Armenia
Mount Ararat, the spiritual mountain and national symbol of Armenia is not only in another country, but in the territory of the people who tried to wipe them off the planet a century ago. They can see the mountain from many places in the west, but they cannot cross the fenced border. Mount Ararat, where Noah’s ark landed according to Armenian oral tradition, shines over Yerevan, the capital of the first country in the world to declare Christianity its national religion in 301 AD. Tradition also tells that Jesus’ disciples Thaddeus and Bartholomew were the first to bring Christianity to Armenia around 40 AD.
Centuries ago, the Kingdom of Armenia stretched from the Caspian Sea and, for a brief time, as far as the Mediterranean. Today, Armenia is in the South Caucasus Region of Eurasia, a slender, landlocked sliver of what it was. Its longest borders with Turkey and Azerbaijan are closed due turbulent relations and its open borders are to the north with Georgia and to the south with Iran. Trampled through and kicked around like a soccer ball from empire after empire, the now independent Armenia has one little exclave within Azerbaijan while Azerbaijan has four tiny exclaves within Armenia. Part of Azerbaijan is awkwardly disconnected from the rest of its country on the southwestern side of Armenia. A cluster of Armenians live in what may become the next new country, the Republic of Artsakh, an autonomous de facto state. Visitors can enter from Armenia, but cannot enter Azerbaijan from the Republic of Artsakh. In short, the geopolitical boundaries are complicated.
It’s a land of ancient monastery complexes, some as old as the fifth century AD, in dramatic, mountainous settings. Monasteries with caves. Monasteries with lake. Monasteries with cable car. Monasteries with Mount Ararat. Monasteries with wine. Monasteries with forest. Monasteries with skiing. Monasteries with waterfall. In Armenia, there is an endless variety of pointed-dome, multi-colored stone monastery complex settings to enjoy history, beauty and adventure all at once.
Creativity is part of the meaning of Armenia’s recently, as of 1990, adopted flag, and the people show creativity everywhere with singing fountains in Yerevan, Armenia’s version of snickers made from nuts and juice candy, strung ziplines and cable cars across gapping canyons, weaving intricately colorful rugs, tracking white storks where they nest each year on the tops of telephone poles in the Ararat region of Armenia on their return from Africa, and renewing ancient wine making after the archeological discovery of a 6,100 year old winery in a cave in southwest Armenia.
Lavash is the Armenia meal staple. It’s a large thin bread made by slapping thinly rolled dough onto the walls of an underground clay earth oven called a tonir. The fire is lit in what looks like a hole in the ground. When it turns to coals, it is time to stick the dough on its walls. After about two minutes, the bread is ready to be plucked off with tongs.
“If you are not surrounded by love and calm, you better not start making bread,” says bread maker Hasmik Badalyan in an interview with ArmeniaNow correspondent Viorica Vladica. In Armenia, the best lavash is conceived with love regardless of the quality of the dough.
How To Build a Clay Tonir shows the process of building and preparing the underground oven in photographs and a video.
In Armenia, food is often served “mezze style,” which means there are a number of small dishes, both hot and cold, meat and vegetarian, that can be shared by those dining together. For more information, select Food of Armenia. Following are some of the many Armenian foods:
lavash – Armenian flatbread, the staple of all meals
manti – meat or vegetable filled dumplings
dolma – grape leaves stuffed with meat, mint and oregano
khorovats – juicy barbecue kebabs
spas – a creamy soup from fermented yogurt (matsun)
kyufta – meatballs
basturma – dried meat with spices
gata – puff pastry with nuts and honey
ghapama – festival dish of pumpkin stuffed with rice, apples, honey and raisins
lahmacun – Armenian pizza, without cheese
churchkhela – Armenian snickers: nuts and sugary juice candy
Apricots are the national fruit and a symbol of the country.
With many pure, natural sources, drinking water is very good in Armenia and there are public drinking fountains in cities and some villages. Select the link to read more about the drinking fountains and water of Armenia.
In 405 AD, Mesrop Mashtots was tasked with creating the Armenian alphabet. He traveled and studied other alphabets of the time before inventing 39 symbols to represent the sounds the people of his homeland made in their speech. Here is how the name of the country Armenia, literally Hayastani Hanrapetut’yun, looks in Armenian script: ՀայաստանիՀանրապետություն
Some Intriguing Armenian Words:
Cheghatsis: making something from nothing
Hatsatun: the place with the oven, a miniature room reminiscent of a veranda
Khachkars: carved stones with crosses and other symbols to commemorate special events; there are thousands throughout the country and they are found at the monastery complexes
Kusan: singer
Marshutka: word of Russian origin for a taxi bus
Taraz: Armenian national dress and fashion
For more Armenian words and phrases, select Armenian Popular Phrases – What You Should Know.
Moses of Khorene, or Movses Khorenatsi, wrote a history of Armenia between 470 and 490 AD in addition to poems and hymns. He wrote the story of Hayk the Great, the legendary patriarch and founder of the Armenian nation. Note that “Hay” is the beginning of what the Armenians call their country, so the name relates to this mythic founder.
Daredevils of Sassoun is Armenia’s national epic poem, featuring its hero David of Sassoun, who drove Arabs out of Armenia. Of unknown authorship, it is part of the nation’s oral history. Considered to be Armenia’s national poet, Hovhannes Tumanyan (1869-1923) put the epic onto paper in 1902. Select the title to read an English translation of Hovhannes Tumanyan’s poem “With My Fatherland.”
Khachatur Abovian was an Armenian novelist, poet, and playwright born near Yerevan who vanished in 1848. He is considered by some the father of modern Armenian literature and Wounds of Armenia, published posthumously, is considered by many his best work and is about the Armenian struggle during the Persian occupation.
Paruyr Sevak (1924-1971) wrote passionate poetry about love and his homeland. His poem “We are few, but we are called Armenians” is frequently read aloud by Armenians scattered throughout the world. An English translation of the poem is included to the right.
Sayat Nova, an Armenian poet troubadour born in Tbilisi (then called Tiflis), Georgia, was ordained a priest in the Armenian Apostolic Church in 1759 and served in locations in Armenia including Haghpat Monastery where he was killed in 1795 when an Islamic army invaded and Sayat Nova refused to renounce Christianity. In his lifetime, he wrote over 200 songs which continue to be sung today. Follow the links to hear the songs of Sayat Nova.
Armenian folk music is intricate like the designs in Armenian clothing. The duduk, a double reed woodwind instrument made of wood from an apricot tree, has a rich sound, so hauntingly beautiful that it is often heard in movies. Select his name to learn about renowned duduk player Djivan Gasparyan. Listen to the performance of They Took My Love Away.
Just under 3 million Armenians live in Armenia, however, many more, an estimated 8 million, live outside of the country in what is called the Armenian Diaspora. The largest remote populations are in Russia, the United States, France, Argentina, Lebanon, Syria, Iran, Turkey, Canada, Ukraine, Greece, and Australia.
Many ethnic Armenian artists and celebrities are citizens of other countries. Some notables are listed below.
William Saroyan was a Pulitzer Prize winning American writer of stories and plays who is buried in Yerevan.
Aram Khacharturian, considered a Soviet composer, was born in Tbilisi (Tiflis), Georgia to Armenian parents. The lively Sabre Dance is worth a listen to rejuvenate your soul; select the name to hear it.
American performer Cher’s father was Armenian; she knew little about Armenian culture until she visited the country a few decades ago.
The American heavy metal band System of a Down’s members are of Armenian descent and sing about the Armenian genocide.
English actor Andy Serkis and American tennis star Andre Agassi’s ancestral last names were the Armenian Sarkisian and Agassian respectively.
Yes, Kim Kardashian is Armenian.
Founded in 782 BC with the name Erebuni, Armenia’s capital city Yerevan is older than Rome and is one of the world’s oldest continuously inhabited cities. Yerevan is nicknamed the “pink city” because of its pink buildings made of volcanic rocks called tuff. Some claim that the modern name is derived from the words Noah exclaimed when the flood waters receded and he looked out over where the city is today: “Yerevats!” or “It appeared!”
YEREVAN:
Erebuni Fortress – Meaning “Fortress of Blood” and founded by the King of Urartu, Argishti I, in 782 BC, the ruins of Erebuni Fortress can be visited on a hill overlooking Yerevan.
The Cascade – In 1980, the massive limestone stairway was built to join two segments of the city. It is a pyramid structure filled with art installations and gathering spaces.
The Singing Fountains of Republic Square provide quite a show at night.
The Armenian Genocide Memorial Complex is built on the hill of Tsitsernakaberd (meaning “swallow’s fortress”). Every year on April 24, Armenians gather at the memorial to commemorate the victims of the genocide. 12 stone slabs represent the 12 lost provinces now in present-day Turkey. The slabs make a circle and there is an eternal flame at the center. The sharp shard of its tall tower can be seen from a distance, making it a distinct feature in the Yerevan skyline.
Saint Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral is a beautiful new church built in 2001.
Tigran Petrosian Chess House in Yerevan is where international chess tournaments are held. Tigran V. Petrosian was the first World Grand Champion of chess from Armenia in 1963. His namesake Tigran L. Petrosian was born a month after he died and became a World Grand Champion of chess in 2004. Chess is a mandatory subject in Armenian schools.
Library of Matenadaran – With a statue of the inventor of the Armenian alphabet, Mesrop Mashtots, in front, the library has ancient manuscripts, a museum, and a research institute.
WEST:
Armenian Alphabet Monument – A half an hour north of Yerevan near Mount Aragats, walk among the statues of the 39 letters of the Armenian alphabet and its inventor Mesrop Mashtots.
Amberd Fortress – Just a bit west of the giant alphabet and right next to Mount Aragats, Amberd Fortress means “fortress in the clouds.” The original settlement was from the Stone Age and the current ruins are from the 10th century.
Hovhannavank (monastery of St. John the Baptist) and Saghmosavank (monastery of the Psalms) Monastery Complexes, both built in the 13th century, are five kilometers apart with views of Mount Aragats. Select the title to read about Tamerlane and The Legend of Saghmosavank Monastery.
Etchmiadzin Cathedral – Just west of Yerevan, Etchmiadzin (also called Vagharshapat) is the 4th largest city in Armenia and its spiritual capital with a number of ancient churches. Etchmiadzin Cathedral is considered by many to be the world’s oldest cathedral. Originally built in 303 AD, the current structure dates from 483 AD.
Zvartnots Cathedral Ruins – Between Yerevan and Etchmiadzin (Vagharshapat), are the ruins of Zvartnots Cathedral built in 652 AD.
Garni Temple – Southeast of Yerevan near the Azat River is the Greco-Roman colonnaded Temple of Garni built by Tiridates I in 77 AD as a temple to the sun god Mihr.
The Symphony of Stones at Garni Gorge – A kilometer east of Garni Temple, there are massive basalt columns known as “The Symphony of the Stones.”
Geghard Monastery – A bit further east from Garni is the cave-carved Geghard Monastery. The original name was “Geghardavank” meaning “the Monastery of the Spear” because it once claimed to house the spear that wounded Jesus at the crucifixion. Originally built in the 4th century by Saint Gregory the Illuminator, the original monastery was destroyed by the Arabs in the 9th century. The main church standing today was built in 1215. All around the monastery complex are caves and khachkars (carved cross-stones). Because of the tremendous acoustics, choirs often sing inside. Listen to the Geghard Monastery Choir.
Khor Virap Monastery – Possibly the most photographed site in Armenia with its stunning view of Mount Ararat as a backdrop to the cliff-clinging pointy-topped monastery, Armenia’s patron Saint Gregory the Illuminator was imprisoned at Khor Virap in its “pit of oblivion” for 13 years. No one had ever come out alive before, but Saint Gregory did and converted King Tiridates III to Christianity. The pit can be visited by climbing down a steep ladder. Khor Virap is right on the closed border with Turkey.
SOUTH:
The village of Areni is known for its wine and a cave site of one of the world’s oldest wineries from 6,100 years ago. They even found the shoe of a potential grape stomper.
Noravank Monastery – Just south of Areni and built in the 13th century, Noravank Monastery is surrounded by high orange and red cliffs and getting in requires climbing either side of two external stairs that meet at a second story door.
Tatev Monastery is a stunning 9th century monastery at the edge of a deep gorge. The largest university in the Southern Caucasus was established here at the end of the 14th century. Legend says the name Tatev came from an apprentice falling and calling out to God for wings: “Ta Tev.”
The world’s longest non-stop double track cable car, the Wings of Tatev, takes people over the Vorotan River Gorge from Halidzor to Tatev Monastery.
Khndzoresk Cave Village was inhabited until the 1950s when Soviets forced people out.
Jermuk is an alpine spa town with waterfalls.
EAST:
Lake Sevan is about 46 miles long and 20 miles wide. A holiday spot for Armenians, it is a high elevation lake in the mountains with beaches.
Sevanavank Monastery overlooks Lake Sevan and was built in 874.
Tchaghkadzor is a ski resort town near Lake Sevan with a zipline, cable car, and the 11th century Kecharis Monastery.
Noratus Cemetery is a medieval cemetery along Lake Sevan with large cluster of khachkars, nearly 1,000. The oldest khachkars date from the 10th century. There is a legend that villagers put helmets on the khachkars and leaned swords against them so that they looked like armed soldiers in a defensive position from a distance. Seeing this, according to legend, the army of the Turco-Mongol conqueror Tamerlane retreated.
Dilijan is an old spa town, sometimes called “the Armenian Switzerland,” with forests and red deer, and you guessed it: monasteries.
Goshavank Monastery, near Dilijan, is a complex built in the 12th century that includes the intricate Needlecarved (Aseghnagorts) Khachkar.
Haghartsin Monastery, near Dilijan, is a complex built in stages from the 10th-13th centuries, and includes the Saint Gregor Church.
NORTH:
Haghpat and Sanahin Monasteries neighbor each other in the far northeast near the Debed River. “Sanahin” means “this one is older than that one,” so although Sanahin is the oldest of the two, both complexes were built in various stages between the 10th and 13th centuries.
Odzun Church – Just west of Sanahin Monastery, Odzun Church was built in the 6th century and has pink hued stones.
Gyumri – The 2nd largest city, Gyumri is Armenia’s arts and crafts center. Yerevan is known as the pink city and Gyumri is the black city because of the black tuff used to make its buildings.
Additional Information:
19 Things to Know Before Visiting Armenia
Top 10 Reasons To Visit Armenia
What’s it like to travel in Armenia today?
25 amazing things you probably didn’t know about Armenia
10 Most Beautiful Churches in Armenia
Yerevan City In Armenia Is A Jewel For Travel, Food, And Wine
Armenia Facts: What You Should Know About Armenia
18 Amazing Places to Visit in Armenia
