Any traveller interested in exploring different cultures, their history and art should visit the country of Armenia, situated between East and West, along an ancient trade route.  The first mention of “Arminiya” as the name of a country and Armina as the name of a nation is found in a cuneiform inscription of Persian king Dareh 1 (522-486 B.C.), and in a Babylonian world map dated to the 5th century B.C.

Armenia has been called an open-air museum.  Over 5,000 archeological monuments, ranging from prehistoric cave paintings, to stone circles (karahunj in Armenian) that are far older than their counterparts in Western Europe, to irrigation systems and fortresses, to Medieval monasteries and secular buildings, to stone crosses (khachkars in Armenian) which are scattered throughout modern Armenia.

The English poet Byron wrote “There is no other land in the world so full of wonders as the land of the Armenians…”  To mention just a few of these wonders: the Garni temple of the Hellenistic period (1st century A.D), the Edjmiadzin monastery built after the adoption of Christianity in 301 AD, St. Hripsime church (7th century AD), Zvartnots cathedral (7th century AD), and the Geghard monastery carved in rock (13th century AD),etc.  Read more.

Interactive Map of Armenia

Discovering the Forgotten Holy Land

Armenian Churches

Armenian language east vs west…