My Detailed Journal

Armenia

The Country of the Lost Arc

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APRIL 10 – 17, 2009


Organized by Christian Taoutel

Coordinateur des activités sociales et culturelles

Fédération des Anciens
Université Saint-Joseph - Beyrouth - Liban

Our group consisted of forty something travellers

For more info on Armenia click on the link below:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ArmeniaA

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Ready to travel on board of Armavia Airlines?

Good luck and Enjoy your trip in Hayastan!

Introductory Notes --- Please take a couple minutes to familiariaze yourselves with certain facts & figures regarding our destination!

Hayastan: Hay (from Hayk) + Stan (suffix meanings land) = Armenia

The native Armenian name for the country is Hayk. The name in the Middle Ages was extended to Hayastan, by addition of the Iranian suffix -stan (land). The name has traditionally been derived from Hayk (Հայկ), the legendary patriarch of the Armenians and a great-great-grandson of Noah, who according to Moses of Chorene defeated the Babylonian king Bel in 2492 BC, and established his nation in the Ararat region.

Republic of Armenia

Հայաստանի Հանրապետություն

Hayastani Hanrapetutyun

Capital (and largest city) Yerevan
Official languages Armenian
Ethnic groups 97.9% Armenian, 1.3% Yazidi, 0.5% Russian, 0.3% Other
Government Presidential republic
President: Serge Sarkissian Prime Minister: Tigran Sarkissian
Speaker Hovik Abrahamian
Formation and Independence
Urartu 840s BC
Orontid Dynasty 560 BC
Kingdom of Armenia formed 190 BC
Democratic Republic of Armenia established May 28, 1918
Independence from the Soviet Union Declared August 23, 1990 Recognised September 21, 1991 Finalised December 25, 1991
Area: Total 29,800 km2 (142nd) 11,506 sq mi Water 4.71 %
Population July 2008 estimate 3,231,900
Currency Dram (AMD) Armenian Dram
Patron saint(s): St. Bartholomew the Apostle, St. Gregory the Illuminator, St. Jude the Apostle, Virgin Mary

Armenia is landlocked in the southern Caucasus. Located between the Black and Caspian Seas, the country is bordered on the north and east by Georgia and Azerbaijan, and on the south and west by Iran and Turkey.

Administrative Divisions:
Armenia is divided into ten provinces with the city of Yerevan having special administrative status as the country's capital.


RELIGION: The predominant religion in Armenia is Christianity. The roots of the Armenian Church go back to the first century. According to tradition, the Armenian Church was founded by two of Jesus' twelve apostles -- Thaddaeus and Bartholomew -- who preached Christianity in Armenia between AD 40-60. Because of these two founding apostles, the official name of the Armenian Church is Armenian Apostolic Church. Armenia was the first nation to adopt Christianity as a state religion, an event traditionally dated to AD 301. Over 93% of Armenian Christians belong to the Armenian Apostolic Church, a form of Oriental (Non-Chalcedonian) Orthodoxy, which is a very ritualistic, conservative church, roughly comparable to the Coptic and Syriac churches. Armenian Apostolic Church is in communion only with a group of churches within Oriental Orthodoxy. Armenia also has a population of Catholics (both Roman and Mekhitarist - Armenian Uniate (180,000)), evangelical Protestants and followers of the Armenian traditional religion. The Yazidi Kurds, who live in the western part of the country, practice Yazidism. The Armenian Catholic Church is headquartered in Bzoummar, Lebanon. The non-Yazidi Kurds practice Sunni Islam. The Jewish community in Armenia has diminished to 750 persons since independence due to Armenia's economic difficulties, with most emigrants leaving for Israel. There are currently two synagogues operating in Armenia - in the capital, Yerevan, and in the city of Sevan located near Lake Sevan. Intermarriage with Christian Armenians is frequent. Still, despite these difficulties, a lot of enthusiasm exists to help the community meet its needs.

Useful words: Sourp = saint/holy; vank = monastery;

LANGUAGE: Armenians have their own distinctive alphabet and language. The alphabet was invented in AD 405 by Saint Mesrob Mashtots and consists of thirty-eight letters, two of which were added during the Cilician period. 96% of the people in the country speak Armenian, while 75.8% of the population additionally speaks Russian and English is becoming increasingly popular as it is taught as a 3rd language (after Armenian and Russian) in schools.

French is taught at university level

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Here's how our story began...

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Friday April 10, Day 1

Meeting at Beirut International Airport at 8:45pm
Mr. Hovsep Ashjian distributed the specially-devised ASHJIAN TOURS handbags filled with a baseball cap, writing utensils, and few munchies. We already had the nametags from Christian and we were asked to wear them!
Departure at 11.40pm. 1105 km (687miles) done in 1 hour 35 minutes!
Estimated arrival time in Yerevan at 4:00am (local time = Beirut time+ 2 hours). Arrival to Zvartnots International Airport’s new terminal with white carnations from Mrs. Kayane, the other tour guide!

We drove to 3rd Kugh (meaning 3rd Village) and arrived at the Armenian Royal Palace Hotel and everyone went to bed after sipping a drink or two only to wake up after 2 hours! This 4**** hotel is located in a quiet residence in Silikyan District at 10km from the City Center. We were in Room 212, do your remember yours?

We are in Yerevan, almost at 1000m above sea level already!

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Saturday 11, Day 2

Breakfast at the Hotel and then off to:

Garni, a 1st Century Pagan temple. On our way back to the bus, we bought “katah” made by the old lady from the neighboring house (this was supposed to be Kaaket el eid). Some people bought honey, other bought walnuts on strings dipped in grape syrup!

Geghard Monastery, a rupestrian monastery. We started seeing various and different types of khatckar (stone crosses) (In Armenian Khatch= cross and Kar=Stone)

Lunch break in Downtown Yerevan: we had pizza at Pizza di Roma on Toumanian Street. Good first impression as far as food is concerned!

Vernissage – An open-air souvenir and handicraft market, even a flea market in its own way; this is in Yerevan (open only on weekends). On our way there we saw a several buildings made of tufa, a pinkish orange stone.

Lebanese Dinner at the hotel with His Excellency Mr. Gabriel Geara, Ambassador of the Lebanon to the Republic of Armenia. An Armenian singer was singing along with two others playing instruments. We ate and danced and enjoyed a beautiful speech delivered by the Ambassador himself.

Sunday 12, Day 3 ( Happy Easter almost everyone!)

Breakfast at the Hotel: An addition to the menu: hard-boiled eggs colored with onion peel decorated in green grass (the same green grass we grow at Christmas in Lebanon for the Manger under the tree). Armenians eat hardboiled eggs with tarragon herb (called tarkhoon in Arabic and estragon in French; this detailed explanation in Mr. Ashjian’s terminology would be called “aassfour w kheyto”!!! )

St. Hripsime Church The church of St. Hripsime was built in AD 618 and survives basically unchanged. It is considered as one of the oldest surviving churches in Armenia, and is known for its fine Armenian architecture of the classical period, which influenced many other Armenian churches. It is also located in Etchmiadzian area.

Holy Etchmiadzin, at about 20km west of Yerevan. (In Armenian Etchmiadzin means 'the place where the Only Begotten descended'). St. Gregory the Illuminator had a vision of Jesus Christ descending from heaven and striking the earth with a golden hammer to show where the cathedral should be built. Hence, the patriarch gave the church and the city the new name of Echmiadzin. This is the Mother See of all Apostolic Armenians (main Church). We attended Mass headed by the Catholicos of All Armenians – Karekin II. We took several pictures of khatchkar there (Cross-stones: khatch = cross and kar=stone).

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The Armenian Apostolic Church: (Armenian: Հայաստանեայց Առաքելական Եկեղեցի, pronounced Hayasdaneaytz Arakelagan Yegeghetzi) The Armenian Apostolic Church is the world's oldest national church and is one of the most ancient Christian communities. The official name of the church is the One Holy Universal Apostolic Orthodox Armenian Church. It is sometimes referred to as the Gregorian Church, but the latter name is not preferred by the church, as it views the Apostles Bartholomew and Thaddeus as the founders, and St. Gregory the Illuminator as merely the first official head of the church.

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We visited the souvenir shop to buy incense, souvenirs, blessed water, wooden khatchkar etc. On our way back, the roads were blocked because VIP’s were about to leave St. Etchmiadzin, so we had to walk to St. Kayane Church. On our way we saw a clown as well as a tightrope walker.

St. Kayane The church of St. Gayane, which is distinguished by its harmonious proportions, was constructed in AD 630 in Etchmiadzin by Catholicos Ezra. The design remains unchanged despite partial enlargement in the 17th century with renovations to the dome and of some ceilings. It is also located in Etchmiadzian area.

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ZVARTNOTS: Nearby, just a few kilometers away is also the archaeological site of Zvartnots Cathedral famous for its unique design. The church was built between AD 643 and 652 by Catholicos Nerses III (nicknamed the Builder). Zvartnots was a majestic cathedral dedicated to St. George at the place where a meeting between king Trdat III and Gregory the Illuminator was supposed to have taken place. In AD 930, the church was ruined by an earthquake, and remained buried until its rediscovery in the early 20th century. The site was excavated between 1900 and 1907, uncovering the foundations of the cathedral as well as the remains of the Catholicos palace and a winery. The interior of the fresco-decorated church had the shape of a Greek cross with three aisles, while the exterior was a 32-sided polygon which appeared circular from a distance.
The churches of St. Gayane, St. Hrispsime and the archeological site of Zvartnots, are, just like Etchmiadzin Cathedral, listed among the World Heritage Sites designated by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization UNESCO.

Lunch break: We had a hearty meal at Café Central on 30 Abovian Street. The ladies from Hotel-Dieu de France were having lunch there too!

Armenian Music, Song & Dance Show: Armenian State Honored Ensemble of Dance & Song after Tatul Altunyan at 15 Sayat Nova Street.


Monday 13, Day 4

Good snowing morning! Change of plan is being considered, but then again, no change of plan, we’re still going to Lake Sevan!

Lake Sevan - Elevation: around 2000m so you can tell it’s freezing cold! We visited Sevanavank (monastery of Sevan) that consists of two churches actually: St. Arakelots (Holy Apostles) (door closed) and St. Garabet – we attended part of Mass there. The wooden doors of both churches we later on saw on our last day (free day) tour in the Yerevan Museum of History on Republic Square. We had a break at the cafeteria awaiting the 20-minute boat trip! Christian had mentioned “if the lake is not frozen” and yes we did it! It was not frozen! It was about to freeze actually! So were we!) On our way back we took a picture of Akhtamar statue - the heroine of a famous love story - Made in Armenia. She fell in love with someone, but what happened next? Click on her name to read more!

Dsaghgatsor (Valley of Flowers) We visited the Ski Resort and took the cable cars to the mountain top... it was freezing cold, yet fun!

Lunch at La Maison des Ecrivains offered by Mr. Ashjian. The place is a retreat for poets constructed during the Soviet rule. The menu included appetizers, side dishes, wine, whiskey, BBQ or kabab, and the famous Ishkhanatzoug (Prince fish) typical of Lake Sevan.

Kecharis Monastery: 3 churches on the same venue. The biggest church is called St. Gregory the Illuminator; the second one is called St. Haroutioun (means: resurrection) and the smallest is called St. Nshan. The only Catholic Church in all three is that of St. Haroutioun, the others being Armenian Apostolic like the majority of Churches visited during our trip.

We collected black obsidian stones – volcanic and semi-precious rocks. These very same rocks are used to make ornaments such as keychains, statuettes, paperweights, etc.

The Armenian National Academic Opera & Ballet Theatre: in Yerevan was founded in 1932 and was opened on January 20, 1933. The theatre building was constructed in 1940 by the architect Alexander Tamanian. We attended Musical Bridge presented by the Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra at the Aram Khatchaturyan Concert Hall at the Opera House on Mashtots Street. In front of the Opera. We took pictures in front of the Opera House - next to the statue of Aram Khatchaturyan. To read more about him, visit: http://www.khachaturian.am/. Note that he is known for Gayane which includes the famous Sabre Dance. (We previously watched the Song & Dance Ensemble dancers dance with swords to this tune).

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Tuesday 14, Day 5

Mayr Hayastan (Mere Patrie, Mother Armenia) The current female statue which is a personification of Armenia replaces a monumental statue of Joseph Stalin. This is the Victory Park Statue where we visited the Military Museum. .

Madenataran (Madian = manuscript; taran= warehouse, hence the museum of manuscripts). On the lower level we saw the Statue of St. Mesrob Mashtots, the inventor of the Armenian Alphabet along with his student, Gorun Vartabed. Above its head on the wall are carved the first sentences translated and written by Mashdots in Armenian after the invention of the alphabet: “By acquiring knowledge and truth, you understand the words of wisdom.” Other scholars whose statues we saw on both sides of the main gate from left to right include:, Toros Roslin, Krikor Datevatsi, Anania Shiragatsi, Movses Khorenatsi, Mkhitar Kosh and Frig. Originals and hand-written copies of more than 17,000 manuscripts and around 300,000 divan and archive documents not only in Armenian, but also Greek, Latin, Arabic, Persian, Syrian, Jewish, Hindu, Japanese, etc. are kept in the Matenadaran.

Vortan Garmir: At the Madenataran, Nina showed us the special red dye Armenians used to use in their paintings... this dye is extracted from bugs, The bugs are called "vortan garmir," or worm’s red, cochineal worm, and their secretions are also used in other dyes. For Christians, the red used to color Easter eggs symbolizes Jesus’ blood. However, the practice of coloring eggs goes back to pre-Christian pagan traditions and the spring festivals held in Anatolian communities. People believed that the eggs would trap the devil inside forever, guaranteeing that the world would live in peace and prosperity.

At the Madenataran we saw several manuscripits. The pages of books, written by Armenian historiographers, were made from animal skins. Such pages were called makaghat (parchment) and books - madian (manuscript). Parchment of high quality was delicate, transparent and white. Scribes, who copied and illuminated the manuscripts, used inks made of plant sap and vortan garmir, a red dye from cochineal worm; they used eagle-quills and other birds feathers as pens. The parchment or paper sheets were folded in the middle and each part was divided into three; these 12-paged notebooks were written and illuminated, and then bound into books. To line the paper and to draw straight lines, canon-tables, arches and margins, rulers and compasses were used, which left slight traces on the parchment or paper. Then the miniaturist drew the main outlines of the ornament and the sections to be gilded with vortan garmir. Afterwards, watercolour was applied according to the style of a school or period and the master's taste.

St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral in Yerevan – In September 2001, the massive St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral was completed in celebration of the 1700th anniversary of Christianity in Armenia. The main cathedral seats the symbolic number of 1,700 worshippers, and there are two large chapels near the entrance which are primarily for weddings. The holy remains of St. Gregory were brought from Italy in time for the opening, and Pope John Paul II came to pay an official visit shortly after the consecration .

Behind the Cathedral we took pictures of St. Vartan Mamigonian’s equestrian statue. To read more on Saint Vartan and the Battle of Avarayr click on the previous links.

Park of Yerevan – we drove past it – it has 1700 fountains, also built in celebration of the 1700th anniversary of Christianity in Armenia.

Dzidzernagapert –(meaning fortress of small swallows) located on a hill overlooking Yerevan, is the 1915 Armenian Genocide Memorial consisting of the Genocide Museum, a round structure with an eternal fire and an obelisk. Every year on April 24, hundreds of thousands of Armenians gather here to remember the victims of the 1915 Armenian Genocide that took place in the Ottoman Empire carried out by the Turkish government where more than 1.5 million Armenians perished. The 44-meter Obelisk symbolizes the national rebirth of Armenians. The obelisk is divided into two parts, the long part represents Armenians in the Diaspora and the shorter one represents Armenians living currently in Armenia, hopefully to re-unite one day. 12 slabs are positioned in a circle, representing the 12 lost provinces in present day Turkey. In the center of the circle, at a depth of 1.5 meters, there is an eternal flame. In an adjacent garden we also saw Peace Trees planted by President Emile Lahoud, slain Prime Minister Rafic Hariri and Abdel Mounem El-Ariss, Mayor of Beirut.

Lunch Break: More than a dozen persons had a quick bite at Mamma Mia at 25 Sayat Nova Street. A few chose to go for a hairdo at the neighboring Signorina Hair Salon instead!

Blue Mosque located across the street from the covered market (pag shuka) on Mesrob Mashtots Street. The largest mosque of Yerevan and only one still preserved, the Gök-Jami, (gök means "sky-blue" in Turkish) was built in AH 1179 or AD 1765/6 by the command of local ruler Hussein Ali-Khan to be the main Friday mosque. The mosque portal and minaret were decorated with fine tile work. The central court had a fountain, with cells and other auxiliary building around it, and stately elm trees. There was an adjoining hamam and school. In Soviet times, the mosque housed the Museum of the City of Yerevan.

Covered Market – Pag Shuka in Armenian – facing the Blue Mosque. One cand find all sorts of spices, cheeses, bastermas, dried fruits, fruit preserves, honey, bread as well as fresh fruits and vegetables. We cannot forget the movie that was being shot there… some of us even chatted up the actresses and took pictures with them! Then we were asked to vacate the stairs leading to the market as shooting was to resume!

POPLAVOK – Live Jazz Café on Isahakian street, we were more than a dozen persons… before that we took group photos in front of the fountain… we spent a nice time and then half way through the night, Michel joins us 'introduced' by Mr. Ashjian!

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Wednesday 15, Day 6

Departure to Amberd fortress - impossible as it is covered with snow. Forget it, Christian has other plans for us anyway!

Kotayk Beer Brewery - On the way, we visited the Kotayk national beer factory which has already been privatized by the French Castel Brothers.

Saghmosavank (Monastery of Psalms) The Saghmosavank monastic complex is an Armenian monastery and church located in the village of Saghmosavan in the Aragatsotn region of Armenia. The monastery complex is five kilometers north of Hovhannavank and like Hovhannavank is perched on the edge of the precipitous gorge of the Kasagh river.

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The Mount of Ara and the legend of Ara the Beautiful (called Ara Keghetzig in Armenian). Semiramis, Queen of Syria fell in love with him and what happened next? Click on the link of Ara to remember what Nina told us on the bus...

Oshagan: the burial place of Saint Mesrob Mashdots, inventor of the Armenian alphabet (36 letters + 2 letters added later on) The invention of the alphabet was a fundamental step in strengthening the Armenian Church, the government of the Armenian Kingdom, and ultimately the bond between the Armenian Kingdom and Armenians living in the Byzantine Empire and the Persian Empire. Oshakan is a town in Aragatsotn, Armenia, 8 kilometers southwest from Ashtarak. It is well known to historians and pilgrims of the Armenian Apostolic Church. The Armenian Church remembers St. Mesrop (together with St. Sahak, the Catholicos back then), twice each year, first on July 2nd and then again on the Feast of the Holy Translators (Sourp Tarkmanchatz) on October 10th.

The Kasagh bridge – old and new bridge – on Kasagh river – we took pictures there. It is a river in the west-central region of modern Armenia which flows north to south. It originates near Mount Aragats in Aragatsotn province.

ARARAT: (YBC) Yerevan Brandy Company

We visited the brandy company which is more of a museum than a winery... the fragrant aroma of the brandy is not to miss!

Brandy Range includes:
Standard: Ararat *** and Ararat *****
Super: Ani aged 6 years Otborny aged 7 years, and Akntmar aged 10 years
Super Premium: Prazdnichny aged 15 years and Nayiri aged 20 years

We bought some brandy from there, some brandy glasses, also some chocolate boxes (mainly chocolate coated peaches, chocolate coated apricots, etc.). http://www.arcolad.am/

Not to forget: the Barrel of Peace, which is set to ageing in 2001 in honor of the visit of the Minsk Group of OSCE and will be opened only when conflict between Karapagh and Azerbaijan is resolved… hopefully to be opened some time soon! Also note that here is the only place where the flag of Azerbaijan is hoisted. Many people have visited and signed this barrel. World leaders have visited and gotten their weight in brandy too! To name a few guests, Atom Egoyan (Director of Ararat movie, a must-see), Charles Aznavour, the French singer of Armenian descent, after whom the ALLEE AZNAVOUR is named; Michel Platini, President of UEFA, Lech Walessa, Former President of Poland, and Dmitri Medvedev, President of Russian Federation.
Remember: Armenians drink their cognac while holding it with their left hand, close to their heart! Also remember: always drink moderately and never drink and drive!

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After a long day – return to the hotel

Dinner at Cucina – Italian Restaurant on the 2nd floor of Mariott Hotel on Armenia Street, Republic Square. The place overlooks the Republic Square and boasts a tenor singing O Sole Mio, Bessame Mucho, etc. Nice and easy atmosphere… good food, fair prices.

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Thursday 16, Day 7

Khor Virab (meaning Deep dungeon) monastery is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Armenia. Its location, near the closest point to Mount Ararat (2 km from the Turkish border with Arax river serving as a natural border). The site offers a spectacular view of the mountain, the national symbol of Armenia. It is also significant as being the place of Gregory the Illuminator's 14-year imprisonment, after which Gregory, by converting the King Trdat III to Christianity in the year 301, made Armenia the first country in the history to adopt Christianity as its official religion. This is where Karl and Paul Codouni went down the 8-meter pit of imprisonment and took pictures with my cam! Thanks a heap, guys!

Noravank in Vayotz Tzor (elevation 2300m) is a 13th century Armenian Apostolic Church monastery, located 122 km from Yerevan. This was the residence of Orbelian princes. It consists of two churches, St. Astvadzadzin (Mother of God) made of 2 stories (we took a group photo there underneath the steps jutting out of the façade of the church, remember?!) To enter this church we had to climb down the stairs, and in St. Garabet Church we had to climb up the stairs inside to reach the altar. There we also saw a striking depiction of God the father, with the head of Adam in His hand, with Jesus crucified on His right and the Holy Trinity in the form of a pigeon on His left. Here it is worth noting the work of Momik, whose story we were told by Nina… Do you remember what happened to him as he laid the last brick of the belfry? Well, a sad ending indeed! (Momik was a prominent architect and sculptor. As a sculptor he is also known for having carved fine khatchkars. He lived and worked in Vayots-tzor, and khachkars of Noravank, near Yeghegnatzor are masterpieces of his creation. According to a widespread folk belief of heathen origin, these stone memorials had the power to protect fields from drought and hail, and also to prevent earthquakes and keep evil forces away).

Lunch on the premises of Noravank and drive back to Yerevan. On our way back we stopped in:

Areni is a town in the Vayots Dzor Province. The place is known for its wine production. We stopped for some wine tasting... We bought bittersweet wine, but more of cherry and pomegranate wine.

Pantomime: We watched a piece entitled the Devil. Lord, did we come up with an n number of interpretations… isn’t art open to interpretations, after all? Still, some liked it, some liked it not.

Old Erivan (Hin Yerevan in Armenian): at 2 North Avenue. We had dinner at a traditional Armenian restaurant... of the songs sung, we highly cherished a beautiful song of Sayat Nova... after a while, a young lady recited a poem by Yeghishe Tcharents - dedicated to Armenia, and a second more of a patriotic one about Armenian-ness.

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Friday 17 Day 8 Free day! But this is what we did...

National Art Gallery (8 floors of art and mainly paintings displayed... quite a few paintings by Hovanness Aivasovsky, Mardiros Saryan, to name but a few...)

For more on Armenian Painters, click on: http://www.armsite.com/painters/

Armenian History Museum - to savor the khatchkars, the rugs, the paintings, the relics, the the chalice covers, you name it! A day to remember... Yerevan is indeed a gigantic chest of treasures!

Last minute shopping, we visited, among others:
Nina Couture is Nina Hovnanian’s Treasures of Armenia Shop, located on the first floor of a rather old building, it is quite pricy for same products available on the market but then again one can find some carefully chosen, rare to find items.

3:00pm Lahm bi aajeen and ayran Party thrown at the hotel by Mr. Ashdjian himself ...

We had our last meal in Yerevan - Pizza at Pizza di Roma

Return to the Hotel... Check out...

We arrived at the airport well in advance to be able to get through check-in thanks to the help of everyone in charge!

Both guides, Kayane and Nina, kept us company until we all left past passport control.

Sana had a smooth ride through thanks to the help of the gentleman on board of the bus. We did last minute purchases at the duty-free.

Departure at 11.40pm. 1105 km (687miles) done in 1 hour 45 minutes!

Hope you enjoyed the trip!

Please excuse any mistakes that may have occurred in my preparation of this detailed, day-to-day journal.

I hope you enjoyed going through the pages and I wish you click on a couple underlined place names to dive into some more detail.

Visit often to check out new posts.

Very fond regards,

Shaké