Armenia

Known for its cognac and turbulent history, Armenia is the oldest proud sanctuary of Christian nation in the world.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the country had experienced boom in traditional culture, and its capital Yerevan is the center of cultural activities and modern art scene. In Armenia, you will find a beautiful landscape with dense forest, idyllic lakes and deserts, and perhaps its most valuable treasures are fascinating ancient monasteries and candle-lit churches.

Armenia is located south of the Caucasus, in the mountains between the Black and Caspian Seas, and covers an area of ​​29,800 square kilometers. 1254 kilometers long borders, it is surrounded with Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Iran, and it has about 3.3 million inhabitants. Because of the stormy history, Armenians have large diasporas around the world, around 8 million of them, from Russia and France all the way to the United States and Canada.

The highest mountain peak is Aragac, which rises up to a height of 4090 meters, the longest river is the Araks (914 kilometers) which only partly flows through Armenia, and the largest lake is Sevan, which occupies an area of ​​1417 square kilometers.

The capital Yerevan is one of the world’s oldest cities, where about 1.3 million inhabitants live. In the city, whose walls are still hiding the ghosts of the past, you can enjoy and visit many attractive museums and galleries. You will not be disappointed with their bars, or the various concerts that are held here. The city also has a rich nightlife.

Armenia is a country with an old history and is known for being the first one which adopted Christianity as its state religion in 301. It gained Autonomy in 1988, when it was separated from the Soviet Union, with whom it has a good relationship even today. But this is not true for Turkey, which sacrificed about a million if Armenians in 1915, as well as for Azerbaijan with whom they fought for the land in Karabah for almost half a century.

Armenia was established as a republic with one legislative house, and is just starting to get used to democracy. Armenia has a large number of mineral resources such as copper, zinc, gold, lead and molybdenum. The culture is also very well developed. Armenians are becoming famous for their excellent wines, especially the brandy, which is called the Armenian cognac. Gross national product per capita is still quite low ($ 4,270), with an unemployment rate of 12 percent.

The kindness and hospitality of the people from Armenia is well known, and many will discover the beauty and heritage of this country with enthusiasm. Armenians form 98 percent of the population, Yazid 1.3 percent, Russians 0.5 percent, and an insignificant percentage goes to the rest.

TOURIST ATTRACTIONS:

Ararat

Do not miss to see the biblical mountain Ararat, where, according to tradition, Noah stranded with his ship after the flood.

Matenadaran Institute

In the Matenadaran Institute there is a museum of medieval records from history, philosophy, medicine and art.

Monastery Geghardt

Monastery Geghardt is worth visiting, carved into the mountain, which is under the protection of UNESCO.

History under protection of UNESCO

The administrative center of the Armenian church is in the town of Echmiadzin, where St. Hripsime church from the 7th century is also under protection of UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

Monastery Tatev

In Armenia you can enjoy in the magic ride with the longest cable car in the world, 5.7 kilometers long, which will take you to the monastery Tatev.