Armenia is like a jewelry box, which opens before travelers the treasures of ancient nations, gives harmony of spirit, reveals the charm of unspoiled nature, delights with the variety of gastronomic delights and, of course, gives the opportunity to touch the history.
Armenia is a country with breathtaking scenery, kind people and incredible history.
The Biblical Mountain
Mount Ararat is the symbol of all of Armenia and is depicted on coats of arms and state documents.
In 1921 it passed into the possession of Turkey, which remains a great loss for the people.
Despite the fact that territorially the mountain is in Turkey, Armenians consider Ararat as a national treasure.
Ararat is not one mountain, but two dormant volcanoes, the Small and Large, which have merged into one. The last eruption occurred on June 2, 1840.
There are several legends about Ararat that have been passed down from generation to generation:
In the thirteenth century St. Jacob tried three times to climb the mountain, but each time he found himself again at the bottom. Then God came to him and told him not to touch the ark, but for his efforts he gave Jacob a wooden piece of ship. For a long time the local church did not acknowledge that it was possible to go up there.
Armenian mythology says that Mount Ararat was the dwelling place for ancient creatures, it says about the King of Snakes, who lives within the mountain.
According to the stories, it was here that Noah’s ark ran aground: “And the ark stopped in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on the mountains of Ararat”. Even earlier, Mesopotamian myth speaks of the Flood, which was associated with the Armenian highlands. Earlier legends also mention it.
Noah’s Descent from Mount Ararat. 1889. Aivazovsky
Source:Postegrad.ru
Armenia and Religion
The Armenian Church differs from the Orthodox, Catholic, and Protestant churches because it is a monophysite church.
Armenia is also the first country to embrace Christianity. Gregory the Illuminator, who baptized Armenia in 301, became the first Catholicos of all Armenians.
What churches to watch in Armenia?
Tatevsky Monastery. A functioning monastery with an incredibly breathtaking atmosphere, located 4 hours from Yerevan.
Gegard – Apostolic Church, rather gloomy but in its own way beautiful, 47 minutes from Yerevan.
The Etchmiadzin Cathedral is a functioning monastery founded in 303. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Located 32 minutes from Yerevan.
The pagan temple of Garni, built in the 1st century BC. 28 km from Yerevan.
Source: welcomarmeniatour
Zvartnots, the temple of the vigilant angels, founded in 653, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, 37 minutes from Yerevan.
Armenian Brandy: History of Creation
Armenian brandy is a drink known to everyone and respected in many countries.
For the production of true Armenian brandy, the creators use only local varieties of grapes, which grow in the Ararat Valley. Armenian brandy is unique, until now no country has been able to fully embody its taste.
The Armenian brandy is among the few that are allowed to be called cognac. In 1909 the government of France issued a decree, according to which only those producers who grow raw material in the region of Cognac have the right to call it cognac. The rest is brandy.
But in the 90s, after the visit of Russian President Yeltsin, an agreement was signed, according to which producers from Armenia, Georgia and Moldova were allowed to use the word “cognac” in the domestic market of the CIS countries.
Interesting facts about Armenia:
UNESCO World Heritage Sites located in Armenia include Haghpat and Sanahin monasteries, Echmiadzin cathedral and churches, Zvartnots archaeological complex, Geghard Monastery and the upper valley of the Azat River.
Armenia has a monument to the alphabet. At the celebration of the 1600th anniversary of the Armenian alphabet in 2005, 39 stone sculptures were created in the form of letters. The monument is located near the burial site of Mesrop Mashtots, its creator.
Yerevan is often referred to as the “pink city” because of the pink hue of the volcanic stone used in its construction.
Armenia is a country of incredible wonders, because everyone who once visited it, will not remain indifferent.
