The Alluring Armenia

I love to wander. I love to explore. I love to see new places. I love to be a traveler. But the rope that ties me back makes me a tourist. I enjoy being a tourist too. The exploration part might be less, the adventures might have to be side-stepped, but still, I am traveling.

 A journey becomes memorable when you travel with like-minded people whom you gel along with. When you get a well read, well schooled, zealous guide. When your destination is captivating. Yes, that was our Armenian trip to us.

According to the biblical timeline, the Armenians are direct descendants of Japheth, one of the grandsons of Noah. Noah, when his ark landed on top of Mount Ararat after the deluge, lived in the vicinity of Ararat. Later, his descendants migrated to other lands. Some of Japheth’s grandsons stayed there itself, and some traveled towards Mesopotamia. Aram, one of his grandsons, founded the Syrian Kingdom while Haik went to Babylon. Armenians consider Haik as their heroic patriarch.

 A journey becomes memorable when you travel with like-minded people whom you gel along with

Our first view of Armenia was that of the snow clad mountains from the flight.  Our guide, a big-nosed guy, Haik, was waiting for us at Zvartnots International Airport.  He looked eager to show us his country. We could feel his pride and patriotism when he started to talk about the land where he was born and buttered as he took us through the streets of Yerevan to our hotel. Armenia is the oldest Christian country, and the first to adopt Christianity as its state religion, and the country boasts of the world’s first church. It is one of the only mono-ethnic countries in the world. We were amazed to hear that chess is a compulsory subject in the schools, with exams to pass. Most Armenians are well educated and play at least one musical instrument.

The hotel which they had arranged, Hilton Double Tree, was new, and luxurious with spacious rooms. After resting for a couple of hours, we started our Yerevan exploration. Yerevan is also known as the Pink City because of the pink colored volcanic rocks used in the construction of buildings.

The first on the list was a detailed tour of the famous Armenian brandy factory, ‘Ararat Moments’. Armenia is one of the oldest wine producing countries in the world, and Armenian Cognac is matchless. Winston Churchill’s love for Armenian brandy was no secret, and Joseph Stalin used to ship several dozen cases during the 2^nd World War.

The tour started with a small introduction of the history of brandy making in Armenia, walking around the cellar to see the production and preservation while the delicate aroma of the brandy overwhelmed the men. They had a great time enjoying the delicious brandies while we ladies had to be contented with the dark chocolate served along with it. One of the interesting sights in the factory was the barrel of peace, on which the visitors sign messages of peace, and which will be opened only after the problems with Kurdish are resolved. From there, we went to Victory Park, to see the monument of Mother Armenia. The magnificent statue is seen from almost anywhere in Yerevan. Earlier, they had Stalin’s statue in the same place, but later they removed Stalin and replaced it with this huge monument. The statue, with a huge sword in her arms and shield at her feet, symbolizes peace through strength, and represents the women who stood by their husbands and took up arms during the Turkish and Kurdish riots.

Next, to the monument, there is the Grave of the Unknown Soldier. Every year, on Armenia’s Victory Day on May 9^th, government officials visit the Victory Park and lay a wreath at the monument in the memory of the Unknown Soldier and observe one minute of silence. Haik too was silent for a moment and talked about the Armenian genocide that killed more than 1.5 million Armenians. This year marks the 100th year anniversary of the genocide. Later at night, we had a nice stroll through the city, along with the Republican square, had our local dinner at Kavkazskaya Plennitsa, and came back to our rooms.

Next day, Haik had a call from the military, and so he handed over his duty to his sister, Anaheet. It was compulsory for Armenian men to serve the army for two years.  Anaheet was also as well read and as knowledgeable as Haik.   We started off with a long drive to Tsaghkadzor, while Anaheet chattered about Indian culture and Armenian noses. People of Armenia have prominent noses. The first thing you notice about them is their nose.

Tsaghkadzor, which is translated as the valley of flowers, is a famous resort surrounded by forests and high mountains, which is on the slope of the Holy Mount Ararat.  The white quilt covered the entire mountain, and we were shivering with cold. The cable car ride through the ropeway chilled us to the core. On top of the mountains, the child who was sleeping inside everyone popped out and tried to grab the winter inside his/her palm.  From there we came to Kecharis Monastery, which stands out with its unique structure. Down at Lake Sevan, water was partially frozen. The peaceful blue lake was a real treat to the eyes. Sevanavank Monastery, on top of the hill, was quite a climb, but once on top, we got a better view of the lake. Anaheet said that the beauty of this lake is that it changes its color according to the weather.  Men were full of doubts that day, and Anaheet was smart enough to answer each and every one of them. After the climb, we all were tired, men went back to the hotel, ladies went to Dalma Mall for shopping. We were searching for a particular knitted sweater but in vain. When you go from Dubai to any place, going to a mall is just a waste of time and energy. We ordered pizza that night and hopped on the bed with legs heavy after the climb.

Next morning when we got down after breakfast, Haik was waiting for us. Haik, and his sister, who are highly educated, who come from a family of highly educated professionals, showed us that being a guide is one of the best ways to impart knowledge to others. The passion they had for their job is highly commendable.  We started with Megerian Carpet Factory tour, which was excellently presented by the guide. She spoke about the history and making of each carpet, and the ladies working there allowed us to watch them making carpets. Their fingers were moving very fast with practice, and they were kind enough to slow down to show us what and how they do it. They claim that Armenian carpets are as good as Persian ones.

We had a breathtaking a view of Mount Ararat from Charents’ arch. The arch is dedicated to one of Armenia’s famous poet, Yeghisheh Charents, who wrote: “Travel the world: you will never find a crest as pure as Ararat’s”. From there we drove to see the only remaining Pagan temple in Armenia in Garni, dedicated to the Sun God, Mihr. Garni temple is very different from the other Monasteries we saw in Armenia. This looks like it belongs in an ancient era. This pagan temple predates Armenia’s conversion to Christianity and is dedicated to Helios, the God of Sun. The temple is situated on a bluff surrounded by rock cliffs, and the view is amazing.  From there we moved on to Geghard Monastery, which is surrounded by cliffs, and partially carved out from the surrounding mountains. Founded by St Gregory the Illuminator, the monastery consists of a school, scriptorium, library and many other rock cut dwelling cells. It is renowned for the relics kept inside, including the spear which had wounded Christ on the Cross, and was brought there by the Apostle Jude, also known as Thaddeus.

On our drive back, we got down at Vernissage, an open-air Market functioning only on weekends for the last round of shopping. From there we went to cascade, a giant stairway, where a vast area of waterfalls and gardens cascade down and is embellished with numerous sculptures which depict the culture and history of Armenia.

We had a quiet dinner that day, hearts heavy with the thought of going back. We tasted Lavash, a tasty flatbread, that is the cornerstone of Armenian cuisine and was placed on Unesco’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Armenia had taught us many things. The one and only Ararat, which they place very close to their heart, is now in Turkey, which is unapproachable for Armenians. Still, they pray in silence, not to get Ararat back, but for their recognition. Every building is built in such a way that they will get a glimpse of Mount Ararat. They hold Mount Ararat in their Coat of Arms, which enrages the Turks. Armenian people, with their exemplary spiritual strength and the establishment of enduring culture, have made possible the consolidation of a lineage that for millennia, has kept alive the legacy of one of the world’s oldest civilizations.

While dropping us back at the airport, Haik had only one request.. to tell the world that there exist a small country on the gates of Europe waiting for some recognition, waiting to get explored………….