ARMENIA
One Nation, One Culture
Մեկ Ազգ , Մեկ Մշակույթ
ARMENIA
One Nation, One Culture
Մեկ Ազգ , Մեկ Մշակույթ
Overview
Overview of Armenia
Overview
Armenia is a small country located within the Caucasus region, a mysterious and wonderful mountain range. It is believed, that the beginning of proto-Armenia arose from the great-great grandson of Noah (the biblical figure from the great flood), Hayk Nahapet’, who established the nation. That is why Armenia is known as ‘Hayastan’, which means ‘the land of the Hayk tribe’. From the Greek scholars, the Armenian people were first mentioned in 6th century BC as the Urartu Kingdom, which were a tribe in the area of Lake Van. In 301AD, Armenia became the first nation to embrace Christianity as a state religion by King Tiridates III. 2 years later, the Etchmiadzin Cathedral was built, which is regarded as the oldest cathedral in the world. From the 5th to the 20th century, the nation was conquered by many rulers, became an Armenian Monarchy (Bagratuni Dynasty), and annexed to various empires; such as the Ottoman, Persian, and Russian Empire. Armenia became a republic in 1918, however the Russians took control as the Soviets in 1922, and gave half of Armenian’s territory to Turkey in exchange for peace. The nation became independent again in 1991. The Armenian people have suffered much devastation in recent history from Turkey. This includes the first genocide of 300,000 in 1896, and the second genocide of 1.5 million between 1915 and 1922. They also have conflict with Azerbaijan, which involves the dispute territory of Nagorno-Karabakh.
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Information of Armenia
Information
Capital
Yerevan
Language
Armenian
Area (km2)
29, 800
Population
2,963,967
Currency
Dram
Income
4, 553 US
Tourism
1, 652, 000
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Facts. History. Information
The Armenian alphabet was created in 405AD by Mesrop Mashtots. The original 36 letters has been modified to 38 letters, which is 12 more than the English Alphabet.
The Caucasus is a region that is situated between the Black and Caspian Sea. The 3 main countries that are located in this region are Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. The region also has 3 ‘de Facto Independent States’; Abkhazia (Georgia), South Ossetia (Georgia), and Artsakh (Azerbaijan). The religion of the region comprises of Orthodox (Georgia & Armenia) and Islam (Azerbaijan). The economy of the region is supported by Russia; Russia produces 20% of Armenia’s GDP. The Caucasus region is home to many ethnic groups and languages. The Arabs called it the ‘Mountain of Languages’. It is believed, that over 40 perplexing tongues are spoken between the Black and Caspian Sea. These languages have been kept alive by the rugged terrain, which divides every valley from its neighbouring tribe. The 3 main languages are Georgian, Armenian, and Azeri. Russian is also widely spoken, as the 3 nations were part of the Soviet Union. The landscape of the region has 3 distinctive regions; the Great Caucasus, the Plains, and the Lesser Caucasus. This mountain range is longer and higher than the Famous Alps in Central Europe. The ‘Great Caucasus’ divides Russia from Azerbaijan and Georgia. Some claim that it also separates Europe from Asia, however the nations of the south would dispute this notion. The length of the mountain range stretches 700km, with several 5000m peaks. The highest peak is Mount Elbrus at 5,642m; which is also the highest peak in Russia and Europe. There are only 3 motor roads that cross between this range. The ‘Plains’ are lower hills that give way to large area of flat land. This region comprises of central Georgia and Azerbaijan. The ‘Lesser Caucasus’ is a smaller mountain range in length and height, which covers south west Georgia, Armenia, and the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan. The range comprises of several 3000m peaks, with Mt Aragats in Armenia being the highest at 4090m.
Armenia was the first nation to embrace Christianity as a state religion in 301AD. The Etchmiadzin Cathedral, which was built in 303AD, is considered the oldest cathedral in the world. The Christianity branch of Armenian is ‘Oriental Orthodox’; known as ‘Armenian Apostolic Church’. The church plays a social role in society; most of the people have conservative morals. Over 30% of the nation attend church at least once a month. The country has over 60 medieval monasteries scattered throughout the land. 4 of these monasteries are UNESCO listed; this includes Haghpat, Sanahin, Geghard, & Echmiadzin. One of the most famous monasteries is the ‘Tatev Monastery’. The monastery is located on a mountain plateau that overlooks the Vorotan River. The best way to get to the monastery is to use the 5.7km Ariel tramway from the village of Halidzor. This cable car is regarded as one of the longest cable cars in the world. 600 monks live and work at the monastery.
The Armenian people have suffered much devastation by their neighbouring country Turkey, which was the Ottoman Empire at the time. The first genocide occurred in 1896, when the Ottoman Armenians pushed for more human rights. This angered Sultan Abdul Hamid, whom massacred around 300,000 Armenians. The second genocide is one of the most infamous massacres in human history, it is known as the Armenian Genocide. Between 1915 and 1922, around 1.5 million Armenians were killed within the Ottoman Empire. That was at least 50% of the Armenian population in Turkey. The motive of the genocide occurred during World War I. The Ottoman Armenians sided with Russia (Ottoman’s enemy) in hopes that they’ll free them, and establish their own national state. The Ottomans found this to be disloyal to the empire, especially from the hurt of being defeated by the Russians in the ‘Russo-Turkish War’ (1877-78). The Young Turks who were the political party at the time, ordered the Armenians to be dispossessed and deported from the empire. The Armenians were either murdered or forced into the Syrian Desert to die. The Armenians believe the action was an attempted genocide, however Turkey denies this claim.
The most famous musician in Armenian history is the 18th century poet Sayat Nova. Although Armenian, he was born in Tbilisi, and was associated with Georgian King Ereke II. He was exiled from Georgia for having forbidden love for the King’s daughter. He then lived as a wandering poet, and as a monk in Armenian monasteries. During his time he wrote 200 songs in Armenia, Georgian, Azeri, and Persian. Some of these songs are still sung today. In 1795, he died by helping to defend Tbilisi from the Persians. His tomb is located in Tbilisi outside the ‘Saint George’s Armenian Cathedral’. His story has been produce as a movie, by the famous Armenian Film Director ‘Sergei Parajanov’. The film is called ‘the Colour of Pomegranates’, and is regarded as one of the greatest Soviet films. To the contrary of many nations in the world, folk music in Armenia is alive and well. The most popular instrument in the country is the ‘Duduk’. The Duduk is a double reed instrument, which looks similar to a flute. The Duduk is mostly made from apricot wood. The most popular music genre in the country is ‘Rabiz’. Rabiz music is known for its tragic ballads.
301+: Christian missionaries arrived in Armenian villages as early as 40AD. It is believed that 2 of them were Jesus’s apostles ‘Bartholomew and Thaddeus’. It wasn’t until 301AD, that Christianity became the state religion which was declared by King Tiridates III. His moment of epiphany arose when he was cured of madness by St. Gregory the Illuminator, whom he imprisoned in a snake infested pit for 14 years. Gregory then became the King’s religious mentor, which they both led the Christian revolution in the country. However, the preferred version by historians is that Tiridates wanted to create a national unity, by not conforming to Pagan Rome or Zoroastrian Persia.
4th AD -1828: In the 5th century, Armenia was divided into two empires. The western part of Armenia was controlled by the Byzantine Empire from 387AD. The eastern part of Armenia was controlled by the Sasanian Empire (Persian) from 428AD. In the 7th century, the Arabs made their move to the Caucasus region after the death of Mohammed in 632. In 642, they occupied Azerbaijan. In 654, they occupied Georgia. In 661, they occupied Armenia. The pressure to convert to Islam was strong. When the Armenians resisted, they were taxed to the point where many communities began to disperse to Roman ruled territories. In the 9th century, the Arab ruler at the time approved the resurrection of an Armenian Monarch, in which King Ashot I became the first count of the Bagratuni Dynasty. By the 11th century, another branch of the Bagratuni Dynasty controlled most of Armenia. From the 12th to the 14th century, there were 3 dangerous Empires who brought death, plunder and destruction to Armenia. The first empire were the ‘Seljuk Empire’, who were ethnic Turks from central Asia. The second empire were the ‘Mongolian Empire’. The third empire were the ‘Timurid Empire’, which was known for the infamous conquer Tamerlane. In 1514, the Ottoman Empire occupied most of Armenia. In 1639, Armenia was divided between the Ottoman Empire (west of Armenia) and the Persian Empire (east of Armenia).
1828 – 1918: Russia became to take an interest in the Caucasus when Peter the Great began to seek the region in the 1720s. In 1783, the Georgian King Ereke II accepted Russian control of his nation, in exchange for protection from the Muslims in the ‘treaty of Georgievsk’. From the 19th century, The Russian Empire occupied parts of the Caucasus region. In 1828, The Russian Empire occupied the East part of Armenia (Persian Empire part). This allowed the Armenians to freely practice Christianity, which brought many communities back to the region.
1922 – 1936: Between 1920 and 1921, the Soviets came to claim the Caucasus nations. On the 29th of November 1922, the Caucasus countries of Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Armenia was part of the Transcaucasian Republic of the Soviet Union. Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the president of Turkey, offered Vladimir Lenin, the president of the Soviet Union, peace in exchange for half of Armenians territory, and Lenin agreed.
1936 – 1991: In 1936, the Transcaucasian Republic was separated into 3 separate Soviet Republics: Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. When the Soviets designated the borders of the republic, they decided to separate the Karabakh region from Armenia, and make it an Autonomous region within Azerbaijan. They also separated Naxcivan from Azerbaijan, as a separate landlocked territory of Azerbaijan, which still remains to this day. Armenia became an important utility for manufacturing and technology in the Soviet Union. After Stalin’s death in 1953, corruption became to worsen and the economy began to stagnant. Mikhail Gorbachev’s presidential run for the Soviet Union became its collapse, when he reconstructed its policies.
Capital
Yerevan
Language
Armenian
Area (km2)
29, 800
Population
2,963,967
Currency
Dram
Income
4, 553 US
Tourism
1,652,000
HDI
0.760
Rank
26/50 EU
The Armenian alphabet was created in 405AD by Mesrop Mashtots. The original 36 letters has been modified to 38 letters, which is 12 more than the English Alphabet.
The Caucasus is a region that is situated between the Black and Caspian Sea. The 3 main countries that are located in this region are Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. The region also has 3 ‘de Facto Independent States’; Abkhazia (Georgia), South Ossetia (Georgia), and Artsakh (Azerbaijan). The religion of the region comprises of Orthodox (Georgia & Armenia) and Islam (Azerbaijan). The economy of the region is supported by Russia; Russia produces 20% of Armenia’s GDP. The Caucasus region is home to many ethnic groups and languages. The Arabs called it the ‘Mountain of Languages’. It is believed, that over 40 perplexing tongues are spoken between the Black and Caspian Sea. These languages have been kept alive by the rugged terrain, which divides every valley from its neighbouring tribe. The 3 main languages are Georgian, Armenian, and Azeri. Russian is also widely spoken, as the 3 nations were part of the Soviet Union. The landscape of the region has 3 distinctive regions; the Great Caucasus, the Plains, and the Lesser Caucasus. This mountain range is longer and higher than the Famous Alps in Central Europe. The ‘Great Caucasus’ divides Russia from Azerbaijan and Georgia. Some claim that it also separates Europe from Asia, however the nations of the south would dispute this notion. The length of the mountain range stretches 700km, with several 5000m peaks. The highest peak is Mount Elbrus at 5,642m; which is also the highest peak in Russia and Europe. There are only 3 motor roads that cross between this range. The ‘Plains’ are lower hills that give way to large area of flat land. This region comprises of central Georgia and Azerbaijan. The ‘Lesser Caucasus’ is a smaller mountain range in length and height, which covers south west Georgia, Armenia, and the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan. The range comprises of several 3000m peaks, with Mt Aragats in Armenia being the highest at 4090m.
Armenia was the first nation to embrace Christianity as a state religion in 301AD. The Etchmiadzin Cathedral, which was built in 303AD, is considered the oldest cathedral in the world. The Christianity branch of Armenian is ‘Oriental Orthodox’; known as ‘Armenian Apostolic Church’. The church plays a social role in society; most of the people have conservative morals. Over 30% of the nation attend church at least once a month. The country has over 60 medieval monasteries scattered throughout the land. 4 of these monasteries are UNESCO listed; this includes Haghpat, Sanahin, Geghard, & Echmiadzin. One of the most famous monasteries is the ‘Tatev Monastery’. The monastery is located on a mountain plateau that overlooks the Vorotan River. The best way to get to the monastery is to use the 5.7km Ariel tramway from the village of Halidzor. This cable car is regarded as one of the longest cable cars in the world. 600 monks live and work at the monastery.
The Armenian people have suffered much devastation by their neighbouring country Turkey, which was the Ottoman Empire at the time. The first genocide occurred in 1896, when the Ottoman Armenians pushed for more human rights. This angered Sultan Abdul Hamid, whom massacred around 300,000 Armenians. The second genocide is one of the most infamous massacres in human history, it is known as the Armenian Genocide. Between 1915 and 1922, around 1.5 million Armenians were killed within the Ottoman Empire. That was at least 50% of the Armenian population in Turkey. The motive of the genocide occurred during World War I. The Ottoman Armenians sided with Russia (Ottoman’s enemy) in hopes that they’ll free them, and establish their own national state. The Ottomans found this to be disloyal to the empire, especially from the hurt of being defeated by the Russians in the ‘Russo-Turkish War’ (1877-78). The Young Turks who were the political party at the time, ordered the Armenians to be dispossessed and deported from the empire. The Armenians were either murdered or forced into the Syrian Desert to die. The Armenians believe the action was an attempted genocide, however Turkey denies this claim.
The most famous musician in Armenian history is the 18th century poet Sayat Nova. Although Armenian, he was born in Tbilisi, and was associated with Georgian King Ereke II. He was exiled from Georgia for having forbidden love for the King’s daughter. He then lived as a wandering poet, and as a monk in Armenian monasteries. During his time he wrote 200 songs in Armenia, Georgian, Azeri, and Persian. Some of these songs are still sung today. In 1795, he died by helping to defend Tbilisi from the Persians. His tomb is located in Tbilisi outside the ‘Saint George’s Armenian Cathedral’. His story has been produce as a movie, by the famous Armenian Film Director ‘Sergei Parajanov’. The film is called ‘the Colour of Pomegranates’, and is regarded as one of the greatest Soviet films. To the contrary of many nations in the world, folk music in Armenia is alive and well. The most popular instrument in the country is the ‘Duduk’. The Duduk is a double reed instrument, which looks similar to a flute. The Duduk is mostly made from apricot wood. The most popular music genre in the country is ‘Rabiz’. Rabiz music is known for its tragic ballads.
301+: Christian missionaries arrived in Armenian villages as early as 40AD. It is believed that 2 of them were Jesus’s apostles ‘Bartholomew and Thaddeus’. It wasn’t until 301AD, that Christianity became the state religion which was declared by King Tiridates III. His moment of epiphany arose when he was cured of madness by St. Gregory the Illuminator, whom he imprisoned in a snake infested pit for 14 years. Gregory then became the King’s religious mentor, which they both led the Christian revolution in the country. However, the preferred version by historians is that Tiridates wanted to create a national unity, by not conforming to Pagan Rome or Zoroastrian Persia.
4th AD -1828: In the 5th century, Armenia was divided into two empires. The western part of Armenia was controlled by the Byzantine Empire from 387AD. The eastern part of Armenia was controlled by the Sasanian Empire (Persian) from 428AD. In the 7th century, the Arabs made their move to the Caucasus region after the death of Mohammed in 632. In 642, they occupied Azerbaijan. In 654, they occupied Georgia. In 661, they occupied Armenia. The pressure to convert to Islam was strong. When the Armenians resisted, they were taxed to the point where many communities began to disperse to Roman ruled territories. In the 9th century, the Arab ruler at the time approved the resurrection of an Armenian Monarch, in which King Ashot I became the first count of the Bagratuni Dynasty. By the 11th century, another branch of the Bagratuni Dynasty controlled most of Armenia. From the 12th to the 14th century, there were 3 dangerous Empires who brought death, plunder and destruction to Armenia. The first empire were the ‘Seljuk Empire’, who were ethnic Turks from central Asia. The second empire were the ‘Mongolian Empire’. The third empire were the ‘Timurid Empire’, which was known for the infamous conquer Tamerlane. In 1514, the Ottoman Empire occupied most of Armenia. In 1639, Armenia was divided between the Ottoman Empire (west of Armenia) and the Persian Empire (east of Armenia).
1828 – 1918: Russia became to take an interest in the Caucasus when Peter the Great began to seek the region in the 1720s. In 1783, the Georgian King Ereke II accepted Russian control of his nation, in exchange for protection from the Muslims in the ‘treaty of Georgievsk’. From the 19th century, The Russian Empire occupied parts of the Caucasus region. In 1828, The Russian Empire occupied the East part of Armenia (Persian Empire part). This allowed the Armenians to freely practice Christianity, which brought many communities back to the region.
1922 – 1936: Between 1920 and 1921, the Soviets came to claim the Caucasus nations. On the 29th of November 1922, the Caucasus countries of Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Armenia was part of the Transcaucasian Republic of the Soviet Union. Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the president of Turkey, offered Vladimir Lenin, the president of the Soviet Union, peace in exchange for half of Armenians territory, and Lenin agreed.
1936 – 1991: In 1936, the Transcaucasian Republic was separated into 3 separate Soviet Republics: Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. When the Soviets designated the borders of the republic, they decided to separate the Karabakh region from Armenia, and make it an Autonomous region within Azerbaijan. They also separated Naxcivan from Azerbaijan, as a separate landlocked territory of Azerbaijan, which still remains to this day. Armenia became an important utility for manufacturing and technology in the Soviet Union. After Stalin’s death in 1953, corruption became to worsen and the economy began to stagnant. Mikhail Gorbachev’s presidential run for the Soviet Union became its collapse, when he reconstructed its policies.
Travel
Travel to Armenia
Travel
The main city of Armenia is the capital, Yerevan; and the second largest city is Gyumri. Yerevan is known as the ‘Pink City’, due to its unique ‘pink-like’ architecture. The main attractions consist of the Cascade, Republic Square, and St. Gregory Cathedral. Based on its central location, many day-trips can be visited from the capital. Most notable include Khor Virap, Lake Sevan, Garni, and Etchmiadzin. The next major city is Gyumri, which is only one-tenth the size of Yerevan. Unfortunately, the town experienced one of the deadliest Earthquakes in the 20th century. Overall, Armenia is a wonderful place to visit, as it offers a different experience from Western and Eastern Europe. The country has many natural and historic attractions. For the travellers who like to venture off the ‘beaten track’, they can explore the ‘Republic of Artsakh’, which is an autonomous region in the country of Azerbaijan. This place can only be visited from Yerevan, as there is no international airport, and its borders from Azerbaijan are closed. To travel to Artsakh, you can take a mini bus from Yerevan to Stepanakert (capital of Artsakh). The journey is between 5 and 8 hours. You’ll get a visa upon arrival, but if you plan to visit Azerbaijan, you can request for the visa to be left outside the passport.
