What is Armenia Known For? part 3

 Chess in Armenia

Despite its small population of only 3 million, Armenia has gained popularity around the world for its love and success at the game of chess.

Armenians love playing chess, and it’s even part of their school program because they believe that the love for this intellectual game should start at a young age.

This small country has had several World Chess Champions: grandmaster Tigran Petrosian, Levon Aronian (one of the leaders of FIDE’s ranking list), and the Armenian National Chess team, which won the World Team Championship, European Team Championship, and the Chess Olympiad.

If you are a chess fan, then it’s just another reason to visit Armenia, as it’s one of the most beloved games in the country, played from people’s backyards to international professional stages.

Armenian Genocide

One of the most tragic historical events that happened to Armenians and the Armenian nation is the Armenian Genocide. It was the first genocide of the 20th century.

The horrific massacre happened in 1915 by the Turkish ‘Young Turks’ ruling party, and as a result, 1,500,000 people lost their lives.

The Armenian nation not only lost many of its residents’ lives during this time but also a significant part of its historical homeland (Western Armenia).

This is why there are over 10,000,000 Armenians living outside of Armenia today.

Each year on April 24th, a march takes place to the Tsitsernakaberd Genocide Memorial in Yerevan, where the whole nation pays respect to the victims of the tragedy.

The Armenian Diaspora (and Famous Armenians)

One interesting fact about the Armenian people and their population is that there are more Armenians living outside of Armenia these days than inside of it.  Armenia has one of the biggest diasporas in the world, and it is really large in countries like the USA, Russia, and France.

Today, there are over 10,000,000 diaspor,a and the reason dates back to the Armenian Genocide, as mentioned above.

Americans may know of some of the famous diaspora Armenians.  Some of them are the Kardashians, Cher, Andre Agassi, Michael Vartan, Dita von Teese, Alex Ohanian (Reddit founder), Joe Manganiello, System of a Down, and more.

Gyumri Earthquake (Spitak Earthquake)

On December 7th, 1988, another tragedy took place in the cities of Gyumri and Spitak; they were hit by a 7-magnitude earthquake.

Gyumri is the artistic city of Armenia and has always been known as the creative center of Armenia. The devastating earthquake damaged the city very badly, mostly destroying Soviet-era buildings and a part of the Old City.

More than 40,000 people died due to the devastating consequences of the earthquake.  Even in Gyumri today, there are remnants of this earthquake as the city is still in the rebuilding process.

Currency of Armenia

The Armenian national currency is called the dram (AMD) and is represented by the following symbol: ֏

The currency fluctuates a bit but is currently around $1 = 500 AMD.  It is possible to change out your money nearly anywhere in Yerevan.

You will see more currency exchanges here than perhaps anywhere else you travel.  Even shoe stores sometimes have currency exchanges!  Grocery stores almost always have them too.

North Armenia Does Not Look Like South Armenia

As we mentioned before, Armenia is a diverse country in a small territory where one tunnel ride can change a bold, rocky landscape into lush, green gorges and a mountain range.

Armenia is a country of contrast and is easy to travel in… if you have a car. The more north you drive, the more you will see green mountains, lakes located in hidden spots surrounded by nature, deep caves, and many more spectacular places.

Driving towards the south of the country from Yerevan, the nature and landscape change into an arid and beige wonderland, complete with a unique ecosystem that is completely different from that of the north of the country.

You can find green landscapes present throughout the entire country, but their percentage varies depending on whether you’re in the north or the south.

 Usage of Tuff in Architecture

A unique architectural material that defines Armenian architecture is the volcanic stone ‘tuff’. Tuff has been widely used in Armenia for centuries as a construction material, and it’s also used in art and in some other spheres.

The capital of Armenia, Yerevan, is known as a pink city because the main material that was used to build it was pink volcanic tuff stone, and it illuminates the city in a hue of the same color during certain times of the day.

But tuff is not only pink, but it also has other colors as well. Black tuff was used to build the old city of Gyumri, and the architecture in Gyumri stands out like no other in the country of Armenia!

 Sidewalk Cafes in Yerevan Saturate the Streets

Yerevan has a great cafe culture, and it is one of the main attractions of the city. You can find cafes everywhere, especially in the city center and it really gives the city a charming and cozy feeling.

Saryan Street, or ‘wine street’, is one of those places where little wine shops line up the sidewalk and both locals and travelers can enjoy the charming atmosphere of an evening in Yerevan.

Yerevan Cascade is a huge platform of stairs and one of the gems of the city. At the Cascades, you can also experience great cafe culture through different indoor and outdoor cafes and restaurants.

In general, Yerevan is a city of sidewalk cafes, and the choice is huge!

Visa to Armenia

Do you need a visa for Armenia?  You might be surprised.

While the country is open to so many foreigners and for long durations of time (as an American, I have very lenient laws about being in Armenia), other nationalities are not quite as lucky.

For example, passport holders from Canada and India both need to apply for an Armenian visa (e-visa) in advance.  Rules are constantly changing, so be sure to check before your trip to see if you need a visa or not.

Click here to see the updated list at the Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

 Architecture in Armenia

In our opinion, one of the coolest things about visiting Armenia is seeing the dynamic range of architecture in the country.

As mentioned earlier in the post, pink tuff or black tuff was a commonly used building material in Armenia, and the traces of that are evident, especially in Yerevan and Gyumri.

Another interesting thing about the architecture in Armenia is that you can see so many influences throughout history based on the buildings and ruins.

When people think about architecture in Armenia, monasteries typically come to mind.  Or, Soviet architecture.  We could go into excessive detail about Armenian architecture, and we will need to do so in another post in the near future.  But, do know that the architecture here is extremely fascinating and many prolific buildings represent different eras of history and styles.

Soviet Architecture in Armenia

Many foreigners flock to Armenia to see the country’s Soviet architecture.  A lot of Soviet pieces have held up well in Armenia due to the construction with durable and tough materials, and the Armenian influence on many pieces of Soviet architecture is unique compared to anywhere else in the former USSR.

Armenian Food and Drink

One of the greatest things about Armenia is its food and cuisine.  Food in Armenia is light and makes use of seasonal and local ingredients better than most cuisines these days.

You will find that Armenian food will feel a bit familiar and a bit foreign, all at the same time.

There are influences from Iran, Russia, Turkey, the Middle East, and Georgia in the cuisine, but many of these ‘familiarities’ are traced back so that the food either comes from these areas or Armenia actually influenced certain dishes in the aforementioned places.

Vegetables and fruits in Armenia are juicy and flavorful.  You will find a heavy usage of meat but also a heavy usage of vegetables, making the country fairly ideal for vegetarians without any intent to do so.

Some very popular dishes to try in Armenia are as follows:

• spas (a yogurt-like soup with mint and other herbs)
• kufta (pounded meat dish with tons of flavor – two types in Armenia: ishli or Echmiadzin)
• ghapama (rice with dried fruits and lavash cooked inside of a pumpkin or gourd – eaten in winter)
• khash (a soup made from boiled cow or sheep parts – eaten in late autumn or winter in the mornings)
• plov with dried fruits (rice with dried fruits)
• Tolma (grape leave stuffed with deliciousness such as rice, meat, and veggies)
• basooc dolma (vegetarian dolma)
• lyulya kebab (minced meat grilled with other flavors and spices)
• khorovats (Armenian BBQ)
• gata (a sweet pastry that is highly addictive due to its deliciousness)
• harissa (a porridge with pulled meat served with butter… this is not like North African harissa!)
• lahmajo (an eastern style pizza – often referred to as ‘Turkish pizza’ in Western Europe)
• summer salad (a garden salad made with tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, and herbs)
• zhingyalov hats (a bread stuffed with many green herbs originating from the Artsakh and Syunik region)
• basturma (dried and spiced meat)
• bakhlava (common across many places in this region)
• Sharots (Sweet sujukh)

Obviously, with all of these prepared items above come some other specific items like Armenian cheese, condiments, pickled veggies, and more.  Armenian food truly is the best, and there is something to satisfy everyone.

Ingredients in Armenian Cuisine

While the above detailed specific dishes, we thought it would be necessary to list some common ingredients you’ll find in Armenia.

Yes, many are vegetables, and you can easily find vegetarian food in Yerevan, but you do need to ask to double-check no meat or animal products were used when ordering if you’re vegan or vegetarian (a lot of food here is ‘accidentally’ vegan or vegetarian).

The ingredients listed are ones that you will see often across several dishes.

Here are some popular ingredients in Armenian cuisine:

• Tomatoes
• Walnuts
• Sorrel
• Cilantro (coriander)
• Dill
• Pomegranate
• Salt (Armenians use a lot of salt!)
• Honey
• Lavash (Armenian bread)
• Eggplant
• Mint
• Tarragon

Armenian Coffee

Armenians love their coffee, and you will likely be served it a couple of times a day if you’re hanging around a local.  Armenian coffee is similar to coffee you’ll find in other countries in the region and even in the Balkans (often referred to as Turkish coffee… but you will never refer to it that way here).

You can buy bags of freshly ground coffee at all grocery stores and several shops in the city.  You will need a jazzve (way to cook the coffee on a stovetop) and a small cup to serve it into.