Στα βουνά της νότιας Αρμενίας κοντά στα σύνορα με το Ιράν, το μακρύτερο τελεφερίκ του κόσμου άρχισε τις διαδρομές προς το διάσημο μοναστήρι του Τάτεβ.
Η γραμμή που εγκαινιάστηκε το Σάββατο πάνω από το φαράγγι του ποταμού Βοροτάν (Vorotan) έχει μήκος 5,7 χιλιόμετρα, και στο ψηλότερο σημείο της απέχει 320 μέτρα από το έδαφος.
Οι δύο καμπίνες του, χωρητικότητας 25 ατόμων η καθεμία, χρειάζονται 11 λεπτά για να ολοκληρώσουν τη θεαματική διαδρομή κινούμενα με ταχύτητα 37 χιλιομέτρων την ώρα.
Τα 18 εκατομμύρια δολάρια που κόστισε το τελεφερίκ προήλθαν κυρίως από ιδιωτικές δωρεές. Την επίβλεψη του έργου είχε το Εθνικό Ίδρυμα Ανταγωνιστικότητας της Αρμενίας, με στόχο την ενίσχυση του τουρισμού στην περιοχή.
Το Μοναστήρι του Τάτεβ (Tatev), κοντά στο χωριό Χαλιτζόρ (Halidzor) από όπου ξεκινά το τελεφερίκ, χρονολογείται στον 9ο αιώνα. Είναι από τα σημαντικότερα θρησκευτικά κέντρα της Αρμενίας, αλλά και δημοφιλής τουριστικός προορισμός.
Μέχρι σήμερα, το μακρύτερο τελεφερίκ του κόσμου ήταν το Σάντια Πικ (Sandia Peak) στο Νέο Μεξικό των Η.Π.Α., με μήκος 4,3 χιλιόμετρα.
English version
Armenia on Saturday launched the world's longest cable car line, a 5.7-kilometre (3.5-mile) engineering feat that spans a spectacular gorge to the country's ancient Tatev monastery.
Gathered in Armenia's southern mountains near the border with Iran, guests including President Serzh Sarkisian and the head of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Karekin II, took part as the cable car link launched its first official voyage over the Vorotan River Gorge.
The link will allow year-round access to Armenia's 9th-century Tatev monastery complex, one of the country's most important religious centres and a major tourist attraction.
The reversible cable car line cost 18 million dollars (13 million euros) with much of the funding coming from private donations, according to the National Competitiveness Foundation of Armenia, which oversaw the project.
It runs from the village of Halidzor near a highway connecting the Armenian capital Yerevan to the village of Tatev, within walking distance of the monastery.
The cable car travels at a speed of 37 kilometres per hour (23 miles per hour) and a one-way journey takes 11 minutes. At its highest point over the gorge, the car travels 320 metres (1,056 feet) above ground level.
It has two cabins, each capable of carrying up to 25 passengers. Local residents will be able to ride the cable car for free while others will have to pay 3,000 Armenian drams (eight dollars/six euros.)
The Sandia Peak cable car in the U.S. state of New Mexico, which runs 4.3 kilometres, had previously billed itself as the world's longest cable car line.
Πηγή / Source: AFP
English version
Armenia on Saturday launched the world's longest cable car line, a 5.7-kilometre (3.5-mile) engineering feat that spans a spectacular gorge to the country's ancient Tatev monastery.
Gathered in Armenia's southern mountains near the border with Iran, guests including President Serzh Sarkisian and the head of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Karekin II, took part as the cable car link launched its first official voyage over the Vorotan River Gorge.
The link will allow year-round access to Armenia's 9th-century Tatev monastery complex, one of the country's most important religious centres and a major tourist attraction.
The reversible cable car line cost 18 million dollars (13 million euros) with much of the funding coming from private donations, according to the National Competitiveness Foundation of Armenia, which oversaw the project.
It runs from the village of Halidzor near a highway connecting the Armenian capital Yerevan to the village of Tatev, within walking distance of the monastery.
The cable car travels at a speed of 37 kilometres per hour (23 miles per hour) and a one-way journey takes 11 minutes. At its highest point over the gorge, the car travels 320 metres (1,056 feet) above ground level.
It has two cabins, each capable of carrying up to 25 passengers. Local residents will be able to ride the cable car for free while others will have to pay 3,000 Armenian drams (eight dollars/six euros.)
The Sandia Peak cable car in the U.S. state of New Mexico, which runs 4.3 kilometres, had previously billed itself as the world's longest cable car line.
Πηγή / Source: AFP
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