevi tever) is a 5.7 km (3.5 mi) cableway between Halidzor and the Tatev monastery in Armenia. It is the longest reversible aerial tramway built in only one section, and holds the record for Longest non-stop double track cable car.[2] Construction was finished on 16 October 2010.

Wings of Tatev aerial tramway
Wings of Tatev
Overview
StatusOperational
CharacterAerial tramway
LocationSyunik Province, Armenia
TerminiHalidzor
Tatev village / monastery
No. of stations2
Open16 October 2010
Technical features
Line length5.7 km (3.5 mi)
Operating speed37 km/h (23 mph)

Wings of Tatev aerial tramway is located in Syunik region, 250 km to the south of Yerevan.

Total ride time from Halidzor station to Tatev monastery is about 12 minutes; a much shorter trip than the 40-minute ride along the steep serpentine road that follows the Vorotan gorge. Flying over the gorge, the aerial tramway cabin reaches its maximum height of 320 meters. When the first cabin reaches the Tatev station, the second one arrives at the Halidzor station. After the Wings are reloaded, the movement starts again in the opposite direction. Each cabin accommodates 30 passengers and one steward. The ropeway can accommodate about 240 passengers per hour. Powerful pillars divide the ropeway into four sections. The longest section is 2.7 km and overlooks the Tatev monastic complex.

History

The Wings of Tatev reversible aerial tramway was built within the framework of the Tatev Revival Project, the idea of which belongs to Ruben Vardanyan and Veronika Zonabend. It was by the Austrian-Swiss Doppelmayr Garaventa Group. The aerial tramway was officially launched on 16 October 2010. In the same year, on 23 October, it set the Guinness World Record for the longest non-stop reversible aerial tramway.

Tatev Gateway is a non-commercial project; the entire profit from the project is invested in the restoration of Tatev Monastery and the development of the local community.

Technical information
  • Type: non-stop, reversible aerial tramway
  • Manufacturer: Doppelmayr/Garaventa Group (Austria, Switzerland)
  • Length: 5,752 m
  • Ride time: 11–15 minutes (depending on weather conditions)
  • Cabin capacity: 30 passengers and an attendant
  • Number of cabins: 2
  • Maximum height: 320 m
  • Maximum speed: 10 m/s
  • Staff: 60 people[3]

Investments to the project

The Tatev Gateway Project has involved an investment of more than US$22 million. USD 16 million of this amount has been used for the construction of the aerial tramway; over US$1 million – for the construction of Tatevatun Restaurant; USD 1.5 million – for the development of infrastructures; and about US$670,000 for the site improvement.

Statistics

From October 2010 to December 2019, the Wings of Tatev aerial tramway has welcomed more than 1 million passengers.

Number of passengers, October 2010 - December 2021
Quarter I Quarter II Quarter III Quarter IV Total
2010 9 108 9 108
2011 1 964 18 894 33 890 6 201 60 949
2012 994 18 605 42 317 8 448 70 364
2013 1 092 17 154 47 941 7 598 73 785
2014 1 834 26 524 59 377 9 651 97 386
2015 1 495 29 706 57 423 9 030 97 654
2016 3 087 24 853 57 119 11 262 96 321
2017 3 855 39 252 74 712 17 332 135 151
2018 7 932 43 183 83 210 18 627 152 952
2019 5 826 47 905 79 905 22 347 155 983
2020 4 017 3 059 25 030 114 32 220 (year of COVID-19 and Artsakh war)
2021 1 284 15 757 38 846 11 856 67 743
2022 3 079 26,382 48,212 8,514 86,187

Operating hours

The Wings of Tatev aerial tramway operates all year round, and the operating hours vary from season to season. In summer (June–August), the aerial tramway operates from 9 am to 8 pm; in colder weather (October–April), it operates from 10 am to 6 pm; in May and September, it operates from 10 am to 7 pm. During high summer season, the aerial tramway operates every day, without exception. The rest of the year, it runs on every day but Monday.

  • The tram
    The tram
  • View from the tram
    View from the tram
  • Road to the main buildings and lower station in Halidzor
    Road to the main buildings and lower station in Halidzor
  • Main building (administration, restaurant, ticket office)
    Main building (administration, restaurant, ticket office)
  • Lower station "Halidzor"
    Lower station "Halidzor"
  • Upper station "Tatev"
    Upper station "Tatev"
  • A billboard advertising the tramway near Goris
    A billboard advertising the tramway near Goris
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Wings of Tatev.

References
  1. "TaTever - Wings of Tatev". www.tatever.am.
  2. "Longest non-stop double track cable car". Guinness World Records. Retrieved 23 August 2011.
  3. "Official website of Wings of Tatev, technical information".

39°24′59″N 46°17′49″E

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