Aghavnavank village is nestled in the northeastern region of Tavush, an idyllic countryside with expansive, splendid views. The region’s dramatic scenery and lavish foliage is hard to beat, but there is a lot more than Aghavnavank’s landscape to fall in love with. It is a living example of multicultural coexistence of people forcibly displaced from their homes in the territory of Soviet Azerbaijan in the late 1980s. To protect this heritage, your host Alex Nersisyan established the Aghavnatun Center to preserve and revive the area’s diverse cultures. One of the Center’s most striking features is its one-of-a-kind tonir—a traditional Armenian wood-fired oven, but one that is found only in the territory from which the villagers came.

The tonir is essential for preparing the local losh bread—found only in this region and integral to enjoying khorovats, the main dish of barbecued meat. As visitors to Aghavnatun, you have the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to first roll up your sleeves and then measure, mix, and knead the losh while also learning more about the bread.

More Read: My Armenia Program