Armenia
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Few nations have histories as ancient, complex and laced with tragedy as Armenia (ՀԱՅԱՍՏԱՆ). And even fewer have a culture that is as rich and resilient. This is a destination where you will be intrigued by history, awed by monuments, amazed by the landscape and charmed by down-to-earth locals. It's not an easy place to explore – roads are rough, transport is often hard to navigate and those who don't speak Armenian or Russian may find communication difficult – but travelling here is as rewarding as it is revelatory.
The simply extraordinary collection of medieval monasteries scattered across the country is the number-one attraction, closely followed by a dramatically beautiful landscape that is perfectly suited to hiking and other outdoor activities. And then there's the unexpected delight of Yerevan – one of the region's most exuberant and endearing cities. Put together, they offer an enticing and tremendously enjoyable travel experience.
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Top attractions
These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Armenia.
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Geghard Monastery
Named after the lance that pierced Christ’s side at the crucifixion (a shard is now on display at the museum in Etchmiadzin), this World Heritage–listed monastery is carved out of a cliff alongside the Azat River Gorge. Founded in the 4th century, the monastery's oldest chapel dates back to the 12th century and its tremendously atmospheric Surp Astvatsatsin (Holy Mother of God Church) dates from 1215. The cathedral features wonderful carvings and its surrounding chapels make for terrific exploring. Outside Surp Astvatsatsin, above the south door, is a coat of arms of the family of the Zakarian prince who built it. The theme is a common Near Eastern one, with the lion symbolising royal might. On the left-hand side of the gavit (antechamber) are two entrances to chapels hewn from the rock in the 13th century. One contains a basin with spring water, khachkars and stalactite decoration. The second includes the four-column burial chamber of Prince Papaq Proshian and his wife, Hruzakan. The family’s coat of arms, carved in the rock above, features two lions chained together and an eagle. Outside, steps to the left of the entrance lead up the hill to a 10m passageway with carved khachkars. This gives access to a 13th-century burial vault that was carved out of the raw rock. Its proportions and acoustics are quite amazing. In the far corner is an opening looking down on the church below. Behind the church are steps that lead to some interesting monastic cells and more khachkars. Outside the monastery, next to the stream, is a matagh (sacrifice) site that is used on Sundays after the morning service. A choir usually sings at that service, too. As you approach the monastery, look to the left up the hill for caves housing monastic cells built by monks. Trees here are often dotted with strips of cloth, as are trees on the other side of the monastery near the river. It is said a person can say a prayer or make a wish and tie a strip of cloth to a tree near the monastery to make it come true. During summer, the ramp to the monastery is crammed with vendors selling souvenirs and food; you should be able to grab a snack of sweet sujuk or dove-shaped gata (sweet cake).
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Armenian Genocide Memorial & Museum
Commemorating the massacre of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire from 1915 to 1922, this institution uses photographs, documents, reports and films to deliver a powerful museum experience similar to that of Israel's Yad Vashem (Holocaust Museum). Free tours are available for five or more. On the hill above is a 44m-high spire memorial next to a circle of 12 basalt slabs leaning over to guard an eternal flame. Built in 1967, the memorial's 12 tilted slabs represent the lost provinces of western Armenia, land lost to Turkey in a post-WWI peace deal between Ataturk and Lenin, while the spire has a fine split dividing it into larger and smaller needles, the smaller one representing western Armenia. From the museum, a broad pathway flanked by a 100m-long wall engraved with the names of massacred communities leads to the memorial. In the grounds, there is a stand of trees planted by foreign leaders who use the term genocide to describe the events that occurred. The complex is on Tsitsernakaberd Hill (Fortress of Swallows) across the Hrazdan Gorge from central Yerevan. The easiest way to get here is via a ride-hailing app (about AMD600) or taxi (AMD800 to AMD1200 from the city centre). There won't be any taxis waiting when you leave unless you prearrange one, so having the GG or Yandex app is a good idea. Alternatively, take marshrutka (minivan) 46 from Mesrop Mashtots Ave and alight at the steps of Hamalir (the sports and concert complex). From here you can walk up the steps to the end of the park where the memorial and the museum are located. If driving, head towards the Hrazdan stadium, turn right onto Athena St and look for a blue sign with white lettering signalling the route.
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History Museum of Armenia
Its simply extraordinary collection of Bronze Age artefacts make this museum Armenia's pre-eminent cultural institution and an essential stop on every visitor's itinerary. Many of the items were excavated at the Necropolis of Lchashen near Lake Sevan in the 1950s, and it's hard to do them justice in words. The collection includes bronze sculptures, four-wheeled wooden chariots with metal decoration, carved stone fertility symbols, and a magnificent array of weapons and armour (arrows, quivers, helmets and shields). Other exhibits of note include medieval khachkars (cross-stones), 18th- and 19th-century Armenian costumes, a 5500-year-old leather shoe discovered in a cave in the Vayots Dzor region in 2008, carpets and embroidered amices (liturgical vestments). The only disappointing section is the one concentrating on Soviet Armenia, which ostentatiously eschews English-language labelling (all other exhibits have Armenian, Russian and English labels). The National Gallery of Armenia is on the top floors.
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Garni Temple
Built by Armenia’s King Trdat I in the 1st century AD, this Hellenic-style temple set on the edge of a gorge overlooking the Azat River was dedicated to the sun god, Mitra. Largely destroyed by an earthquake in 1679, the Parthenon-like structure was rebuilt between 1969 and 1975. It features a monumental staircase and Ionic columns topped by a frieze. Next to the temple are the ruins of a Roman-era bathhouse (closed to the public) and a 7th-century church. Archaeologists have found Urartian cuneiform inscriptions dating back to the 8th century BC in the area around the temple, indicating that it has been inhabited since Neolithic times. The high promontory site is protected on three of four sides by a deep valley with rock cliffs, with a wall of massive blocks on the fourth side. In the ruins of the church, look for the vishap (carved dragon stone). This is a marker to show the location of water. Some marks on the middle of the stone are in fact writing from King Argishti from the 8th century BC, which reads ‘Argishti, son of Menua, took people and cattle from Garni to Erebuni [the original site of Yerevan] to create a new community.’ Below the ruins is the Symphony of Stones rock formation visible with binoculars from the temple or along a terribly bumpy 4WD road (easier access is near Garni Fish Restaurant).
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Cafesjian Center for the Arts
Housed in a vast flight of stone steps known as the Cascade, this arts centre is one of the city's major cultural attractions. Originally conceived in the 1920s by Soviet architect Alexander Tamanyan as part of his plan to modernise Yerevan, work on the monumental structure finally commenced in the 1980s but stalled after the 1988 earthquake. Eventually, Armenian-American philanthropist Gerard Cafesjian came to the rescue, funding its completion and transformation into a multi-level contemporary arts space. The centre's two external garden galleries and five exhibition halls are accessed via an internal escalator. Next to the escalator are platforms where artworks from Cafesjian's personal collection of 20th-century and contemporary sculpture and furniture are displayed. There's a decidedly quirky theme at work here, with pieces such as Studio 65 for Gufram's Marilyn 'Bocca' Lip Sofa, Giorgio Laveri's Lipstick and Richard Cresswell's Butterfly Seat three of many works catching the eye on the trip up and down. These and the garden galleries, which feature recessed fountains, modern khachkars (stone steles featuring carved crosses) and contemporary sculptures, can be visited free of charge. Internal exhibits are free, except for one temporary exhibition which costs AMD1000. On the ground floor, the large gift shop is one of the best places in the city to source quality souvenirs. There's also a welcoming and well-stocked art library with a small children's section. In front of the Cascade, a sculpture garden features three huge bronze works by Colombian-Italian sculptor Fernando Botero: Cat, Roman Warrior and Woman Smoking a Cigarette. These sit alongside a whimsical wrought-iron teapot by Joana Vasconcelos, a bright blue kiwi by Peter Woytuk and plenty of other works. The two streets edging the park are home to cafes, bars and restaurants with plenty of outdoor seating. The steps themselves make for a popular place to catch a sunset while (discreetly) swigging a bottle of wine.
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Sergei Parajanov Museum
For something totally unique, head to this museum near Hrazdan Gorge. Crammed with collages, drawings, photographs and assemblages created by the experimental film-maker best known for his 1969 film Sayat Nova (aka The Colour of Pomegranates), it is as eccentric as it is engaging. Housed in an attractive 19th-century timber house, the collection manages to evoke Parajanov's prodigious talent, humour and humanity while at the same time illustrating the difficulties faced by artists, film-makers and writers living in the USSR. Born in 1924 in Tiflis (Tbilisi), Parajanov moved to Moscow in 1945 to study film-making. His early career was blighted when he was convicted of homosexuality (then illegal) in 1948, a charge that many of his friends and supporters considered bogus. After being released from jail and living in Ukraine for a few years, he moved to Yerevan in the late 1960s. Two more criminal charges were levied against him in 1973 (for rape and producing pornography) and he was sentenced to five years of hard labour in a Siberian jail. While in prison, he used his fingernails to make faces in aluminium milk-bottle lids and called them 'thalers'. One of these can be found in the museum and a silver replica is given as an award at the Golden Apricot Yerevan International Film Festival. Parajanov was eventually released after a high-profile international campaign for his freedom, supported by artists including Françoise Sagan, Jean-Luc Godard, François Truffaut, Luis Buñuel, Federico Fellini, Michelangelo Antonioni, Andrei Tarkovsky, Louis Aragon and John Updike. Parajanov died in Yerevan in 1990.
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Matenadaran
Standing at the top of Yerevan’s grandest avenue, this cathedral-like manuscript library is a source of enormous pride to all Armenians. The first matenadaran (book depository) for Armenian texts was built by Mesrop Mashtots, the inventor of the Armenian alphabet, at Etchmiadzin in the 5th century and held thousands of manuscripts. Invasions over the centuries led to enormous losses through looting and burning, but 1800 exquisitely illustrated and bound manuscripts survived. These form the basis of the stunning collection here. At the base of the purpose-designed building, which dates from 1957, is a statue of Mashtots teaching his alphabet to a disciple. Six other statues of great scholars and writers stand by the door. The outdoor gallery has carved rock tombs and khachkars brought here from ancient sites around Armenia. Inside, there are more than 23,000 manuscripts, fragments, documents and maps, although only a small number are on display. The central hall focuses on the development of Armenian medieval sciences, literature and arts throughout the centuries. Other halls showcase Greek and Roman scientific and philosophical works, Iranian and Arabic manuscripts, and singular items such as the 13th-century Homilies of Mush, so heavy that it was ripped in half to be carried away to safety by two women after the 1915 massacres. The book was not put back together until years later, as one saviour had emigrated to America and taken it with her for safekeeping.
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Lori Berd
On a promontory between the gorges of the Dzoragets and Miskhana Rivers, this ruined fortress has huge towers and massive stone blocks along its exposed side. Originally the base of David Anhogin, who ruled the region of Tashir-Dzoraget from 989 to 1048, it eventually became a base for the Orbelians and Zakarians, powerful Armenian noble families. There are ruined buildings worth exploring, an ancient cemetery and hillocks that are actually Bronze Age tumulus tombs. A 14th-century bridge is in the gorge below. To reach the fortress, head out of town across the bridge and veer right at the roundabout, following the course of the river past the Lori Berd village and then veering right again at a sign. The remaining 2km is on a poor-quality road. A taxi from Stepanavan takes about 15 minutes and should cost around AMD1000; a Yandex will cost AMD500 to AMD600. From the fort, you can walk back to Stepanavan along a 4.5km trail in the steep-sided gorge; this starts on the north side of the fort.
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Haghpat Monastery
Occupying a commanding position overlooking the gorge, this monastery has atmosphere and architectural splendour in spades. Founded around 976 by Queen Khosrvanuch, who funded construction of the domed Surp Nishan (Church of the Holy Cross) at the centre of the complex, it saw a building boom in the 12th and 13th centuries. Surp Nishan's frescoes and the porch, gavit, bell tower, library and chapter house were added at this time. The monastery's name means 'huge wall', acknowledging its hefty fortifications. Other buildings in the complex include two 11th-century churches and a freestanding 13th-century gavit at the rear of the site. This has glorious acoustics and frames a magnificent view over the landscape. An inscription on Surp Nishan's gavit reads in part: ‘You who enter through its door and prostrate yourself before the Cross, in your prayers remember us and our royal ancestors, who rest at the door of the holy cathedral, in Jesus Christ.’