Georgia, Armenia & Azerbaijan Armenia (Chapter) Edition 4th Edition, June 2012 Pages 78 Page Range 121-197 PDF Coverage includes: Understand Armenia, Armenia Today, History – from Christianity to independence, Arts, Food & Drink, Directory, Transport, Yerevan & around, Garni Temple, Geghard Monastery, Zvartnots Cathedral, Echmiadzin, Sardarapat, Ashtarak, Byurakan & around, Mt Aragats, Khor Virap Monastery, northern Armenia, Lake Sevan & around, Sevan, Tsaghkadzor, Dilijan, Haghartsin, Goshavank, Ijevan, Vanadzor, Stepanavan & around, Debed Canyon, Gyumri, Marmashen, Harichavank, southern Armenia, Areni, Noravank, Yeghegnadzor & around, Yeghegis & around, Vayk & around, Jermuk, Sisian & around, Goris & around, Tatev, Kapan, Meghri Useful Links: Having trouble viewing your file? Head to Lonely Planet Troubleshooting. Need more assistance? Head to the Help and Support page. Want to find more chapters? Head back to the Lonely Planet Shop. Want to hear fellow travellers’ tips and experiences? Lonely Planet’s Thorntree Community is waiting for you! © Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd. To make it easier for you to use, access to this chapter is not digitally restricted. In return, we think it’s fair to ask you to use it for personal, non-commercial purposes only. In other words, please don’t upload this chapter to a peer-to-peer site, mass email it to everyone you know, or resell it. See the terms and conditions on our site for a longer way of saying the above - ‘Do the right thing with our content. ©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd Armenia Why Go? Yerevan ..........................124 Although Armenians carry a lot of psychological baggage Geghard Monastery .......145 from a traumatic 20th century, you’d hardly notice it from Echmiadzin ....................148 a quick tour around the country. The rapidly modernising capital, the boutique tourism industry and the warm wel- Mt Aragats .....................151 come you’ll receive everywhere seem to belie the country’s Khor Virap Monastery ...151 reputation for tragedy. Rather than letting past woes weigh Lake Sevan .....................152 it down, Armenia (ՀԱՅԱՍՏԱՆ) has built its memorials, Dilijan .............................157 dusted itself off and moved on. For travellers, easily visited Vanadzor .......................163 highlights include ancient monasteries, candlelit churches Debed Canyon ...............167 and high-walled forts – but lasting impressions lie more Gyumri ..........................169 with the Armenians themselves. You’ll easily fi nd friends Noravank ........................174 among these gracious, humble and easy-going people, even without a common language. The travel experience is wide- Yeghegnadzor ...............174 ranging – you can have a four-star holiday in Yerevan and Jermuk ...........................178 Sevan or a much simpler experience in rural towns like Dili- Sisian .............................179 jan and Goris. Many travellers only spend a week or less as Goris ..............................180 they shuttle around the region but those with more time get Tatev ..............................184 to experience the best spots in crowd-free bliss. When to Go Best Places to Most of Armenia has a dry, high-altitude climate except for Stay verdant rainy pockets in Lori, Tavush and Syunik. Spring (March to May) is a riot of fl owers but does get » Envoy Hostel (p 135 ) a lot of rain. » Mirhav Hotel (p 181 ) Autumn (late September to early November) has long, warm days and more stable weather. » G ohar’s Guest House Summer (June to August) in Yerevan can be 40°C for (p 176 ) days at a time, while conditions in the north are mild. » Ananov Guesthouse (p 157 ) Winter weather lasts until late April through much of the country, with temperatures falling to -10°C in some ar- Best Places to Eat eas. See p295 for details. » Maghay B&B (p 163 ) » Nina B&B (p 158 ) » Dolmama’s (p 138 ) » Haykanoush (p 158 ) 112222 RESOURCES Connections Armenia Guide The closed border with both Turkey to the west and Azerbai- (www.armeniaguide jan to the east means that connections to Armenia are some- .com) what limited. Land borders are open with both Georgia and Iran. As a result, many overlanders regard Armenia as some- Armenia Information thing of a side trip from Georgia, heading south from Tbilisi (www.armeniainfo.am) for a week or two before returning to Georgia. Marshrutka Armenia Now (www. (minibus) connections between Georgia and Armenia are armenianow.com) fast and frequent, making it easy to pop between the two Discover Armenia republics. Only a handful of travellers travel to/from Iran Tourist Magazine (given the visa restrictions of that country) but there are (www.touristmagazine daily bus connections between Yerevan and Tehran. There .am) are plenty of air connections between Yerevan and other regional cities, including Moscow, Dubai, Vienna, Prague, Tour Armenia Paris, Rīga and London. (www.tacentral.com) ITINERARIES Fast Facts Three Days » Country code %374 There’s lots to do and see around Yerevan: take in live » Population 3,262,200 music at a concert or restaurant, and shop for brandy, » Currency Dram (AMD) oghee (fruit vodka) and handicrafts. Take short day trips » Languages Armenian, to Garni and Geghard, or Khor Virap, or a longer one to Russian Lake Sevan and Dilijan. » Emergency %103 One Week Travel up to Lori to the awesome World Heritage–listed Exchange Rates Haghpat and Sanahin churches, stay in Vanadzor or Dilijan, or concentrate on the best of the south – Tatev Australia A$1 1.77 GEL and Noravank in particular. Canada C$1 1.69 GEL Two Weeks Euro zone €1 2.36 GEL Take some time around Yeghegnadzor and taste more Japan ¥100 2.16 GEL of Yerevan’s cosmopolitanism; organise a village or town NZ NZ$1 1.41 GEL homestay, explore more of Dilijan; visit Gyumri; or head UK UK£1 2.70 GEL for Sisian and Goris in the south. Take some time for day USA US$1 1.66 GEL hikes, spelunking in Vayots Dzor or hiking on Mt Aragats. Set Your Budget Visas » Guesthouse (per person) AMD6000 Armenian visas are available at all entry points – 21-day tourist visas cost AMD3000 and a visa valid for 120 days » Two-course evening costs AMD15,000. Most Western nationals require a visa to meal AMD3500 enter Armenia. » Museum entrance AMD500–1000 » Beer at a bar AMD400 » 100km bus ride AMD1200 123 G E O R G I A To Tbilisi (56km) G E O R G I A Tashir Shamlugh Noyemberyan Alaverdi Akhtala 1 Debed Canyon Stepanavan Tumanyan LORI 6 Yenokavan Ijevan Spitak Berd Gyumri Mt Maymekh MVt aTneakdhzeonrik Dilijan Aghstev TAVUSH (3081m) (3101m) Ttujur MMAaartrsiatkalirka Mt AArpaagraaPtnsAMRBAANKGETsagShekv(a2ad1nz1 PoH4armrsSas)ezdvaannChkSaeClvohavaGnkmaeavtbiakanrakk A Z E R B A I J A N G÷nARMARMARMc÷ ARAGATSOTN Charentsavan 4 KOTAYK Hayravank Tsapatagh ENENEN Talin BAyugrhatksakAnshtaYreagkhvard NorA HbaocvhiannGEGHAMGavar NoSrLaeatvukasenKarchagbyur Ceas1e9fi9re4 LineIA IA IA Metsamor Yerevan AR MartuniArtsvanist Vardenis A Lchavan AArmRaMviArVIERchmiadzin Masis MGoengahsatredry NGE Vanevank MakMenakyeantsi sVank (KKealbrvaajacrhar) M(t2 K06o1tumts) Se(l2im41 P0amss) NAGORNO- Igdir Artashat VAedRiARAT GEGHARKUNIK (IsVtauysukunik) KMAtR MAeBtsAKH T U ( MR aM sKits )A (Er5a 1r a6Yt5m)AraksRiver AraYraetraSs÷kdh÷r÷YkegVhAaerllpgeiiysGetYapeghMeganlisahdkJzeaorrmVuok(r2o3t4a4nm P)ass (B3e6v1e6rmaf)ap Areni Vayk L(iSttilse) M(3t9 A25rmar)at Arpa VDAZYOORTS 2 AghituKhndzoresk Doµubayaz‰t Sisian Goris A Z E R B A I J A N Aravus Harzhis (N A X † I V A N) Dastakert Halidzor Tatev Nax…ivan City Mt Kaputjugh Kajaran (3904m) Kapan MEGHRI I R A N SYUNRIAKNGE Meghri Agarak 0 50 km 0 30 miles Armenia Highlights (cid:31)1 Immerse yourself in the (cid:31)4 Step back at Echmiadzin (cid:31)7 Soar to the castlelike Tatev culture, cafes and museums of (p 148 ), where St Gregory built Monastery (p 184 ) on the new the capital Yerevan (p 124 ) Armenia’s fi rst church cable car then hike down (cid:31)2 Go exploring in the idyllic (cid:31)5 Marvel the World Heritage– 8 Relax by the clear waters Yeghegis Valley (p 177 ): old listed monasteries Haghpat of Lake Sevan (p 152 ) when churches, quaint villages, a and Sanahin in the steep-sided temperatures soar in summer mysterious Jewish cemetery Debed Canyon (p 167 ) (cid:31)9 Stretch your legs on Mt (cid:31)3 Break in Dilijan (p 157 ) for (cid:31)6 Get mystifi ed at Geghard Aragats (p 151 ), a 4000m fi ne mountain scenery, hiking Monastery (p 145 ), an ancient, snow-covered mountain with trails and its historic old town historic cave church distant views of Mt Ararat 124 YEREVAN areas: the northern half of downtown, in- cluding Opera Sq (Operayi Hraparak) and %10 / POP 1.1 MILLION the Cascade; and sights in the southern half While it’s the undeniable cultural, economic of downtown, south of Republic Sq. and political heart of the nation, Yerevan (ԵՐԵՎԱՆ) can at times feel like a city on OPERA SQUARE, THE CASCADE & permanent holiday. All summer long, Yer- MOSCOVYAN POGHOTS evanites saunter up and down the main boul- This leafy area of town is known for its fash- evards, preening in high fashion and fast cars ion boutiques, upscale restaurants and out- while occasionally popping into a parkside door cafes. It also has its share of small mu- cafe to schmooze over a drink or two. seums clustered between the Opera House The city has some lovely 19th-century and the Cascade. A Russian edifi ces in its central core plus rings R of parkland and handsome brick squares. Cascade GALLERY M (Kaskad; Map p 130 ) A vast fl ight of stone steps E Outer areas maintain an air of Soviet sprawl NIA but these are limited by steep hills and amnodn ufl moweenrt bceodms,m theme Coraastciandge tlheaed s5 0utph taon a- Y gorges. Yerevan’s museums and monuments niversary of Soviet Armenia. There are E could keep you busy for a few days but the R fi ve recessed fountains along the Cascade, E best thing about the city is the people. Ex- V some with sculpted panels and postmodern A pressive black eyebrows, proud noses and N classical Greek and Persian profi les appear kh Catocnhsktraurcst (iocanr voefd tshteo nCea csrcoasdsee sc).ame to a everywhere, in a street culture somewhere halt in 1991 when funds dried up. In 2001, between that of Marseilles, village Armenia diaspora philanthropist and art collector and old Beirut. The cultural life is intense for Gerald L Cafesjian took over the project, a city of its size, including dozens of theatres, repaired the escalators, built galleries and concert halls, galleries and live music clubs. planted fl ower beds. The top of the Cascade At the geographic heart of the country, remains unfi nished but you can skirt around the city also makes a perfect base to explore the edge and walk up to a plaza holding other areas. You could even make day trips the 50th Anniversary of Soviet Armenia as far afi eld as Lake Sevan, Mt Aragats and Monument (Map p 126 ). Vayots Dzor. The new Cafesjian Museum (admission (cid:31)(cid:31)(cid:31)History AMD1000; h10am-5pm Tue-Thu, to 8pm Fri-Sun) Yerevan’s history dates back to 782 BC, when inside the Cascade houses a vast collec- the Erebuni fortress was built by King Ar- tion of art and glassware. You can wander gishti I of Urartu at the place where the through most of the structure as you please Hrazdan River widened onto the fertile Ara- but to get inside the galleries you need to rat Plains. It was a regional capital of Mus- buy a ticket. Concerts are held most nights lim khanates and Persian governors until in summer in the topmost gallery. the Russian annexation in 1828. Fernando Botero’s cheerfully fat sculpture The Soviet rebuilding of the tsarist city Cat stands at the base of the Cascade, the removed most of its mosques and some of fi rst element of Cafesjian’s collection put its churches, and hid others away in residen- into place. Botero’s naked Roman Warrior tial backwaters, but it kept some of the 19th- has a ‘rigid’ pose nearby. century buildings on Abovyan Poghots and left the old neighbourhood of Kond more or Opera H ouse CULTURAL BUILDING less alone. (Map p 130 ; %52 79 92; 54 Tumanyan Poghots) The landmark of the northern part of the city, Alexander Tamanyan developed the cur- the Opera House is surrounded by parks, rent grid plan in the 1920s with the idea cafes, nightclubs and shops. The building that main avenues (Mashtots, Abovyan and has two main halls: the Aram Khachaturian Nalbandyan) should point in the direction Concert Hall and the National Academic Op- of Mt Ararat. era and Ballet Theatre. (cid:31)1(cid:31)Sights Tastes have broadened a bit since Soviet Armenia, and the music scene here goes be- Yerevan has a dozen or so museums, plus yond opera and symphonies to Russian pop, several galleries and churches, all located in MTV and a nightclub in the bowels of the the city centre and easily reached on foot. Opera House itself. Tickets range in price We’ve broken down the sights into two main from AMD2000 to AMD12,000 depending 125 on the seat location and the performance Many of the rarer books in the collection itself. are researched behind closed doors and are not on display. The ticket offi ce has a gift Matenadaran MUSEUM shop with a nice collection of books and (Map p 130 ; www.matenadaran.am/en; 53 Mesrop souvenirs. Mashtots Poghota; admission AMD1000, guide AMD2500; h10am-4pm Tue-Sat) Armenia’s an- Martiros Sarian Museum MUSEUM cient manuscripts library, the Matenadaran, (Map p 130 ; 3 Sarian Poghots; admission AMD600; stands like a cathedral at the top of Yerevan’s h10am-5pm Fri-Tue, 10am-4pm Wed) This mu- grandest avenue. It preserves more than seum preserves the studio and some of the 17,000 Armenian manuscripts and 100,000 works of 20th-century painter Martiros Sar- medieval and modern documents. The fi rst ian. Some say the pick of his works adorns Matenadaran for Armenian texts was built galleries in Moscow and Paris. Start your AAA by St Mesrop Mashtots at Vagarshapat (Ech- visit to the museum upstairs with his sombre RRR MMM miadzin) in the 5th century. early works, then watch the colours erupt as EEE By the early 19th century only 1800 man- he falls in love with Persia and Egypt. His art NNN uscripts were kept at Echmiadzin, after cen- seems to mature by fusing those colours into IA SIA YIA Y turies of invasion, looting and burning. The a vision of an Oriental Armenia, landscapes IGERER collection grew in importance after the Ar- of stark mountains, green villages and plung- HEE menian genocide in WWI saw the destruc- ing gorges. Sarian’s large studio remains as it TSVAVA tion of countless tomes. The current Mate- was when the artist died in the 1950s. NN nadaran was built in 1959, with a research institute dedicated to preserving and restor- National Folk Art Museum ing manuscripts attached to it. of Armenia MUSEUM At the base of the building there is a (Map p 130 ; 64 Abovyan Poghots; admission statue of Mashtots teaching his alphabet to AMD500; h11am-5pm Tue-Sun) Has a large dis- play of Armenia’s fi nest crafts, which reveal a disciple, while six other statues of great the exotic infl uence of the East in Armenian scholars and writers stand by the door. culture. There’s also a nice lace exhibit and The outdoor gallery has carved rock tombs some interesting woodcarving. and khatchkars brought here from ancient sites around Armenia. Inside, the collection Museum of Russian Art MUSEUM includes Greek and Roman scientifi c and (Map p 130 ; 38 Isahakyan Poghots; admission philosophical works, Iranian and Arabic AMD500; h11am-4pm Tue-Sun) A collection of manuscripts, and the 15th-century Homilies 200 works by 19th- and 20th-century Rus- of Mush, so heavy that it was ripped in half sian artists, donated by Professor Aram and carried away to safety by two women af- Abrahamian, who had a taste for cheerfully ter the 1915 genocide. The book was not put picturesque landscapes. Enter on Tamanyan back together until years later – one saviour Poghots. had emigrated to America. The illuminated works on display show swirls of red and gold Yervand Kochar Museum MUSEUM combining classical borders with luxuriant (Map p 130 ; 39/12 Mesrop Mashtots Poghota; ad- fl owers and gardens. mission AMD600; h11am-5pm Tue-Sun) Features GETTING YOUR BEARINGS IN YEREVAN Yerevan sits in a valley edged on three sides by hills, with the little Hrazdan River cutting a serpentine gorge west of the city centre. Downtown streets are laid out on a grid with several ring roads, intersected by the redeveloped Hyusisayin Poghota (Northern Ave). In the centre is Hanrapetutyan Hraparak (Republic Sq), while the Opera House, a few blocks north, is another focal point. Mesrop Mashtots Poghota (avenue) is one of the city’s busiest thoroughfares. The main bus station is the Kilikya Avtokayan west of town on the Echmiadzin high- way, which also leads to Zvartnots Airport. Marshrutky (minibuses) to various parts of the country leave from all over the city centre, with a concentration around the Rossiya Mall on Tigran Mets Poghota. The main train station is above Sasuntsi Davit metro station. Yerevan’s metro has four stations in the city centre, with the last stop at Barekamutyun. 126 Yerevan A B C D ‚ToAshtarak (17km) 1 SILIKYAN AshtarakHw DAVTASHEN H wy ARMENIA YEREVAN 23 SilikySainliOkyldaHnNweywHw66y y FuchikPog66hotsHalabyanPoghotKsievyÿ#an8PBaorbgyhuoHRsÿ#tisPrYv666aeoe9#í1gzgr6dhhVva#oaatgnrh1#¡sadr7sAhiaRnBPaAogrhBoetKskKaoImmRMi#uatt#¡ra1yss2666uhnPalolghota#í1#á51 #÷#í14366 s #â6 BaghramianYeritasardak#¡an hot Tu 4 ebastiaPog 6KOND 66many#¡anPoghots6 S Hanrapetutyan MALATYA (MainBuAsvStotKakiatliiykoaynna)#› SMeaepC(pen13tr0a)lYerevan #¡Hr#Üa5parak ToZvartnots Zoravar Airport(6km); Andranik #þ EA‚crmhmaviaird(z4in1k(m15)km); #í18 11 Lake 5 #ý10 AdmiralIsakovPoghota BYeargevraatnuGNynazaiarhnetdsgePihnog#¡hotaGareginNzhdehSPaDosagu˜#vhni#¡ttostis#£YTSretaarietnivoann 6 ShirakPoghots Shengavit#¡ ˜# #¡Gortsaranayin PEoregbhuontsi #äK(RaermdHiriBll)lur AraratyanPoghots SH#¡ENCGhAaVrbIaTkh TamantsinerP atohgoP 7 ArtashatHwyoghots hkastrA ‚ ToKhorVirap (34km) A B C D 127 e #00 1miles2km Yerevan E F ToTsaghkadzor(51km); ‚ #› æSights Sevan(61km) HyusisayinAvtokayan 150thAnniversaryofSoviet (NorthernBusStation) ArmeniaMonument.........................D3 Hwy #˜ 1 2ErebuniFortress&Museum...............E6 Tbilisi Hrach 3HMailgithatraynMakusPeaurmk......................................................(..s..e..e.D43) y a 4MotherArmenia(Mayr 6Ahary6an 5SuHrapyGasritgaonr)L...u..s..a..v..o..r.i.c..h.........................E3 Po Cathedral...........................................D4 Sev BGoatarndiecnal TghsotairanavÜ#or 2 6TstihtseeArrnmakeanbiaenrdG(eMnuosceiduem)..o..f..............C3 ARMARMARM 6í##áD1a3vi4tAnhaagkhPAtolPgeohxogatnhsodts6erMRyuabisninainktyasnPPoogghoht6aot#Øs7GAIPogh#˜ots3 ØÿýASE987nlceWBHtteeiooavprrstitiittesnaeireFiglnWsaGm,mloiCderilloenydu.t..B..r..s&....e..B..s........&............T......o.........u......r......s......................................................CCF333 ENIA SIGHTSENIA YEREVAN ENIA YEREVAN 6 NOR 10CasinoStrip.........................................A5 NORK þShopping C Arm#îenakyanPoghots T(o20Gk‚amm)i 11ShukaNo2...........................................D5 ha Nork-Marash ïInformation ren Hospital 12AmericanUniversityof 6stohgtsoP DavitBekPoghots 4 111435BGIPreaieArrnodrmirmsaganoeianfnEneAimanErt.mbm..Ra.e.bes.n.aps.i.syar..es..P..ys....re...o...n...j...te...a...c...t...t...i....v........e..........o..........f...................(...s......e......e.........1DDE2332) theNagorno-Karabakh Republic.............................................D2 16TurkmenistanEmbassy......................C3 17UPSExpress-Hayk..............................C3 5 18USAEmbassy......................................C5 Rostovyan Poghots tohf et hsec ublrpitlluiaren ta dnrda ucugbhitsstm-satynl ea n3d-D a rptaisint.tings Hovhannes Tumanyan Museum MUSEUM V#2 (Map p 130 ; 40 Moscovyan Poghots; admission 6 AMD500, guide AMD2500; h11am-4.30pm Tue- AyvazovkiyPoghots S Hmaout,v s1he1uaanmmn-,3 epwsm iTt uhSm udna)ins pAylaranmy,s e inso ifca e’hsl eisgb rrpeaeatretesdos tni nap lto heeifts-, fects and journals. It’s a must-visit if you EREBUNI have already been to (or planning a trip to) Tumanyan’s home village of Dsegh (p1 67 ). N u b 7 Churches arsh Churches in the area include the 1694 en Zoravar Church (Map p1 30 ), one of the H w nicest little secrets in the city, tucked away E y F 128 YEREVAN IN ONE DAY Start off with breakfast at a cafe on Abovyan Poghots with some freshly ground soorch (coff ee). Take a look around the grand buildings of Hanrapetutyan Hraparak (Republic Sq), and have a browse in the National Art Gallery and the State Museum of Armenian History. Walk up Hyusisayin Poghota to marvel at Yerevan’s sparkling new pedestrian mall, then continue uphill to the Matenadaran, a fi ne building with a small but beautiful collection of manuscripts on display, or go up to the Cascade for a grand view over the city, surrounded by fl ower beds. If you have time (and energy) take a taxi to the genocide memorial. Then head out to a restaurant for a long dinner of Armenian khoravats (barbe- cued food) with salads, desserts and cognac. Check out a club or people-watch from any A one of dozens of late-night cafes, around the Opera House or the Ring Park. R M E N IA off Parpetsi Poghots. The tiny, 13th-century the gathering of the Hayk tribes into a nation Y Katoghike (Map p 130 ) is at the corner of in the 6th century BC. After that, centuries E Sayat-Nova Poghota and Abovyan Poghots. fl y past through Hellenic Armenia, the arriv- R E The Soviets were demolishing a later church al of Christianity and fi nally the long centu- V A here in 1936, which exposed the fi ne inscrip- ries under Muslim Turkish and Persian rule. N tions on the chapel. Amazingly enough for There are medieval khatchkars, costumes, that era, a public outcry let the chapel sur- jewellery, coins, and models of buried settle- vive. Fragments from the dismantled church ments and lost churches. One of the most lie around it. prized artefacts to join the collection is a 5500-year-old leather shoe discovered in a REPUBLIC SQUARE, SOUTHERN cave in Vayots Dzor region in 2008. Scien- MASHTOTS & KHANDJIAN POGHOTS tists have dubbed it the ‘world’s oldest shoe’ Sights in this section are grouped in the (see the boxed text, p1 76 ). southern part of downtown. The area around Republic Sq includes government National Art Gallery GALLERY ministries, as well as some of the better ho- (Map p 130 ; Hanrapetutyan Hraparak; admission tels and embassies. AMD800, guide AMD5000; h11am-5.30pm Tue- Sun) The National Art Gallery holds the Hanrapetutyan Hraparak third-biggest collection of European masters (Republic Square) SQUARE in the former USSR; many of the works here The former Lenin Sq is surrounded by the were appropriated in Europe during WWII. city’s fi nest ensemble of buildings, particu- This national treasure includes works by larly the Armenia Marriott Hotel, and the Donatello, Tintoretto, Fragonard, Courbet, National Art Gallery and State Museum of Theodore Rousseau, Rodin, Rubens and Jan Armenian History, where Stalinist scale Van Dyck. There are also many works by meets Armenian architecture in a huge Russian painters, and Armenian painters, yellow-and-cream building facing some sculptors and graphic artists including Mar- massive fountains. The centre of the square tiros Sarian, Yervand Kochar and Sedrak (more of an oval) is now a fl at stretch of pol- Arakelyan. If you can talk your way into vis- ished marble. New lights and repaired foun- iting the roof there are opportunities here tains make Hanrapetutyan Hraparak (Map for sweeping city views. p 130 ) a focal point on warm afternoons and nights. In summer, the fountains dance to Yerevan Brandy Company BRANDY FACTORY music and lights between 9.30pm and 11pm. (Map p 130 ; %54 00 00; www.ybc.am; Admiral Isak- ov Poghota; tour & tastings AMD3000; h10am-5pm oState Museum of Mon-Fri, tours by appointment) ‘The fairyland of Armenian History MUSEUM the world-famous Armenian brandy’, Yer- (National Museum; Map p 130 ; Hanrapetutyan evan Brandy Company runs fun tours with Hraparak; admission AMD1000, guide AMD5000; generous tastings from its iconic premises h11am-5pm Tue-Sun) This museum spans by the Hrazdan River. The company has Stone Age cave dwellers in the Hrazdan cellars of barrels dating back to the 19th Gorge to the astronomy and metallurgy of century, including one that won’t be opened 3000 BC Metsamor, the Urartu Empire and until a Karabakh peace deal appears. Tours take 75 minutes, including tastings, and end 129 at the souvenir shop. It’s a pleasant walk FNPAK GALLERY across the Haghtanak Bridge or a short taxi (Map p 130 ; www.accea.info; 1/3 Pavstos Byuzand ride (AMD600) from the city centre. Poghots; admission free; h10am-6pm Mon-Sat) The Norarar Pordzarakan Arvesti Kentovon Blue Mosque MOSQUE (Armenian Centre for Contemporary Ex- (Map p 130 ; 12 Mesrop Mashtots Poghota; h10am- perimental Art) is a large, well-appointed 6pm) Of the eight or so working mosques in gallery and art complex facing the big Ver- Yerevan in 1900, the Blue Mosque is the only nissage market. Y ervand Kochar’s 1959 fi g- one remaining today. The Iran Informa- ure Melancholy pines at the entrance. Most tion & Communication Centre next door of the artists in residence are in their 20s has the key. It’s appropriate to wear trousers and 30s, and avant-garde concerts and per- and a long-sleeved shirt – no bare legs or formances are held in a huge auditorium. shoulders. It’s viewed with healthy suspicion by the AAA The Soviets turned the mosque into the more conservative arts audience – the next RMRMRM Yerevan City Museum until it was restored Armenian cultural revolution might start EEE arenldig isooums-egwovheartn ‘mmeondte rnfoisuendd’ abtyio ann Iinra ntiahne here. NIA SNIA YNIA Y 1990s. It lives on as a sign of Armenia’s nec- Surp Grigor Lusavorich IGERER essarily good relations with Iran. Cathedral CATHEDRAL HEE The mosque was built in 1765 by the Per- Modern Yerevan’s fi rst real cathedral (Map TSVAVA sian Governor Hussein Ali Khan as a place p 126 ) was built to celebrate 1700 years of NN for Friday sermons and features a medrese Christianity in Armenia and was consecrated (religious college) built around a garden in 2001. This hulking building stands on a courtyard, a 24m-high minaret and a bright- small hill where Khandjian Poghots meets ly tiled turquoise dome. Tigran Mets Poghota. It’s a bit brutalist in execution, possibly because it hasn’t been Sergei Paradjanov around for 1000 years and collected age, at- Museum MUSEUM mosphere and khatchkars. There’s a statue of (Map p 130 ; www.parajanov.com/museum.html; Zoravar (General) Andranik at the bottom of 15/16 Dzoragyugh Poghots; admission AMD700, the stairs that lead to the church (Map p1 30 ). guide in French AMD2500; h10.30am-5pm) This Zoravar Andranik led the army that defeated engaging, eccentric house-museum of an the Turks at Sardarapat in May 1918. avant-garde fi lm director and artist (see p1 90) stands by the Hrazdan Gorge near Museum of Modern Art MUSEUM Surp Sargis. Paradjanov was born in 1924 in (Map p 130 ; 7 Mesrop Mashtots Poghota; admission Tbilisi but retired to Yerevan after serving AMD500; h10am-3pm Tue-Sun) Near the corner prison terms on charges of immorality in the of Sarian Poghots is the main exhibition cen- 1970s and 1980s. This fi ne house showcases tre for contemporary Armenian artists, the his colourful, amusing collages and framed Museum of Modern Art. It also has an im- found-object sculptures, as well as sketches pressive collection of works from the 1970s and designs for his fi lms. There’s real wit onwards. The museum is on a narrow lane and fl air to his work, and the museum is just off Mashtots, hidden behind a row of well worth visiting even if avant-garde 20th- shops. century fi lm isn’t normally your thing. There are postcards and videos of his major fi lms State Museum of Wood-Carving MUSEUM for sale. (Map p 130 ; 4-2 Paronyan Poghots; admission AMD400; hnoon-6pm Tue-Sun) This is actually Yerevan Museum MUSEUM an interesting collection of some meticulous (Map p 130 ; www.yerevanhistorymuseum.info.am; pieces, both modern and medieval. The en- 1/1 Argishti Poghots; admission AMD500, guide trance is slightly hidden, set back behind the AMD3000; h11am-5.30pm Mon-Sat) This new food kiosk. museum covers the foundation, expansion and development of Armenia’s capital. The Surp Sargis Church CHURCH Near the Museum of Wood-Carving, look central display on the ground fl oor is an out for this 1853 church (Map p 130 ; 1853), enormous scale model of 19th-century Yer- on Israeliyan Poghots off Mashtots, over- evan (best seen from the balcony on the looking the Hrazdan River. The Sunday lit- fl oors above). Other exhibits include the urgy and choir are particularly good. knives, jewellery, pottery and other artefacts discovered during recent excavations.