Yerevan
11/05/14 21:32
...The monastery (its Armenian name meaning deep dungeon) is one of the national symbol of ArmeniaIt is also significant as being the place of Gregory the Illuminator's 13-year imprisionment, after which Gregory, by converting the King Trdat III to Christianity in the year 301, made Armenia the first country to adopt Christianity as its official religion. On the way back we stop at a nearby cemetery; interesting witness of the recent past.
We also visit St. Hripsime Church, built in the 7th century, another masterpiece of early medieval Armenian architecture. There is a service going on and it is very impressive to watch. Then excursion to Armenia’s „Vatican“, Holy Echmiadzin, a UNESCO World Heritage Site featuring the world’s earliest Christian churches, including Echmiadzin Mother Cathedral, i.e. the mother church of the Armenian Church, originally built by Saint Gregory the Illuminator in 301-303AD, when Armenia had just become the first official Christian state in the world. Lots of people and again a service that impresses us. The ruins of Zvartnots Cathedral are worth the visit and there we meet a young Armenian girl who speaks perfect Swiss German; she leaves in Ober-Weiningen and is visiting her relatives here in Armenia.
Finally Lunch in Garni village after one hour driving through the country side. At a local house we watch traditional Armenian bread making in Tonir (underground earth-stove) and have it for lunch afterwards. Later we are heading towards Garni Pagan Temple, the only Hellenistic Temple in the Caucasus. and former USSR. Gracing the hillside the pagan temple was dedicated to the God of Sun, Mithra. It was built in 77A.D. Proceed to Geghard Monastery (UNESCO) carved out of a huge monolithic rock. Geghard is an incredible ancient Armenian monastery, partly carved out of a mountain. It is said that the Holy Lance that pierced the body of Christ was kept here. The architectural forms and the decoration of Geghard's rock premises show that Armenian builders could not only create superb works of architecture out of stone, but also hew them in solid rock.
Back in Yerevan, we take a short panoramic tour, with sights such as Victory Park, featuring a huge monument of Mother Armenia (the biggest statue of Armenia) and fine views of the city center; Republic Square, a fine example of Armenian architecture and town planning.
Back in the hotel a quick rest before the pilots head for dinner. The webmaster tries to upload the webpage; but now luck. Nobody knows but... (maybe Armenian government officials??). Sorry folks!!
One of the world's oldest civilizations, Armenia once included Mount Ararat, which biblical tradition identifies as the mountain that Noah's ark rested on after the flood. It was the first country in the world to officially embrace Christianity as its religion (A.D. 301), twelve years before Rome.
In the 6th century B.C. , Armenians settled in the kingdom of Urartu (the Assyrian name for Ararat), which was in decline. Under Tigrane the Great (fl. 95–55 B.C. ) the Armenian empire reached its height and became one of the most powerful in Asia, stretching from the Caspian to the Mediterranean seas. Throughout most of its long history, however, Armenia has been invaded by a succession of empires. Under constant threat of domination by foreign forces, Armenians became both cosmopolitan as well as fierce protectors of their culture and tradition.
Over the centuries Armenia was conquered by Greeks, Romans, Persians, Byzantines, Mongols, Arabs, Ottoman Turks, and Russians. From the 16th century through World War I, major portions of Armenia were controlled by their most brutal invader, the Ottoman Turks, under whom the Armenians experienced discrimination, religious persecution, heavy taxation, and armed attacks. In response to Armenian nationalist stirrings, the Turks massacred thousands of Armenians in 1894 and 1896. The most horrific massacre took place in April 1915 during World War I, when the Turks ordered the deportation of the Armenian population to the deserts of Syria and Mesopotamia. According to the majority of historians, between 600,000 and 1.5 million Armenians were murdered or died of starvation. The Armenian massacre is considered the first genocide of the 20th century.
We also visit St. Hripsime Church, built in the 7th century, another masterpiece of early medieval Armenian architecture. There is a service going on and it is very impressive to watch. Then excursion to Armenia’s „Vatican“, Holy Echmiadzin, a UNESCO World Heritage Site featuring the world’s earliest Christian churches, including Echmiadzin Mother Cathedral, i.e. the mother church of the Armenian Church, originally built by Saint Gregory the Illuminator in 301-303AD, when Armenia had just become the first official Christian state in the world. Lots of people and again a service that impresses us. The ruins of Zvartnots Cathedral are worth the visit and there we meet a young Armenian girl who speaks perfect Swiss German; she leaves in Ober-Weiningen and is visiting her relatives here in Armenia.
Finally Lunch in Garni village after one hour driving through the country side. At a local house we watch traditional Armenian bread making in Tonir (underground earth-stove) and have it for lunch afterwards. Later we are heading towards Garni Pagan Temple, the only Hellenistic Temple in the Caucasus. and former USSR. Gracing the hillside the pagan temple was dedicated to the God of Sun, Mithra. It was built in 77A.D. Proceed to Geghard Monastery (UNESCO) carved out of a huge monolithic rock. Geghard is an incredible ancient Armenian monastery, partly carved out of a mountain. It is said that the Holy Lance that pierced the body of Christ was kept here. The architectural forms and the decoration of Geghard's rock premises show that Armenian builders could not only create superb works of architecture out of stone, but also hew them in solid rock.
Back in Yerevan, we take a short panoramic tour, with sights such as Victory Park, featuring a huge monument of Mother Armenia (the biggest statue of Armenia) and fine views of the city center; Republic Square, a fine example of Armenian architecture and town planning.
Back in the hotel a quick rest before the pilots head for dinner. The webmaster tries to upload the webpage; but now luck. Nobody knows but... (maybe Armenian government officials??). Sorry folks!!
One of the world's oldest civilizations, Armenia once included Mount Ararat, which biblical tradition identifies as the mountain that Noah's ark rested on after the flood. It was the first country in the world to officially embrace Christianity as its religion (A.D. 301), twelve years before Rome.
In the 6th century B.C. , Armenians settled in the kingdom of Urartu (the Assyrian name for Ararat), which was in decline. Under Tigrane the Great (fl. 95–55 B.C. ) the Armenian empire reached its height and became one of the most powerful in Asia, stretching from the Caspian to the Mediterranean seas. Throughout most of its long history, however, Armenia has been invaded by a succession of empires. Under constant threat of domination by foreign forces, Armenians became both cosmopolitan as well as fierce protectors of their culture and tradition.
Over the centuries Armenia was conquered by Greeks, Romans, Persians, Byzantines, Mongols, Arabs, Ottoman Turks, and Russians. From the 16th century through World War I, major portions of Armenia were controlled by their most brutal invader, the Ottoman Turks, under whom the Armenians experienced discrimination, religious persecution, heavy taxation, and armed attacks. In response to Armenian nationalist stirrings, the Turks massacred thousands of Armenians in 1894 and 1896. The most horrific massacre took place in April 1915 during World War I, when the Turks ordered the deportation of the Armenian population to the deserts of Syria and Mesopotamia. According to the majority of historians, between 600,000 and 1.5 million Armenians were murdered or died of starvation. The Armenian massacre is considered the first genocide of the 20th century.
TransAsia 2014