What do you honestly know about Armenia besides that the Kardashians had ancestors there? Well, Armenia has been making the news lately due to political protests and the Prime Minister stepping down, so we thought we would gather some unique facts about the beautiful country. Although Armenia is only about the size of Maryland, there’s a lot to know about this country, which was formerly part of the Soviet Union.
Chess Is Mandatory In School
Every Armenian student has to take chess in school. Yes, they even have exams on chess! Within the capital, Yerevan, there’s a renowned chess house called Tigran Petrosian Chess House where international tournaments have been held. Unsurprisingly, Armenia has won the world and European championships multiple times.
Chess Is Mandatory In School
First Country To Adopt Christianity
Armenia was the very first nation to adopt Christianity as its religion. Back in 301 AD, the entire country converted to Christianity when St. Gregory Illuminator brought the religion over and King Tiridates III officially declared it the state religion. Now, about 97 percent of their population identifies as Christian.
First Country To Adopt Christianity
Home To First Church Built In The World
Speaking of Christianity, that leads us to our next fact. Armenia has tons of beautiful, ancient churches, and in fact, they are home to the first ever church! Indeed, Holy Etchmiadzin was the world’s first church and it dates to the early fourth century. No wonder it’s one of the most visited pilgrimage sites on the planet. Recently, it’s been under construction, but still a site not to miss when visiting the country.
Home To First Church Built In The World
Oldest Winery
Are you a wine drinker? Great news for you then…Armenia is actually one of the oldest wine producing nations! Many say that’s due to all of its fertile valleys by Mt Ararat. The valleys have been the home to best quality grapes for centuries. In fact, in 2011, archaeologists found what they claim is the oldest winery in the world. It’s located in a cave by a village called Areni.
Oldest Winery
Mount Ararat
So, we just mentioned Mt Ararat and we have to take a moment to explain just how special this place is for the country. Actually, it’s the national symbol of the nation. Mount Ararat’s peak is supposedly where Noah’s ark landed. Despite many expeditions, that ark was never recovered, but the ark is still on the nation’s coat of arms. Also, right now the actual mountain is not within Armenia’s territory.
Mount Ararat
The Pink City
Capital city, Yerevan is also called the “pink city.” If you’ve been lucky enough to visit, you know why. From the volcanic rock colored buildings that have varying shades of pink, the whole city emanates pink. It’s definitely a sight for your bucket list, especially a view from the top stairs of the Yerevan Cascade.
The Pink City
Underground Oven
Maybe you’ve heard of the Armenian traditional bread lavash. If you haven’t, it’s a flat, chewy bread that they make with salt, water and flour. However, the real key to baking lavash to perfection is the special underground earth oven called a tonir! Interestingly enough, lavash can even be stored for about a year without going bad. Often, local women bake in bulk and store lavash to enjoy for months. Basically, if you’re a bread/carb lover, Armenia is for you because they cannot eat a single meal without bread.
Underground Oven
Apricot Is A National Symbol
Another national symbol of the country is the apricot. Actually, the orange on their flag symbolizes the apricot. If you walk through markets in Armenia you can always find various apricot products from fresh to dried, apricot juice and even apricot flavored wine. Anything apricot, Armenia has it for sure!
Apricot Is A National Symbol
Famous Armenians
Ah, yes the famous celebrities with Armenian ancestry! Well, there’s Serj Tankian, Andre Angassi and of course, Cher and the Kardashians. Both Cher and the Kardashians have been very vocal about the injustices of the Armenian Genocide. Cher and the Kardashians promoted the film, The Promise about the genocide. Robert Kardashian, father of Kim, Kourtney and Khloe was a second generation Armenian American. Kim and Khloe visited Armenia in 2015 for the 100th anniversary of the Armenian genocide.
Famous Armenians
Certified By Unesco
Wait, back to their famous bread. Apparently, lavash is Unesco-listed. Seriously, Unesco placed it on its 2014 list of Intangible Cultural Heritage. Basically, an Armenian dinner table is never complete without a pile of this flat bread. If you haven’t tried authentic lavash, you haven’t lived yet!
Certified By Unesco
Largest Lake In Caucasus
Another reason tourists flock to Armenia is for its gorgeous lake, Lake Sevan. In fact, Lake Sevan is the largest and deepest lake in the North Caucasus. Seven covers about one sixth of the country’s entire territory, if that gives you a rough idea of how enormous and special this lake is! In addition, the Sevanavank monastic complex overlooks the lake and is one of the top tourist sites.
Largest Lake In Caucasus
Famous For Their Cognac
Listen, if wine isn’t for you and you want something a bit stronger, you’re in luck. You see Armenia is also known for their smooth but robust cognac, which is technically brandy. Their cognac first became widely popular when Joseph Stalin gave it as a gift to Winston Churchill at the famous Yalta Conference. After that, Churchill continued to have cases of Armenian cognac shipped to him annually! Some say Putin also has it shipped to Russia often.
Famous For Their Cognac
Mono-Ethnic Country
Just as most people are Christian, the entire country also has a majority ethnicity living there. In fact, it’s one of the rare mono ethnic countries on the planet. About 97 percent of the population are Armenian. That other three percent is made of up of ethnic minorities like, Ukranians, Kurds, Russians, Yazidis and others.
Mono Ethnic Country
Armenian Genocide
Even if someone doesn’t know much about Armenia, chances are they’ve heard about the Armenia Genocide. Records estimate that around 1.5 million Armenians were killed under the Ottoman rule in 1915. In Yerevan, with a stunning view of the city and Mt Ararat, you can find the Genocide museum and memorial. Just after WWI, the genocide took place in three phases from men being recruited to the army and killed to killing women and finally, children and elderly. Today Turkey still denies it took place. However, 28 countries, such as Russia, France and Britain classify the systematic extermination as genocide.
Armenian Genocide
Serzh Sargsyan Stepped Down In April 2018
Armenia made headlines in April 2018 after Armenians took to the streets to protest the government. Serzh Sargsyan served as the Prime Minister twice and was the country’s third president. Unhappy with Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan who took the position after his presidency, the people protested for over a week and then the leader resigned to maintain peace. Many saw him too closely aligned with Russia and unwilling to address tensions with Turkey and Azerbaijan. President Armen Sarkissian has spoken out that he’s determined to resolve the crisis.
