ARMENIA

Location - Caucasus, Europe; Capital - Yerevan; Population - 3 million; Currency - Dram MORE ARMENIA

After crossing the Sotk Pass from Nagorno Karabakh the road goes through an industrial, mining landscape before descending to Vardenis and skirting Lake Sevan - September 2019.

The new 2,000 Dram note

The mountainous landscape on the Armenian side of the Sotk Pass, after leaving Nagorno Karabakh

The village of Noratus lies close to Lake Sevan, 35km south of the town of Sevan

It's known for the cemetery containing medieval memorial stones. Except these figures, which look very 20th/21st century - Noratus

These set of six stone-carved crosses, known as khachkars, date to the 16th century - Noratus

Others date all the way to the 10th century - Noratus

And who do we have here?! None other than French crooner Charles Aznavour. The French-Armenian singer was born in Paris as Shahnour Vaghinag Aznavourian - Noratus

A few kms further north is Hayravank, a 9-12th century monastery overlooking Lake Sevan

After a night in Sevan (on my Armenia1 page) I spent a few days in the capital Yerevan

The heart of Yerevan is fairly compact, centred on Republic Square

A shop at Vernissage Market, a series of stalls with handicrafts, clothes, paintings and other souvenirs for sale - Yerevan

A great bird's eye view of Republic Square from the sky lounge at Coffeecharge Cafe - Yerevan

Fountains in front of the History Museum of Armenia on Repbluc Square - Yerevan

Taking shade at the History Museum - Yerevan

The fountains come to life in the evening - Yerevan

The fountains change colour and dance to music playing over loudspeakers - Yerevan

Locals and tourists take their seats on the square's benches early for a good view - Yerevan

It's well worth a 45min stop and very popular on dry, warm evenings - Yerevan

Armenian flags dominate the Coffeecharge Cafe on the edge of Republic Square - Yerevan

Fountains are popular around these parts, with more in Shahumyan Park, opposite Republic Square. The capital also makes brilliant use of outdoor cafes, restaurants and bars - Yerevan

There's a cool sculpture in Yerevan 2800 Anniversary Park, an extension of Shahumyan Park - Yerevan

Ararat brandy is one of Armenia's famous exports. Rumour has it Winston Churchill was very partial to a bottle or two after being introduced to it by Stalin at the Yalta Conference - Yerevan

The Blue Mosque was reconstructed in the 1990s with Iranian money, after it was closed during the Soviet era - Yerevan

South of Republic Square is the Surp Grigor Lusarovich Cathedral, consecrated in 2001 - Yerevan

Moscow Cinema is found at Charles Aznazvour Square - Yerevan

Not for arachnophobes! - Yerevan

A subway mural near Sakhov Square - Yerevan

A buzzing street in the evenings is the pedestrian Northern Avenue, which links Opera Square to Abovyan Street - Yerevan

Cycling street art on a derelict building - Yerevan

A very theatrical-looking sculpture next to Swan Lake at Opera Square - Yerevan

A tea and coffee festival was being set up around the lake - Yerevan

And this is it in full swing, a great family feel, and no-one fell in the water! - Yerevan

Just a few metres from the festival live music. I loved the buzzing outdoor bars, cafes and restaurants in Yerevan on warm September nights. A superb, lively atmosphere - the evenings are highly recommended!

The Cafesjian Centre for the Arts is based inside these flights of steps known as the Cascade - Yerevan

There's several quirky works in the sculpture park at the bottom of the Cascade - Yerevan

A blue kiwi 'sits' behind Woman Smoking a Cigarette - Yerevan

Sure I've seen a massive version of this somewhere else.. - Yerevan

Sculptures on the Cascade's upper levels - Yerevan

There's escalators to the various levels - Yerevan

Take in the views of the city from the top, and if you're lucky get a peak at Mt Ararat - Yerevan

I hope you can make out the very hazy snow capped peak of Mt Ararat. Also, pictured right is the Aznavour Centre, a French cultural centre and home to a museum retelling Charles' life - Yerevan

Further up the hill is a monument the locals aren't overly impressed with, commemorating the 50th anniversary of Armenia's Sovietisation - Yerevan

Head through Victory Park to see Mother Armenia, flanked by a tank and miltary planes. Mother Armenia replaced a huge statue of Stalin in 1967 - Yerevan

The monument houses a military museum, with much of it dedicated to the Nagorno Karabakh war of 1988-1994 - Yerevan

Monte Melkonian was a revolutionary and a military commander during the Nagorno Karabakh war. He died in 1993 and was declared a National Hero of Armenia in 1996 - Yerevan

Charles Aznavour makes another appearance. Born in Paris, he sold 180m records but was also a dedicated fundraiser following the 1988 Armenian earthquake - Yerevan

A (slightly) better view of the two peaks of Mt Ararat rising above Yerevan. The central one is Greater Ararat (5,137m) capped with snow, and Little Ararat (3,896m) is to the left. In Armenian Ararat is known as Masis

A very important sight and a must visit is the Armenian Genocide Memorial, located on Tsitsernakaberd hill above Yerevan. The complex, which includes a museum, commemorates the 1.5 million ethnic Armenians who were killed in the Ottoman empire between 1914 and 1923

Armenians stand silent around the eternal flame. To this day modern Turkey denies the events constituted a genocide - Yerevan

Kim and Kourtney Kardashian visited and laid flowers at the memorial in October 2019 (their father Robert Kardashian was an Armenian-American)

GUM Market is a 5-10min walk from the cathedral - Yerevan

In Georgia the name for the sausage-like sweets hanging up is churchkhela. They're not sausages at all but comprise walnuts encased in grape juice which is then dried. Other nuts are also used, as are many different fruits, leading to a variety of colours. Some liken them to eating candles but I was rather partial to them. Enjoy! - Yerevan

The pomegranate juice was quite bitter but I liked the home-made pomegranate wine, right (it's not for the wine connoisseur though!) - Yerevan

Lenin wasn't an easy find. He's hidden away in a residential quarter off 6 Kievyan Street, just past a map shop if you're coming from Barekamutyun metro station. Go through to the residential area and turn left - Yerevan

The Matenadaran, or book depository, houses thousands of ancient manuscripts, maps and documents - Yerevan

Website and content Copyright © 2008-2019 Mark Wilkinson. All rights reserved.

LINKS

https://armenia.travel - Armenian tourism website

www.hyurservice.com - Hyur tours, a professional outfit based in Yerevan

www.ukzhd.aml - Armenian railways, mainly for the train to Tbilisi

I am not responsible for the content of external websites.