ARMENIA 2008

Arrival in Yerevan. Passport control. Hotel accommodation.

Evening free.

Day 2

YEREVAN – SARDARAPAT – ECHMIADZIN – YEREVAN

Breakfast at hotel. Tour to Saradarapat. En route – Hripsime Church :

This is a masterpiece of architecture and a marvellous example of cross-cupola architecture of the 7th century. Weddings and baptisms are performed here on Saturdays and Sundays. Remnants of very old constructions were discovered under the temple in 1959 while the temple was being restored. Virgin's tomb lies here in the crypt of the church.

Saradarapat Memorial and Museum.

Sardarapat is a memorial complex, 38 Km west from Yerevan , established in 1968 to commemorate the Armenian people's victory over Turkish invaders in 1918. The complex was designed by architect Raphael Israelyan and sculptor Ara Haroutyunyan. The complex consists of a bell-tower, “Path of heroes', bas-relief Victory Wall, the Ethnographic museum and two giant statues of bulls at the entrance to the Memorial Park. These bulls symbolize the titanic strength. Stairways lead up to the square dominated by a 35-meter high stone bell tower. On the background of Mount Ararat one can hear the bells tolling.

St. Echmiadzin (Holy See). Cathedral of (UNESCO World Heritage). Liturgy.

This oldest Christian temple was founded in 301 and is one of the first churches in the Christian World. Holy Mass takes place on Sundays in the Cathedral. It is an architectural monument of early Christianity. It houses a unique museum of religious artefacts. There is a small altar in the centre of the Cathedral where, according to legend, Christ descended from Heaven and with a golden hammer pointed to the site upon which the Cathedral was to be built. The remnants of a pagan temple have been discovered during excavations made inside the Cathedral.

Return to Yerevan . Vernissage. Overnight in Yerevan .

Day 3

YEREVAN – GARNI – GEGHARD – YEREVAN

Breakfast at hotel. Half-day trip to Garni Pagan Temple and Geghard Monastery.

This pagan temple was built in 1st. c. AC and was devoted to one of the Armenian Pagan Gods - Mitra. After Armenia converted to Christianity in the 4th c., the rulers of the country used the temple as their summer residence. King Khosrov stayed there often as the area was his favourite hunting ground. Garni was destroyed when the Arabs conquered Armenia but was rebuilt in the beginning of the 10th c. Its final destruction came in 1638 during the Turkish invasion. A violent earthquake buried what remained from it in 1679. The complete restoration of the temple began in 1970 and was over in 1978. The temple consists of dwellings and bath quarters built in the 3rd century in the Roman style. The fantastic landscape of Garni canyon shakes the human imagination.

Proceed to Geghard Monastery (UNESCO World Heritage):

Geghard was initially known simply as Ayrivank (Cave Monastery). The present buildings comprising it date back to 10-13th cc., at which time it was renamed as Geghard meaning "lance" (spear) in Armenian. The name refers to the biblical lance used by a Roman soldier to pierce Christ's body to find out if he was alive or not. The lance was kept in Geghard for a long time before being moved to the museum of Echmiadzin Cathedral . The main church, constructed in 1215, is the oldest building in the monastery complex. Avazan church, 1283, is carved right into the solid rock and is an incomparable work of art. It leads to a rectangular portico and then to another church deeper in the rock. Along the southern and eastern walls of the monastery, high above the valley, medieval dwellings appear. The monastery has withstood many assaults during a period of seven hundred years. Its walls have sheltered many scholars and it was revered throughout Armenia as one of the greatest spiritual and cultural centres in the country. Hundreds of khachkars (cross-stones) and caves are built in the rocks surrounding the Monastery.

Return to Yerevan . Agricultural Produce Market. Evening free. Overnight in Yerevan .

Day 4

YEREVAN CITY TOUR

Breakfast at hotel.

Yerevan is the capital of Armenia and one of the oldest cities in the world. It stretches under the gaze of biblical mountain Ararat and resembles a beautiful gilt bowl to those flying over it. A basalt slab with an Urartu cuneiform inscription, unearthed by archaeologists in the south-eastern part of the city shows the age of Yerevan to be 2783 years old. Modern Yerevan is mostly a rebuilt colourful city with buildings of unique architecture, constructed from basalt, marble, onyx and volcanic tufa stone and it is a contemporary to such ancient metropolises as Babylon and Nineveh .

“Mayr-Hayastan” (panoramic view of Yerevan ), Matenadaran (Depository and Museum of Ancient Manuscripts ):

The Matenadaran is one of the oldest and richest book-depositories in the world. Its collection of about 17,000 manuscripts includes almost all of the areas of ancient and medieval Armenian culture and sciences – history, geography, grammar, philosophy, law, medicine, mathematics, cosmography, theory of calendar, alchemy, chemistry, translations, literature, chronology, art history, miniature, music and theatre, as well as manuscripts in Arabic, Persian, Greek, Syrian, Latin, Ethiopian, Indian, Japanese and others.

Street tour including Republic Square, Yerevan State University, Victory Bridge, Tsitsernakaberd (1915 Genocide Memorial), Sports & Concerts complex, Kiev Bridge, Parliament, Palace of President, Academy of Sciences, Opera house. State Museum of History of Armenia :

The Museum was founded in 1919 by governmental decree of the First Republic of Armenia. The doors first opened to visitors in 1921. It is one of the world's greatest repositories of Armenian art. Its vast collections, comprising about 400,000 items, represent Armenia 's material culture from the remote past to the present day. The famous personalities of Armenian science and culture contributed much in founding the Museum and in compiling the first collections for the Museum. The oldest materials in the State Museum's collections reflect all phases of the Palaeolithic period, beginning from over one million years ago to the Mesolithic (12,000-8,000 years ago) and the Neolithic (eighth-fifth millennium BC) periods.

Walking up the Abovian Street . Evening free. Overnight in Yerevan .

Day 5

YEREVAN – DILIJAN SPA – HAGHARTSIN – LAKE SEVAN – YEREVAN

Breakfast at hotel. Trip to Dilijan spa. Haghartsin Monastery Complex.

This Monastery is hidden from the tumult of the world. The monastery is built by the architect Minas in 1248 with lavish decorations of carved stone. The main church is typical of the churches built between the 10th and 13th centuries. The oldest church in the complex is with the cross-winged dome named after St. Gregory. The refectory of Haghartsin is also very unique in character. There is a number of very interesting khachkars (cross-stones) in the complex. The monastery itself is situated within an oak forest , in the gorge of a small river. You can easily forget your worries when you are up there in nature surrounded by trees.

Trip to Sevan Lake - pearl of Armenia . Peninsula and churches of Sevan.

Sevan, this wonder of nature, is 60 Km from Yerevan on a highway which cuts northward through mountains and rocks. Sevan is so austere and majestic that the gentle turquoise waters are astonishing. They fill the gigantic depression situated at the height of almost 2000 m above sea level. Sevan, with its pure air and sandy beaches, is a popular holiday resort. Sevan has always been famous for its fish "Ishkhan" which means "prince-fish" in Armenian. The fish has graced many Lords' tables in old times. One of the most interesting sites in Sevan is the monastery on the rocky peninsula founded in 874 AD by King Ashot I and his daughter Mariam. Other monuments include Sevan Monastery (874) and Astvatsatsin Church .

Return to Yerevan . Evening free. Overnight in Yerevan .

Day 6

YEREVAN – HAGHPAT – SANAHIN – APARAN – YEREVAN

Breakfast at hotel. Full day tour to North Armenia .

Monastery Complex of Haghpat.

The construction of this monastery is associated to the glory of the Bagratouni Royal Family. The oldest structure of the monastery was built in 977-991 and was called the Holy Cross church. Holy water fills the small pool in the church. Believers say this water has curative qualities for people with poor health. Many cross-stones are built on the ground of the churches. A three-storied bell tower built in 1245 is part of the complex.

Monastery Complex of Sanahin.

Sanahin is a monastery complex the most prominent structure of which is the Savor's Church (956-967), built by architect Trdat for princes Gourgen and Smbat from the Kyurikian Kingdom . The eastern part of the church holds a bas-relief depicting the two princes holding the miniature copy of the actual church. The former village of Sanahin is located on the right side of the gorge. It has become a part of the town of Alaverdi . An interesting point is the Academy dating back to 1063, where famous scientist, philosopher and writer Grigor Magistros-Savor lectured. The Sanahin Monastery had many feudal properties, a great number of estates, lands, vineyards, oil-mills and factories.

Drive back to Yerevan . En route – Amberd Fortress.

Overnight in Yerevan .

INDEPENDENCE DAY

Breakfast at hotel. Free agenda. Participation at Independence Day activities.

Day 8

YEREVAN – ASHTARAK – OSHAKAN – YEREVAN

Breakfast at hotel. Tour to Ashtarak city. Churches of Karmravor and Tsiranavor.

Ashtarak town ("Tower" in Armenian) is famous as a scientific center. There are many scientific research institutes here. There are ancient burial sites and fortifications in Parbi, Mughni, Orgov. Going from Yerevan to Ashtarak, Kasakh river is spanned by a 5th c. bridge. It is a nice three-arched bridge built of apricot-colored tuff stone. The beautiful Karmravor church made of red stone stands on the rock rising above the bridge. Surprising churches of Karmravor, (7th c.), Marine (13th c.), Mughni (10th c.), Saghmosavank (12-13th c.), Ohanavank (5-13th c.) are also located in Ashtarak.

Tour to Oshakan. Burial site of St. Mesrop Mashtots – creator of Armenian alphabet.

Oshakan is an ancient village northwest of Yerevan . It was the home-village of St. Mesrop Mashtots, the 4th c. monk scientist and philosopher from Echmiadzin, who invented the Armenian alphabet which is still in use today with almost no changes. The tomb of Mashtots is here in the crypt of a church built in the 5th c. and rebuilt in the 19th c. A recently opened seminary is nearby the church. Just outside Oshakan there is a memorial in the shape of an open book upon which the Armenian alphabet is carved. It was erected in 1962 on the occasion of the 1600th anniversary of the Armenian alphabet.

Return to Yerevan .

Evening free Overnight in Yerevan .

Day 9

YEREVAN – KHOR VIRAP – EREBOUNI – YEREVAN

Breakfast at hotel. Tour to Khor Virap Monastery.

Khor Virap is a place of pilgrimage for Armenians all over the world. According to history annals, Armenian pagan king Trdat imprisoned Saint Gregory the Illuminator in a cave which became known as Khor Virap. He was the first Patriarch of all Armenians. From here one can enjoy the majestic view of Mount Ararat (where Noah's ark landed according to the Bible), not too far from the Arax river. Khor Virap is the closest point to Mount Ararat from the territory of Armenia , the most convenient place for observing and taking pictures of the biblical mountain.

Return to Yerevan , EREBOUNI Museum :

A substantial museum at the base of the hill formerly known as Arin Berd houses many of the findings, including a few examples of Urartu's splendid metalwork. The citadel itself was founded by Argishti I son of Menua, King of Urartu in the year 782, the first Urartian conquest on the East side of the Arax. We know this on the basis of discovered cuneiform inscription built into the fortification wall, by the gate. The two brass figures are copies of Urartian deities found in the excavations in Armenia . The museum was officially opened to the public in 1968, which was the 2,750th anniversary of the founding of Erebouni. The city of Yerevan traces its birth to the same date. Though actually much older, considering earlier versions of the city at Shengavit and Lake Yerevan (4000 BC and 90,000 BC respectively) Erebouni marks the beginning of 2,783 years of continuous inhabitation.

Evening free. Overnight in Yerevan .

Day 10

Breakfast at hotel. Free day in Yerevan .

Breakfast at hotel. Free day in Yerevan .

Optional Artsakh Tour.

Day 12

Breakfast at hotel. Free day in Yerevan .

Optional Artsakh Tour.

Breakfast at hotel. Free day in Yerevan .

Vernissage at Opera. Vernissage at Republic Square.

Overnight in Yerevan.

Day 14

Breakfast at hotel. Transfer to airport. Departure.