“Armenia 🇦🇲 ~Yerevan to Vagharshapat”
While we are off to a very slow start, we did get underway, today. We had a different plan, then what took place today, so we didn’t get as far as we planned; though we tried, and now we are in a comfy B&B for the next few days, while we regroup.
During our time in Yerevan, we did feel well enough (from getting colds) to get out to the Mall and get some much needed shopping done. I got a nice warm jacket, and Daryl got a scarf. His lightweight jacket will have to do, as jackets for him were WAY overpriced. We have quickly come to the realization, we will not be doing any hiking or lengthy outdoor activity in this weather, anyway.
Yerevan, or the so-called “City of the Sun and Light,” is Armenia’s vibrant capital and the largest city, where past and present meet.
Yerevan has a history of thousands of years. Built in 782 BC, this year Yerevan will celebrate its 2794th anniversary, a great event for all Armenians happily residing in one of the oldest cities in the world. Older than Athens and younger than Rome, Yerevan’s history has been marked with lots of ups and downs and controversies, especially with the absence of historical data within the period of the 4th century BC and 3rd century AD.
Yerevan was founded in 782 BC, however it has not always been the capital city of Armenia, yet carrying a strategic significance, it has suffered as much as all the other Armenian cities. In 1991 Armenia became an independent Republic, and Yerevan was proclaimed as the capital city.
While we were at the Mall, we also checked out the Cinema and found an English movie; “Witches.” Very cute, and it was very fun to have the whole theatre to ourselves, and eat popcorn, again!
On our outing, today, once we checked out of our city hotel, we were suppose to be a lot further north, then we ended up. Unfortunately, we ran into snow and with it being too close to the temperature dropping for the evening, we decided not to take a chance, though only eight miles from our destination of the ancient Amberd Fort. Bummer. (8 miles of twisty mountain switchbacks). We turned around and ended up doing a big loop is all, before we found the lovely Artson B&B, nine minutes from where we made our first stop at Komitas Square; several hours before, which is only an hour out of the capital city.
The Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin is the pre-eminent center of authority in the worldwide Armenian Apostolic Church
In its capacity as the residence of the Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians (the pontiff of the Armenian Church), Holy Etchmiadzin is known as the “Catholicate of All Armenians.” It became the seat of the Catholicate of the entire Armenian nation in the 4th century, following the conversion of King Tiridates III to Christianity by St. Gregory the Illuminator in AD 301.
According to the chronicler Agathangelos, soon after Armenia’s conversion to Christianity, St. Gregory had a vision of the Son of God. Appearing as a heroic figure of light surrounded by a mighty angelic host, Christ struck the ground with a golden hammer, indicating the place where the Mother Cathedral of the new Christian nation was to be established. The name Etchmiadzin–literally, “where the Only Begotten descended”–refers to this episode.
and various religious and cultural institutions, such as the Kevorkian Theological Seminary and a museum.
The cathedral dates back to the 4th century, and is said to be the oldest Christian cathedral in world. Although the current sanctuary was erected in the 1600s, remnants of the 4th-century altar have been unearthed beneath the present structure.
Unfortunately, the Cathedral was being renovated, and nobody was allowed inside. Big bummer, because we were looking very forward to seeing it! The grounds were pretty to walk around in, in a dead of winter kind of scene, but nothing was open. It is off-season here in Armenia for sure.
We aren’t sure just what to expect, here in Armenia, but we did not expect the medium elevation to be snowy quite yet. We will spend the next few days at the B&B with delicious homemade meals, run by a very nice family, and we figure out where we can go during this time of year. There is plenty to see in the south, but was hoping to see the north, too. With the snow, we will have to stay to the main roads, only.
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Hello and Welcome to our Travel Blog Website, We enjoy writing about our experiences and taking photos of our adventuring along the way. Our names are: Daryl and Pen, but Daryl calls me “Bunny.” We met, quite randomly, whilst both… Read More
Wouldn’t that church be a part of the Orthodox Catholic Church, and not the Roman Catholic Church?
good question! Im not catholic, so I can’t say either way, other than what I learn when researching.
A city that is 2794 years young. An ancient church and a lovely B&B. Where do find these places? I mean really. I would end up sleeping with a goat or something. Enjoy your stay. Hope Darrell finds an afordable winter coat and hat. Looks like his hair still has a bit of growing to do. Be safe and enjoy the snowy weather.
Ha! We stay motivated NOT to sleep with goats..! Seriously, we stumble on great places most of the time. It is so nice here, why leave? Best food, YUM! yeah, Daryl’s hair is a mess! Time to find a barber for another scissor cut! Its going every which-away. He can’t even wear a hat for six months…bummer, now that we are in winter weather. Thank you!
Looks like you have a nice sized car rental! Are the tires good? Surprised that they get snow. You were smart not to continue on a mountain road in dropping temperatures. Is traffic there as crazy as in Pakistan? I’m sure there aren’t many tourists around this time of year. You need to find a cute Christmas market with lots of local foods. etc. but I’m sure there won’t be any since it’s a Muslim country. Hmmmm…..Vienna would’ve been amazing.
its a good enough car…just a medium size. We have plenty of time, so no need to push on slick roads. Traffic is bad in the city, but not out in the less populated areas. Drive on the right, just like the USA. actually, Armenia is only 0.1% Muslim. There are some Mosques here, but it does not feel muslim at all. WE do plan on a winter wonderland trip to Switzerland one day, otherwise, Europe is much better enjoyed during spring, for us. We have to get us through the winter, without running out of VISA days with no borders open…. we are doing what it takes to stay out in the world…going home would not make us very happy.