Armenia a natural and cultural travel wonder

Affordable and ancient, beautiful and bountiful, Christian and culturally rich … the descriptors for Armenia roll off the tongue as easily as this landlocked country’s mountain rivers and lilting landscape.   

But scratch a little deeper and words get stuck in the back of the throat as you discover the complexities and harsh past of Armenia.

It’s an identity deeply shaped by genocide, diaspora and an in-your-face mountain – Mount Ararat – that serves as a symbolic reminder of the resilience of its 3 million people (and the 10 to 12 million who live outside of this Western Asian country).

Today, Armenia is just 10% of its size way back in 95 to 66 BC when it formed part of the ancient trading route, the Silk Road, and was one of the most powerful states east of Rome.

But the country’s spirit lives on in what is a deeply fascinating country.

Did you know, for example, that Armenia was the:

• First country to officially adopt Christianity
• First to make wine, and to
• Give us the Kardashians.

Go on, Google it. Yep, at a crossroads between East and West in the Caucasus region of Eurasia – and admittedly, a part of the world I never envisaged visiting.

First impressions of Armenia

So, here’s my take of Armenia, thanks to an Eid break tour package in early June. These impressions are my own. I paid for my trip and have not received payment or incentives of any kind for writing this.

No one post can ever do justice to what a country has to offer visitors, but hopefully it will give you sense of what to expect from one of the most ancient countries in the world. The others are Iran, China, Greece, Egypt and Japan.

Again, I have taken poetic licence by including Armenia in my Doha Diaries blog because it’s within five hours’ flight of our adopted home in Qatar. (Well, as the crow flies, yes, but since there is no direct flight from Qatar, it takes at least eight hours. We went via Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates for a connecting flight to Armenia’s capital, Yerevan. However, the good news is that access to Armenia is going to get easier for the Gulf countries.)

I appreciate Armenia is further away from South Africa where many regular readers of this blog are based, but if twinned with its neighbour, Georgia, it is well worth considering as an alternative holiday option. Both countries are also far cheaper destinations than neighbouring Europe.   

For additional practical guidance see end of this post.

Arts and architecture

For South Africans, it’s sport. In Armenia, and particularly, its capital Yerevan, it is art, culture and heritage. This is what the Armenians treasure.

Parks and public spaces are full of statues and art pieces; musicians who busk and children who happily practice their national dances in the streets. And Yerevan’s Opera House is as busy as any rugby ground in South Africa on a Saturday afternoon.

The architecture is diverse, thanks to the country’s rich history, inclusive of Soviet-era structures.

There’s wide usage of stone, particularly basalt and tuff. This locally hewn stone is particularly prominent in the ancient churches.

Christianity and churches

As the first country to officially adopt Christianity in 301AD, you are spoilt for choice when it comes to visiting ancient monasteries and churches.

These historic edifices are almost always found amidst picturesque landscapes and have compelling backstories.

One such story is that of Gregory the Illuminator who was imprisoned underground and tortured for 13 years for preaching Christianity before his prayers reportedly cured the ill King Tiridates III.  This led to the King’s conversion and subsequent adoption of Christianity as the state religion.

Armenia is still a Christian country today thanks to Gregory, and the apostles Bartholomew and Thaddeus.

The celebrity Kardashian family are of Armenian descent, with their ancestors having left the country before the genocide began in 1915. Their surname means “stone mason”.

Food, fruit and flowers

A feast awaits.

Food, home-grown fruits and vegetables, and flowers galore, make Armenia a sensory treat.

Food

Armenia offers a smorgasbord of exotic fresh flavours, far removed from my bangers-and-mash palate, thanks to its rich history and original reach across what is today east and central Turkey, north-western Iran, Israel, Syria and Iran.

It’s a cuisine influenced by its location (an arable mountainous country) and history on the ancient trading routes. Armenian dishes often include eggplant, lamb, yoghurt and scrumptious breads, including lavash.

And, to further whet your appetite, food is reasonably priced – in the supermarkets, at market stalls and in the city restaurants, too.

Fruit

Equally impressive is the tasty fresh fruit grown and readily available in Armenia, with the juicy apricot leading the pack. It is the pride of Amenia. Even the flag is apricot (and not orange) in colour.

Grapes, pomegranates, plums, figs, peaches and quince apples are all grown locally.

Flowers

And then my favourite, the flowers, both the wild varieties growing in the lush countryside and the cultivated ones on sale throughout the city of Yerevan.

I will let the photographs do the talking.

People and politics

The genocide (1.5 million Armenians were killed between 1915 to 1923), the Armenia diaspora (there are about 10 to 12 million Armenians living outside of their country), and geopolitics all play a critical role in shaping the Armenia of today.

The geopolitics of the area is complicated.

We learnt this by default when one of our tour members was quizzed at length about her ties to neighbouring Azerbaijan. Unbeknown to her, and us, the two neighbours are still at loggerheads over disputed territory – to the north.*

It’s the same with Turkey. That border is closed, too.

As for the people themselves, we found them to be patriotic (they’re so proud of their culture and heritage), warm and welcoming.

They have made their presence felt globally.

Famous Armenian people or people of Armenian descent include the inventor of the MRI diagnostic machine Dr Raymond Damadian, astrophysicist Viktor Hambartsumian, Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, chess grandmaster Garry Kasparov,  pop star Cher, tennis player, Andre Agassi, singer Charles Aznavour, artist Arshile Gorky, racing driver Alain Prost and yes, the Kardashians.

* I am happy to report, that as I type, representatives from both Armenia and Azerbaijan were meeting in the United Arab Emirates for peace talks for the first time after four decades of dispute. And olive branches are likewise being extended between Turkey and Armenia.

Travel and trade

Navigating Armenia is straightforward if you have a tour guide. If you are going solo, however, public transport is scant outside of the capital, Yerevan, and advisories recommend against hiring a car because of general poor driving. We did not experience this, and certainly our bus driver, Rubin, was excellent.

With tourism on the rise, however, there is no shortage of tour guides/drivers offering tour packages, inclusive of day trips.

When it comes to big trade – metals, particularly copper, and diamonds are Armenia’s main exports, but they are also big on energy, beverages (read alcohol), fruit and vegetables.

Almost half of the land (44%) is devoted to agriculture – with melons, potatoes, wheat, grapes, tobacco and sugar beet leading the way. When it comes to livestock, it’s dairy cows, beef cows and sheep, particularly in the more mountainous areas.

But for you the visitor, intent on taking home a keepsake or three, then you can’t wrong with any of the following items:

• Carpets
• Wine or brandy (alcohol is readily available and is big business in Armenia)
• Chess sets (chess is huge is Armenia. It’s compulsory at school)
• Traditional items like the duduk, a recorder-like musical instrument, and Armenian pottery
• Handcrafted jewellery and woodwork
• Khachkar replicas (stone crosses)

Water, wine and water fountains

Lake Sevan is often referred to a sea, given its size. It makes up 4% of Armenia. It’s scenically beautifully and you can visit many historic sites on its shores.

The same can be said of the many rivers that cross this mountainous country, complete with waterfalls and freshwater springs.

As a result, Armenia has high-quality water, rich in minerals, that runs through its municipal system and wonderful public water fountains.

And then there’s the wine!

Armenia claims to be the first to produce wine having found evidence of winemaking dating back over 6100 years. But we’ve heard this story before in both Georgia and Cyprus!

Regardless, the wine is good and, as in parts of South Africa, you can go on wine tours or enjoy tastings at vineyards.

We happened to be in Yerevan on the weekend of their annual wine festival – a three-day party that made Graaff-Reinet’s Stoep Tasting look sober! (As an aside, Armenia is home to a massive alcohol industry).

Yerevan

Yerevan is a visitor’s delight.

The city might be 2700 years old, but it has youthful, light-hearted spirit and is easy to navigate (even if there’s many an uphill), and it’s safe.

We, and hundreds of others, including families across three generations, meandered around the city at night, enjoying the sights, the smells (food being grilled) and sounds (music and laughter).  

Parks, markets and artworks abound, along with lovely sidewalk cafes, coffee shops and bars. Please make a point to visit the Verbussage Market close to Republic Square especially over the weekend when artists join the regular traders selling everything from second-hand books and records through to traditional dudeks and Armenian arts and crafts.

Useful information

Getting there

Visas

A tourist visa is needed by most foreign visitors. You can apply online or seek one on arrival.  

Money

The Armenian dram makes you feel like a millionaire because QAR100 (about R500) is close to AMD10 000! It’s good to have cash, especially in the markets as not everyone has card machines.

Currency exchanges are readily available across Yerevan, and you can also use ATMs that operate 24/7.

Language

The main language is Armenian. Russian is also widely spoken by the older generation, and English by their children, though not everywhere and not always well. We had many lost-in-translation conversations that somehow always ended with smiles, if not the desired result. 

Museums

There are many interesting museums to visit, especially in Yerevan. These include the Museum of Armenian Genocide and History Museum of Armenia, but please note that they are almost all closed on Monday and have varying entry fees. The Genocide Museum is free, but you are encouraged to make a donation.

Transport

Public buses, a metro, taxis and YandexGo are all readily available in Yerevan, but outside of the capital public transport is less reliable.

Tourism guides

We were privileged to have a qualified English-speaking guide introduce us to Armenia. His knowledge and willingness to share it, enhanced our travel experience.

Wherever we walked in Yerevan, drivers/guides were flouting various sightseeing packages.