eTurbo News
Nov 21 2009
Hidden Treasures Of Armenia
Armenian landscape is picturesque and rich in cultural monuments
Photo from Motaz Othman
By Motaz Othman, eTN | Nov 20, 2009
Mrs. Nelli Malkhasyan is an old friend of mine, I’m always meeting
with her at travel fairs and witnessed her efforts to promote her
country, Armenia. I met her again during the World Travel Market (WTM)
at the Armenia stand, and I asked her to introduce her country to the
readers of eTurboNews.
"With my pleasure," she said and invited me to visit Armenia on my own
to be able to discover fully the hidden treasures of her homeland. She
told me that Armenia has attracted travelers since ancient times.
Caravans would travel across the territory of historical Armenia as it
was an important part of the Great Silk Route. Many famous travelers,
such as Jean Baptist Tavernier, Marco Polo, and others, have portrayed
this country in their books depicting its picturesque landscape and
the richness of its numerous cultural monuments, covering a wide range
of the history of human civilization from Cyclopean fortresses to the
times of Urartu and the Pagan era, with its towns built in Hellenistic
style to early Christian churches and ecclesiastic universities homed
by monasteries. Pages could be written on the long-aged history of
Armenia!
Generally, tourists visiting Armenia are excited by its nature and
amazed by the results of its "creative work" (pictorial landforms,
rock sculptures, waterfalls, etc.) and wish to learn more about the
roots of their formation. As a matter of fact, Armenia is one of those
few countries that, though small in territory, is notable for its
complexity and rich diversity of its geological structures. In a small
area, one can observe various signs of active geological processes
ever taking place on the Earth and continuing today.
Among all this diverse Armenian geology are objects that could be
assigned to the rank of rarity, and often, unique natural geological
monuments are to be found. The agro-biological diversity of wild
relatives of plants – cultivated, medicinal, edible, wood, coloring,
aromatic, fodder, and many others – including many endemic, relict,
and rare species is surprising.
The people and races that have populated the Armenian highland, whose
origin stretches into the unknown millennia of prehistory, have
provided the human substance for its culture. Being at the crossroads
of Asia and Europe, the country served as a bridge joining both,
geographically as well as culturally, Iran and Indo-China with
European civilization. Armenia synthesized the best traditions of the
arts, music, and architecture from its neighbors and gave them a new
interpretation that not only enriched its own cultural heritage but
also influenced that of its neighbors. A visit to Armenia will help
one to define a new interpretation of east-west cultural interactions.
Throughout Yerevan alone, there are more than 40 museums and galleries
presenting fine arts. Yet the country as a whole is often referred to
as an outdoor museum. It has over 4,000 historical monuments, which
cover various periods of the country’s development from prehistoric to
the Hellenistic era and from the early to medieval Christian era. The
stone-carved crosses and cathedrals recall the European Renaissance.
Comparisons and discoveries of the arts are a continual delight in
this magical country.
Though distinctive national styles are clear, an Armenian national
song can sound to a westerner as hauntingly oriental. In order to
understand Armenian musical arts, please visit the House-Museum of the
world-reknowned contemporary composer Aram Khachatouryan or go to the
Philharmonic Hall, the Chamber Music Hall, or to the Opera and Ballet
House while in Yerevan.
Armenia’s literary and artistic history is studied and exhibited in
Matenadaran ` the Institute of Ancient Manuscripts in Yerevan, which
preserves a unique collection of 14,000 complete manuscripts,
fragments, and miniatures (UNESCO World Heritage Site). The oldest
parchment manuscript dates back to early 5th c. The majority of
manuscripts are research works of ancient scholars on astrology,
alchemy, geography, history, medicine, poetry, and the musical arts.
Mrs. Nellie is the general manager of the Princess Maneh Consultancy
and Tourist Services – a full service incoming tour operator and DMC
offering tailored packages to the most attractive sights and
architectural monuments of Armenia.
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