There are many reasons to visit Armenia.Here are just a few of them.
Many of us are tempted to spend our holidays in sunny and relaxing destinations. For those who want an active vacation, to discover places and people, Armenia can be the perfect place. In this country you have all the chances to spend an unforgettable vacation. One of the drawbacks is the poor air connection to Armenia. Being a second hand destination for airlines, you will find night flights, with a stopover in Vienna or Warsaw. But aside from this inconvenience, here are 20 reasons to visit this country:
1. Mount Ararat – Reasons to visit Armenia
Which is said to be the place where Noah’s ark stopped after the flood. It is also one of the most famous tourist attractions in Armenia. Mount Ararat, made up of the peaks of “Big Ararat”, with an altitude of 5,165 meters, and “Small Ararat”, with an altitude of 3,896 meters, is an extinct volcano (the last eruption took place in 1840), located in the Anatolian Plateau. , on the territory of Turkey, very close to the border with Armenia and Iran. Mount Ararat is the highest mountain in Turkey, and under the name “Masis”, it is also known as the national symbol of Armenia.
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2. You will step into the first country that officially adopted Christianity in 301.
3. Yerevan is one of the oldest settlements in the world, dating from the 8th century BC.
A few facts about this city:
- Did you know that before 1936 Yerevan was called Eribun?
- Residents do not undress when they come home from the street. At the same time, in other cities in Armenia (see interesting facts about Armenia), everything happens exactly the opposite.
- Yerevan is considered a mono-national city, where 99% of Armenians are residents.
- In all the crowded places of Yerevan you can see small wells with drinking water.
- There is no McDonald’s cafe in town.
- In 1981, the subway appeared in Yerevan. It is noteworthy that it has only 1 line, 13.4 km long.
- An interesting fact is that local drivers often break traffic rules and therefore you should be extremely careful on the roads.
- The capital of Armenia is in the TOP-100 of the safest cities in the world.
- The water in the water pipes in Yerevan is so clean that you can drink it directly from the tap without resorting to additional filtration.
4. Many of Yerevan’s buildings are built of pink stone, hence the name Pink City. The rock is called tuff and is of volcanic origin – Reasons to visit Armenia
5. The National Museum in Yerevan houses, among other things, some of the oldest archaeological artifacts and pieces discovered in Armenia. Reasons to visit Armenia
The main museum of Armenia is the National History Museum, located on the Republic Square. The elegant and refined museum building is one of the most famous postcards of Yerevan.
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6. Cafes and terraces in the center of the Armenian capital. Reasons to visit Armenia
7. Singing fountains and parks in Yerevan.
A delightful view in the center is the Singing Fountains, a man-made miracle of Armenian engineers and architects who decorated the capital’s main square with their brains. The musical extravagance on the water, which begins in the evening, attracts crowds of residents and guests of the city. Fascinated by the magical game of light and soulful music, in the rhythm of which multicolored streams of water move, people seem to be enchanted by the perfect creation of the human mind and hands.
The credit for creating a unique structure belongs to a group of enthusiastic engineers led by a well-known professor in the country, Abrahamyan doctor of technical sciences. They took as a basis the “singing” fountains of Germany, adding their own technical “lust” and created a true masterpiece of this kind. The musical accompaniment includes magnificent examples of classics, national motifs, rock and pop music at the best level.
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An amazing evening show under the curtain is accompanied by the immortal chant of the great Armenian compatriot Charles Aznavour “Eternal Love”. We must pay tribute to the French Armenian diaspora for the restoration of wells in 2007, in which a lot of money was invested. Due to this fact, the wonderful “Singing Fountains” continue to captivate and delight the inhabitants.
8. Garni Temple (Temple of the Sun), the only pagan temple in this country. It is located on a hill at 1,600 meters altitude and was built as an altar to the god Mithras – Reasons to visit Armenia
Also here we find one of the few pagan temples in the area, impeccably restored and added to the list of sights to see by anyone who arrives here. The temple of the Sun God (Garni) represents the unique heritage of the ancient Greek culture, at any moment it seems that people dressed in robes must appear, discussing philosophy.
9. Katoghike Church, the oldest in Yerevan – Reasons to visit Armenia
The church was built in the village of Kanaker – then absorbed by Yerevan – 7 kilometers north of the old center of the capital in 1912. Being part of the Yerevan Governorate of the Russian Empire, the church was built to serve the second Caucasian division of Russian troops. near Yerevan, which consisted mainly of Cossacks from Kuban and Poltava. It was designed by Russian architect Fyodor Verzhbitsky after the typical fashion of military churches. At its inauguration, the church was named after St. Alexander Nevsky.
During the Soviet period, the church was closed and turned into a warehouse and was reopened with the independence of Armenia in 1991. It was completely renovated in 2000. The centenary of the consecration of the church was commemorated in October 2012, with representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church present.
10. Yerevan Opera – Reasons to visit Armenia
The Armenian National Academic Theater of Opera and Ballet Alexandru Spendiaryan in Yerevan was officially opened on January 20, 1933, with the opera Almast by Alexandru Spendiaryan.
The building of the work was designed by the Armenian architect Alexandru Tamanian. It consists of two concert halls: the Aram Haciaturian Concert Hall with 1,400 seats and the Alexandru Spendiaryan Opera and Ballet Theater with 1,200 seats.
11. Ararat cognac factory.
Visiting the factory and tasting the drink are free. Armenian cognac was a favorite of Winston Churchill.
12.Armenia is also famous for its compotes and pickles. They are mostly sold by locals.
13. Cheeses of many kinds are another important component of Armenian cuisine.
Being a population of shepherds, a traditional snack in Armenia is cheese. “Haţ u banir” (cheese with bread) is eaten at any time of the day, even with other dishes. Armenians have different varieties of specific cheeses, such as “husaţ banir” or “tel banir”, which come in the form of long strips of cheese woven together. “Tel banir” is made from sheep’s or goat’s milk to which black cumin and “mahlab” are added, a powder obtained from grinding the kernels of wild cherries. On the Armenian table often sits “matcun” (a fermented milk dish, similar to yogurt), diluted with cold water and “zhazhik” (a kind of cow’s cheese) with greens and garlic.
14. Lake Sevan is considered the largest lake in the country and is famous for its changing blue color – Reasons to visit Armenia
For Armenia, a landlocked country, Lake Sevan is the equivalent of any seaside area with beaches, hotels and restaurants. With beautiful parts, but also some derelict, rusty… With an area of 1,242 square kilometers, Sevan is the largest body of water in the Caucasus and among the largest high-altitude freshwater lakes in Eurasia, being located in 1900 meters.
15. The Matenadaran Institute in Yerevan is home to over 16,000 ancient manuscripts and documents – Reasons to visit Armenia
The word “matenadaran” itself is translated from the language of the ancient Armenians as “possessor of manuscripts.” The need to create Matenadaran was based on the fact that in the 5th century the illuminator Mashtots created a collection of letters (alphabet), arranged in order according to the Greek alphabet. At that time, the first translations into Armenian were made. At the same time, the chroniclers recorded the history of the state of the Armenian people. This is also one of the many reasons to visit Armenia.
16. Giumri, the second largest city after Yerevan.
It was the capital of Armenia from 1821 to 1918. Much of the city was destroyed by earthquakes. The affected buildings can still be seen.
At a distance of 126 km from Everan, is the city of Gyumri, the second largest in the country, located in the mountainous land of the Shirak region, in NE Armenia, on the left bank of the Akhourian River. The beauty of the surroundings is given by the maple, acacia and ash forests.
17. Dilijan is another city in Armenia, which stands out through the breathtaking mountain landscapes.
Dilijan is an Armenian town famous for its thermal baths, located in the northern province of Tayush. It is one of the largest resorts in Armenia, not only because of its thermal waters, but also because it is right in the middle of a national park, which bears the same name. This city is home to many national composers, artists and film directors and is largely dominated by beautiful traditional Armenian architecture, which is a real source of inspiration.
Because of this, the old town of Dilijan and especially Sharambeyan Street is considered a national monument and is closely monitored for degradation. Here you will find a multitude of shops selling handmade products, but also a museum and an art gallery.
18. In winter, it is ideal to visit Tsaghkadzor, the ski resort of Armenia.
Tsaghkadzor (Armenian: Ծաղկաձոր) is a spa town and urban municipal community, as well as one of the most popular health resorts in Armenia, located north of the capital Yerevan in the Kotayk Province. According to the 2011 census, the town has a population of 1,256, down from 3,350 reported in the 1989 census. Currently, the town has an approximate population of 900 as per the 2016 official estimate. This is also one of the many reasons to visit Armenia.
19. Mount Aragats (4,090 m), the highest mountain in the country.
It is recommended to visit it in summer and only by those accustomed to difficult mountain trails.
Mount Aragats is an isolated, four-peaked volcanic massif located in Armenia. Its northern peak, at 4,090 m above sea level, is the highest point in the Lesser Caucasus and Armenia. It is also one of the highest points in the Armenian Mountains.
The Aragats massif is surrounded by the Kasagh River to the east, the Akhurian River to the west, the Ararat Plain to the south and the Shirak Plain to the north. The circumference of the massif is about 200 km and covers an area of 6,000 square km or about 1⁄5 of the total area of Armenia. No less than 944 square km of mountain are located at over 2,000 m.
20. Echmiadzin, the holy center of the country – Reasons to visit Armenia
Echmiadzin “the place where Jesus came down from heaven,” the residence of the Armenian patriarchs. Echmiadzin Cathedral is also one of the oldest churches in Armenia. It was built between 301-303 by St. Gregory the Illuminator, the founder of the Gregorian Church in Armenia.
Conclusions- Reasons to visit Armenia
These were just some of the reasons to visit Armenia. They are much more. It is an incredible country that we wholeheartedly recommend you to visit.