Armenia was the first official Christian country in the world, and to this day has some of the oldest churches and monasteries. It's also been at the centre of an unfortunate tug of war between the Persian, Ottoman (later Turkish) and Russian empires (not to mention the Mongol invasions), which has on multiple times left the country in ruins and significant scars on the nation's psyche. Most tragic were the two Armenian genocides that exterminated between 1.5 and 2 million Armenians. The territory of Armenia has shrunk by 75% since its peak just over 2,000 years ago, and Mount Ararat, regularly visible in Yerevan and considered the symbol of Armenia (and some believe the final resting spot of Noah's Ark), is firmly within Turkish territory.
We started our trip with the capital city, Yerevan, which was founded in and continuously inhabited since the 8th century, BC. Archaeological digs suggest a history reaching back over 6,000 years. It was considered the 'jewel' of the Soviet Union, and one of the nuclei of scientific and artistic progress. Ironically, it's also one of the few places where many people miss the Soviet times.
Yerevan itself felt like a modern European city, impeccably clean with developed public transportation and infrastructure, and filled with restaurants, art galleries, cafes, open plazas, and tree lined boulevards. This seemed quite contrary to its supposed status as a developing country, with a GDP per capita lower than Indonesia and just above Angola. This was consistent throughout the rest of the country as well, which led me to believe the broader Armenian diaspora (outnumbering local residents almost 4:1) were significantly contributing to the economy in an unofficial capacity.
Most memorable were three things - the manuscript museum (Matenadaran), housing ancient manuscripts (some over a thousand years old) from around the world; the Cascade, a giant series of steps constructed over nearly 40 years, connecting two parts of the town together; and the ubiquitous use of pink tufa in constructing its buildings.
We spent roughly half of our nights in Yerevan given the country is quite small and our destinations quite scattered. As such got to know the city quite well during our stay - we really enjoyed the food, culture, local music scene, and just meeting random people that called this place home.
Thanks kindly to Mariam, Noor and Levon who were perfect tour guides, showing us around Armenia, acting as interpreters, and who gave us many great recommendations for Yerevan itself when we were on our own. If you don't speak Armenian or Russian fluently, highly recommend you seek some help in your travels!
The Food
The Markets
The Matenadaran
The City
No comments:
Post a Comment