Armenia
Armenia - Haghartsin Church
Armenia - Inside of Church Of Haghartsin
Armenia - Tablet In Haghartsin
Armenia - Karahounj
Armenia - Khor Virap
Armenia - Khor Virap Alter
Armenia - Lake Sevan
Armenia - Noravank Church
Armenia - Rock Formation
Armenia - Rock Formation
Armenia - Hallway In Tatev
Armenia - Tower In Tatev
Armenia - Vorotan Canyon
Armenia - Vorotan Canyon
Armenia - Shaki Falls
Armenia - History Museum In Republic Square Yerevan
Armenia - Downtown Yerevan
Armenia is a clean and very safe country with its capital being even safer than several major western cities. The only no-go part of
Armenia is the on the Azerbaijan border, because the two countries have had wars over territory in this area. In the capital, people are
very polite and almost every one speaks English so it's very easy to get around. In the day time people go jogging down the streets, some
walk their dogs, couples are out enjoying the evening etc; everyone seemed to be happy! Armenia is also very rich in history, and it was
the first country to officially adopt Christianity .
Armenia has some amazing natural beauty. My favorite was the Vorotan canyon, where there is a natural bridge that
crosses over a river. On the left is a picture of the entire canyon, to the right of that is a picture looking down into the
river from the natural bridge. It doesn't seem that far from the photo but it is a long ways down. I couldn't see anyone
down there but you can hear kid's voices echoing back up as they played in the water below.
Here are three more pictures of Armenia's natural
beauty. Armenia has many amazing rock
formations throughout the country like in the two
photos above. During one part of my trip we
drove through a steep valley that had orangish
rocks with very dark green plants growing off of
them. For some reason it all looked prehistoric to
me, like something you would see from the
dinosaur ages. On the left side is a famous
waterfall named Shaki in southern Armenia. The
waterfall was pretty dry when I visited but just as
beautiful. Normally after it rains the rocks are
completely covered by a wall of rushing water.
The two photos you see are pictures from the complex of Tatev
along Vorotan canyon that was completed in 895. Above  is a
hallway found in the Tatev complex. The structure on the left is
called 'Gavazan' the swinging column. It is unique because it
actually tilts if someone leans on it then goes back to it's original
position. This has allowed it to absorb shocks and survive
dozens of earthquakes that have occurred in Armenia.
Above is the church complex Khor Virap, with Mt. Ararat in Turkey behind it. Click here for more on Khor Virap
and the story of how Armenia came to be the first Christian Country.
Here are some more ancient churches in Armenia, many are found throughout the country. Almost all of these
churches are still used today and but still make popular tourist attractions.
Armenia Travel - For more information on Armenia please visit http://www.willgoto.com/215/1/categories.aspx
Above on the left is a picture of the downtown area of Armenia's capital Yerevan. To the right is Armenia's history
museum which is located in republic square. Yerevan's history dates back to the 8th century and most of it is
documented in the museum. Today the city has grown to a population of over one million.
These two pictures are from a church complex located near the border of Iran that is called Noravank. You can see
how the stones that are used are different in color from other churches in Armenia. The area around the church
complex is made up of a gorge that has redish cliffs and is very scenic.
Armenia Links
Armenia - Priest
Armenia - Karahounj
Armenia - Swimming In Lake Sevan
Another place in Armenia where you'll never run out of water is called Lake Sevan. Since Armenia is a landlocked
country Lake Sevan is also their beach, and is between Armenia and the country Azerbaijan. On the left is a shot
looking over the lake from a good viewpoint. On the other side are a bunch of Armenian's swimming  along the
shores of Lake Sevan. Many people also take both power and paddle boats out into the lake for fun.
While Stone Hedge in England is famous around the world for being one of the first megalithic astronomy devices,
another similar site called Karahunj is estimated to be even older. Karahunj doesn't get the same popularity because
the ruins  don't match the huge boulders and impressive height its Stone Hedge counterpart. Above you can see two
photos I took of Karahunj, the first shows the entire ruins while on the right are some smaller stone circles outside the
main area. Karahunj was believed to be used for astronomy as well, and even has holes in the stones that line up with
stars at the right time of the year.
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Armenia - Man Riding Donkey
Armenia - Erebuni Fortress
Armenia - Erebuni Fortress
Armenia - Genocide Memorial
Armenia - Grave
Armenia - Khor Virap
Armenia - Lake Sevan Boats
Armenia - Lake Sevan Shore
Armenia - Lake Sevan Swimming
Armenia - Tsakhadzor Lift
Armenia - Khor Virap Pit Entrance
One of Armenia's greatest tragedies was the Armenian Genocide which took place in 1915. Just after World War I,
the Ottoman empire at the time controlled the area and was responsible for killing over a million Armenians. On the
left is the Tsitsernakaberd Armenian Genocide memorial in Yerevan, close by is the actual Genocide Museum. The
photo on the upper right is unrelated to the genocide, but I found it interesting how Armenia's put drawings of their
dead on tombstones. I think that actually makes more sense!
The above photos are from the ancient Erebuni fortress found in the capital. The fortress was built as a military base
for King Argišti in 786BC. Back then the area was part of the country Urartu, over a thousand years before Yerevan
was founded. Well over 2,500 years later, Erebuni fortress is still standing today, though in need of some work!
A good place in the summer to go hiking is the Valley of Fires, or Tsakhkadzor in Armenian. The upper right photo
shows the lift going to the top of the mountain where you can do hiking and enjoy some scenery. In the winter
Tsakhkadzor is actually a small ski resort. On the left is an old fashioned way to travel in Armenia.
Here are some more pictures of people having fun in Lake Sevan. Boats are available for rent, many places to eat
are lined up along the shore. On the right is my driver, Samyev!
Inside Khor Virap, is the story of Gregory the Illuminator, a saint who helped convert Armenia from Pagan to
Christianity. The story goes that Gregory the Illuminator was ordered to be dropped into a pit by Tiridates III, the son
of a King. The reasons where mostly that the father of Gregory the Illuminator was enemies with Tiridates III. After
over a decade, Gregory the Illuminator was pulled from the pit to help cure Tiridates III who was have said to go
insane. After helping Tiridates III recover and baptize him, Tiridates III asked Gregory the Illuminator convert the
entire country, making Armenia the first official Christian nation.