The entire colonnade of the temple collapsed in a devastating June 4 , 1679 earthquake , the epicenter of which was , according to many scholars , located in the gorge of Garni . Most of the original building blocks remained scattered at the site , allowing the building to be reconstructed . As much as 80 % of the original masonry and ornamental friezes were in the site by the late 1960s
1679 earthquake
1679 Armenia earthquake
Temple of Garni