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Published: March 10th 2008
Armenia - an Ancient Civilization
Armenia - an ancient civilization, a rich history, a unique language, a small population, a country nestled between mountains, bordering the giants of Turkey and Iran, as well as the small states of Central Caucasus.
Amazingly, due to my work in an international organization, I had the opportunity to work with several Armenians, and I was curious to see what the country had to offer.
Yerevan in October - it was a perfect time to be there - sunny, 30 degrees, and harvest season - so lots of incredibly flavorful vegetables and fruits. I have never seen as red tomatoes in my life! And the flavor was absolutely amazing! The food was excellent - lots of fresh vegetables, fresh bread, yougurt, cheese, grilled meats. You will not go hungry here for sure!
Yerevan is a fun city - it has almost a mediterranean field as you walk through the city and sit down at the various side-walk cafes for some people watching.
The ladies of Yerevan definitely care about their appearance - everyone walks around in fancy stilletto heals, and the hair and make-up is always done...and here I
am with my walking sandals and a t-shirt! Oh well...its not like I woul dbe able to walk for long in heels like that anyways!
We stayed at the Republic Square...it actually used to be known as Lenin Square - but the statue was pulled down when Armenia re-established its independence in 1991. I was told by one of the locals that initially the city put up a commercial billboard a la Times Square in place of the statue, but nowadays there is a nice flower garden there instead...
Republic square used to be for military parades in Soviet times. When I arrived there was a huge rock concert there, and the traffic circle in the middle seems to be a popular destination for newly-wed couples who drive around in the circle in a limo, waving to by-passers...well, times have changed!
There are lots of interesting juxtapositions like that - Republic Square is home to many of the government offices, and also the Mariott hotel, which used to be one of the fanciest hotels in Soviet times. The cars you see in front of the buildings tell their own story - Mercedes, BMW etc on one side,
and some good old fashioned Ladas on the other.
We decided to go up the Cascades to get a bird-perspective of Yerevan. It is 553 steps - so good exercise! I was marvelling at the lady walking in front of us, walking a steady clip with at least 3 inch heels...
It is a beautiful monument, lots of beautiful flower beds on the way up, and a perfect view of the city from the top.
I am not sure you can see it in the picture, but from up here you can see all the construction cranes across the city. There is lots of construction activity going on as Armenians are starting to return from abroad, and some say Iranians are coming across the border to settle in Yerevan.
From here you can see how Yerevan sits amongst mountains on all sides, and straight ahead is Mount Ararat - a symbol of Armenian pride, but also the tension with Turkey. The mountain now sits on Turkish territory.
The relationship with Turkey is a very bitter one. After World War I , Turkish leaders deported Armenians from their home, soldiers were murdered and by some estimates
a million and a half Armenians died or were massacred. Turkey does not recognize this tragic event as a genocide, but the event forms a core part of Armenians' national identity and is at the fore-front of Armenian-Turkish relations to this date. Many Armenians we spoke to are afraid that Turkey is ready to attack any time. Ready to take more of their small, but precious, territory, home to an ancient heritage and distinct people.
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