Armenia - ABOUT ARMENIA

 CITIES • Yerevan - The capital, and by far the largest city •

Gyumri (Shirak Marz) - Second city

• Vanadzor (Lori Marz) Third city

• Dilijan (Tavush Marz) - Popular forest resort known as the "Little Switzerland" of Armenia.

• Jermuk (Vayots Dzor Marz) - famous for its mineral waters, which come out at very high temperature and can be enjoyed at the spas. Ski lifts are under construction.

• Tsaghkadzor (Kotayk Marz) - Armenia's ski destination Armenia (Armenian Հայաստան, Hayastan) is the only country remaining from 3,000 year old maps of Anatolia. It became the world's first Christian country more than 1,700 years ago in 301 AD and has a large Diaspora all over the world. As a former Soviet republic lying in the Caucasus region straddling Asia and Europe, Armenia has a rich and ancient culture.

Landlocked, Armenia is bordered by Turkey to the west, Georgia to the north, Iran to the south, Azerbaijan to the east, and Azerbaijan's Naxcivan exclave to the southwest. Five percent of the country's surface area consists of Lake Sevan (Sevana Lich), the largest lake in the Lesser Caucasus mountain range. Armenia's many mountains and mountain valleys create a great number of microclimates, with scenery changing from arid to lush forest at the top of a mountain ridge. History Armenian history extends for over 3,000 years. Armenians have historically inhabited the "Armenian Highlands", a vast section of mountains and valleys across eastern Anatolia and the Southern Caucasus.

 Armenia was located on the silk road, and Armenians built a network of merchant communities and ties extending from eastern Asia to Venice. Eventually, with the rise of nationalism, Armenians paid a heavy price for their religion and their envy-inducing wealth.

Armenian Genocide

The Armenian Genocide was the Ottoman government's systematic extermination of about 1.5 million of its minority Armenian subjects inside their historic homeland, which lies within the present-day Republic of Turkey. The starting date is conventionally held to be 24 April 1915, the day that Ottoman authorities rounded up, arrested, and deported 235 to 270 Armenian intellectuals and community leaders from Constantinople to Ankara, the majority of whom were eventually murdered. The genocide was carried out during and after World War I and implemented in two phases: the wholesale killing of the able-bodied male population through massacre and subjection of army conscripts to forced labour, followed by the deportation of women, children, the elderly and infirm on death marches leading to the Syrian desert. Driven forward by military escorts, the deportees were deprived of food and water and subjected to periodic robbery, rape, and massacre. The Armenian Diaspora, which is larger than the number of Armenians within Armenia, was created. The Armenian Genocide is still actively denied by Turkey. Culture As Armenia straddles Europe and Asia, East and West, so does Armenian culture. Many Armenians refer to Armenia as a European nation, but their social conservatism in some realms hasn't been seen in Europe proper for a few decades. The collapse of the Soviet Union has opened up many channels with the West again and change is coming rapidly, although much more so in Yerevan than in the rest of the country. Armenia's small, very homogeneous population (about 99% Armenian) is strongly family-oriented. All across the land, people place a lot of pride in their hospitality. Show up in a village without a penny, and food and a place to stay will come to you along with drinks and endless toasts.

Religion

In 301 AD, Armenia became the first country in the world to adopt Christianity as a state religion. One can find thousands of churches and monasteries in Armenia. Armenians are Apostolic Christians and have their own Catholicos (religious leader, like the Pope for Roman Catholics).

Geography

Armenia is a small, mountainous, landlocked country whose geography almost never fails to surprise foreign visitors. Mountain passes, valleys and canyons make Armenia feel much larger than it really is, and when you're on its southern shores, Lake Sevan provides the sight of endless water. In addition to its geographic variation, Armenia's climate varies a great deal as well; be ready for everything from barren lunar landscapes to rain forests to snow-capped peaks and a vast alpine lake. There are some places in Armenia where several of these can be experienced at once. Central Armenia The political center of Armenia contains much of the country's museums and cultural venues in Yerevan, the religious center of Echmiadzin, the 4100 m high volcano Aragats and the Monasteries of Geghard and Khor Virap. Much of this region consists of the flat and dry Ararat valley, though the hidden beauty of Khosrov Preserve is rarely visited.

Lake Sevan Region

This region is centered around beautiful, 2,000 m high Lake Sevan, which itself is surrounded by ancient monuments, churches, and monasteries, as well as popular beaches. Highlights include the largest khachkar cemetery in the world, the beaches near Sevanavank Monastery, and the countless fish and crayfish restaurants along the shores. Recently, windsurfing was reintroduced to the list of recreational activities.

Northern Armenia Bordering Georgia to the north, this mountainous region includes numerous, wonderfully beautiful, and isolated churches and monasteries. The Debed River Canyon contains many of these, and the remote Shamshadin region is a glimpse of a virtually unvisited and beautiful Armenia. Southern Armenia A particularly beautiful section of Armenia stretching south to the Iranian border with interesting caves and more remote, beautiful Christian monuments. Highlights include Tatev Monastery, Noravank Monastery, Mozrov Cave, Selim Caravanserai and the thousands of petroglyphs atop Ughtasar Mountain. Nagorno-Karabakh Although internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh is de facto independent from Azerbaijan, comprised mostly by ethnic Armenians and only accessible via Armenia.

Aside from the rolling green hills, high mountains, hiking trails and excellent monasteries, tourists are drawn to the vast ruined city of Aghdam, and the partially repopulated city of Shushi - both ruined during and after the Karabakh war. Its capital is Stepanakert, home to approximately 40,000 of the region's 140,000 residents.

Markets

Vernissage - every Saturday near Republic Square, there is an open market with great shopping for tourists and locals alike. You can buy everything from a 300 year-old carpet to a 1970s Soviet phone to Russian nesting dolls. The "covered market" on Mashtots Street has fresh fruits and vegetables along with great dried fruits. For Armenian- and Russian-speaking visitors, a visit to the underground book market can be quite interesting. Located in an underground passageway under Abovyan Street, close to the medical school and the Yeritasardakan Metro Station, vendors sell thousands upon thousands of books. Bargaining is a must!

Eat

Khorovats (BBQ) can be pork, lamb, chicken or beef and is flavored with onions and other Armenian spices. Tomatoes, eggplant and bell peppers are also part of the khorovats meal.

Borscht is a vegetable soup traditionally made with beetroot as a main ingredient, which gives it a strong red color. It is usually served warm with fresh sour cream.

Khash is a traditional dish that originated in the Shirak region. Formerly a nutritious winter food for the rural poor, it is now considered a delicacy and is enjoyed as a festive winter meal.

Dolma (stuffed grape leaves; a variety with stuffed cabbage leaves, bell peppers and eggplants) also exists. Armenian fruits and vegetables are special. One should definitely try them and will never forget the taste of Armenian apricot, peach, grapes, pomegranate, etc.

Armenian bread is very tasty as well. There is a wide range of different types of bread, starting from black and white till lavash (a soft, thin flatbread) and matnaqash. Don’t miss trying milk products! Along with ordinary milk products, there are some traditional and really tasty and refreshing ones.

Matsun (yogurt) is a traditional Armenian dairy product that has centuries of history. It contains a number of natural microelements, which have high biochemical activity. It’s really refreshing, especially when you try it cold during hot summers. Okroshka, cold soup with kefir and cucumber and dill, is a healthy and refreshing dairy dish. Spas is really tasty hot kefir soup with grains in it. Café culture rules in Armenia, and the best places to have a cup of coffee and people-watch are sidewalk cafés. Any place near the Opera is certain to be jumping late into the summer nights. A popular chain is "Jazzve" (several locations throughout the city, including near the Opera and off Mesrop Mashtots Avenue), which offers many varieties of tea and coffee as well as great desserts.

Drink

Alcoholic: Vodka, tutti oghi (mulberry vodka), honi oghi (cornelian cherry vodka), Tsirani oghi (apricot vodka), local beer (Kilikia, Kotayk, Gumri), wine (can also be made of pomegranate), and brandy.

Other: Tan (yogurt combined with water and salt), Jermuk (mineral water), masuri hyut (rose hip juice), chichkhani hyut (sea buckthorne juice), bali hyut (sour cherry juice), Armenian coffee, and herbal teas.

 

 

Sleep

Across Armenia, it is possible to find pleasant bed and breakfasts that will give you a true taste of Armenian culture. The language barrier will be significant in rural areas of Armenia if you do not speak Armenian or Russian, but if you take a phrase dictionary with you, you shouldn't have a lot of trouble, as people are patient. If you don't personally know any Armenians, one way to access the true Armenia away from the Westernized hotels and "Armenian branded" hotels is to find a reliable travel agent based in Armenia. There are a couple of hostels in Yerevan.

Outside Yerevan, there are a few main recreational areas that offer very reasonable accommodations, but you will be required to live without some conveniences. At the high end are some hotels on Lake Sevan and in Northern Lori Marz (50 km from the Georgian border). You won't miss anything here, but you will pay Western prices for the accommodations.

Around Lake Sevan, there are numerous types of cottages and hotels. Prices are reasonable and start at about US$10 per day for a cottage with electricity and within walking distance from the lake. The city of Sevan, because of its proximity to Yerevan, is the most popular place on Lake Sevan. The history, culture and non-Western feel of the accommodations change as you go south along the lake.

Tavush Marz is a wonderful place to spend time during the summer. Dilijan and Ijevan are wonderful towns to be based in, as day trips are possible to the many ancient churches that pepper this remote region. Costs are very reasonable. Dilijan is known for its sanatoriums from the Soviet era. Don't expect hot water all hours of the day, but you can have a lovely room that will accommodate a family and include food for about US$20 a day. Take another US$20 to hire a car for the day to visit the surrounding historical sites.

Lori Marz is the second most beautiful region after Vayots Dzor. It has many health resort areas such as Stepanavan and Dendropark (Sojut) next to village Gyulagarak.Lori is considered to be the Armenian Switzerland. It has numerous churches, monasteries, medieval bridges and monuments.

The Stepanavan area is great for hiking, tasting fresh dairy products, etc. Small hotels and B&Bs are available in Stepanavan, Odzun, Tumanian, etc.

Tzaghkadzor is a well-known winter retreat. It has many lovely hotels and is popular year-round. Check with a travel agent to find the best deal for the activity you are interested in. Jermuk, made famous by the bottled water of the same name, is a wonderful getaway, but will require you to leave your Western expectations behind. Mobile phone providers There are three 2G, 3G and one 4G service providers operating in Armenia. You're strongly advised to acquire a temporary pre-paid SIM card as they are cheap and convenient, allow both local and international calls, do not charge for incoming calls, and charge no monthly fee.

Mobile internet and UTMS are also offered from all companies, as well as the normal full range of wireless services.

VivaCell and Orange have booths offering free SIM-Cards to incoming visitors at the airport. They are also easiest to top-up (at pretty much any store or kiosk in the country) and have better English services, rates and coverage. The majority of foreign visitors find their unlocked mobile phones compatible with Armenian SIM cards (GSM 900/1800). GSM coverage maps of Armenia.

• VivaCell (Armenian, English and Russian) is the leading GSM service provider in Armenia and offers quality service at reasonable rates (owned by the Russian giant MTS). They have the best coverage outside of Yerevan. A VivaCell pre-paid SIM card ("ALO" card) costs 1,100-7,000 dram, depending on how much starting credit you want. At their flagship store off Republic Square, VivaCell is very helpful to foreigners and will make sure that you understand everything in English, French or Russian. They offer very low priced "Distant Calls" for international calls from your phone via VoIP (be sure to dial 77001 + country code + the number!); in fact, it is much cheaper per minute to call the US or Canada (13 dram) or Russia (30 dram) than it is to dial Armenian networks! •

Orange+UCOM (Armenian and English) (The French multi-national is a newcomer, in the country since mid-2009) offers a pre-paid card called Let's Talk with complicated, but competitive rates. All networks in Armenia (35 dram) lower rates may apply within the network or for night-time calls, US or Canada (15 dram), Russia (30 dram). •

Beeline (Armenian and Russian) (formerly ArmenTel but have switched to the Russian brand) also have a pre-paid card. This option may no longer be available to those without Armenian residency, although Russians and Ukrainians seem to be exempt. All three networks cover 90% of the population with 2G and 70-80% with 3G so having network signal is not often a worry. Orange and Viva Cell MTS are recommended to foreigners or tourists as they have a helpful variety of languages for tourists such as Armenian, English, French and Russian.

Stay healthy

As with any travel experience, eat well, but do not overeat. If you are dining with Armenians, they will feed you until you cannot eat anymore. The food is generally safe, even food from the roadside khorovats stands. There is little to worry about where food safety in Armenia is concerned. The tap water is generally safe as it comes directly from mountains, but you may also purchase bottled water. You can get both mineral water and spring water on almost every street corner in both rural areas and the capital.