Lake Sevan is a high-altitude (roughly 2000 meters) freshwater lake surrounded by mountain ranges – the Pambak range from the northwest, Sevan and Areguni ranges from the northeast, and the Geghama and Vardenis ranges from the west and south. Sevan consists of two parts – Lesser and Greater Sevan. The depth of the lake reaches …
The Zarni-Parni complex is located in the vicinity of the Haghpat temple in the Lori Province of Armenia. Locals call this place “Old Fortress”. According to archaeologists and historians, the monuments in the complex date back to the 10th century. In antiquity, these structures have initially served as a fortress – more precisely, they have …
The deepest of the numerous gorges formed by Vorotan is located on the Tatev-Arzhis section at an altitude of 700-800 m. In this section, the gorge is so narrow that even the rays of the sun cannot penetrate and reach its bottom. In one of the deepest places of the gorge is the most picturesque …
The Mamrot Kar waterfall is also known as Hovanots or Shushva Umbrella. The root of the waterfall is a deep water source originating in the stone of the canyon, which gives rise to a continuously running waterfall in the form of a huge umbrella covered with moss (“mamur” in Armenian, hence the name “Mamrot Kar”, …
Armenians are so used to the ugly hypocrisy in the Russian media in relation to Armenia that they don’t really react to it at an everyday level. However, in recent times, the hypocrisy has acquired an official form. We are talking about the statement of the Russian Foreign Ministry, which announced that the former ruling …
We present to you three very vivid films about the Armenian church and serf architecture, as well as the beautiful nature of the surrounding ancient temples and fortresses. The first film is about the monastery of Tatev. Tatev Monastery (Armenian: Տաթևի վանք) is an Armenian monastery complex of the late 9th – early 10th centuries …
In the 1930s, Polish biologist Edmund Leopoldowicz Leonowicz – a native of Tbilisi, Georgia – visited Armenia. He was fascinated by its nature and decided to establish an arboretum here. In 1933, he brought his project of the arboretum to fruition near Stepanavan in Lori Province. The arboretum would be officially named “Sochut Dendropark named …
Scholars of Armenian history have repeatedly addressed the mysterious staircase corridors cut out in rocks. They have offered many theories on their purpose and also the time when they had been made. Such a monument can be found in the Yelpin rock located 150 kilometers south of Yerevan in Vayots Dzor province. Even though the …
The pomegranate is one of most recognizable symbols of Armenia. It symbolizes fertility and fortune in Armenian mythology. It was also believed to be a guardian against the evil eye. At weddings, the bride would throw a pomegranate to break it into pieces. The scattered seeds of the pomegranate ensured that she would bear children. …
Many wonders are concealed within the rock formations of Armenia. Speleologists have thoroughly examined separate cave structures, but there is undoubtedly more large-scale research ahead to do. Only in the territory of modern Armenia, the number of rock formations – canopies, niches, grottoes, and caves – varies between 10-15 thousand. And in the initial period …
The formation of the modern landscape of the Armenian Highlands began about 25 million years ago. Due to intense changes in the terrain during the Alpine orogeny, mountain masses began to ascend out the from water. The first new mountain ranges would form in the following 15 million years. The whole territory of the Highlands …
The Armenian mouflon is a mouflon species indigenous to the Armenian Highlands, though it is also spread in the steppes of Iran. Armenian mouflons are commonly found in open mid- to high-altitude areas and in rocky mountains. These wild species of sheep spend the summer in the highest areas they can reach that are typically …
Powerful streams of lava covered numerous river channels. Some of the rivers managed to maintain their flow underground, but most weren’t able to withstand the molten rock. Among the survived streams is an ancient watercourse discovered under a thick layer of volcanic rock. This watercourse can be observed along the modern river Kasagh River near …
During one of my trips to Armenia, I visited my friend Manuk. It was summer at the time. We entered his small garden, and Manuk lead me to a tree with a lush crown. “Try them”, said he, carefully collecting dark-violet mulberries. My lips turned violet from the fruit, but I couldn’t stop eating: the …
Lori Province is one of the most beautiful regions in Armenia. It boasts a multitude of natural picturesque sceneries, as well as numerous fine examples of Armenian architecture. The most renowned architectural and cultural monuments of Lori Province are the monasteries of Haghpat and Sanahin, as well as the monastery-fortress Akhtala. In fact, they enjoy …
In the middle of January 2016, the art world burst in a grandiose scandal. The legendary New York Museum of Modern Art had been holding an exhibition of Pablo Picasso’s sculptures when it became known that one of the primary showpieces of the exhibition, the large gypsum bust of Picasso’s mistress Marie-Thérèse Walter, had been …
The Armenian Highlands are pierced with countless ancient cave dwellings that date back to the earliest pages of human settlement. Investigations of the Areni cave complex in Armenia provided the archaeologists with such phenomenal finds as a straw skirt (6,000 years old), the oldest leather shoe (5,500 years old), the oldest winemaking facility (6,100 years …
Artsakh is a highly mountainous region, as many people probably know. The Soviet-era toponym of the region – Nagorno-Karabakh – even contains the Russian word for “mountainous”, “nagorno”. Artsakh holds heaven-reaching mountains and unexplored caves housing many secrets to human evolution, not to mention unique archaeological sights. Another kind of artifact from Artsakh, though not …