Amberd is one of the rare witnesses of medieval Armenian military architecture. The fortress, built on a mountain spur, was part of a defense system that controlled the Plains of Ararat.
In addition to the remains of the fortifications and the small Church of Our Lady (Surb Astvatsatsin), parts of a three-story palace, a bathhouse covered by two domes, a central heating system, the water supply system including cisterns, and a secret passage from the palace to the other buildings have been preserved.