‘Oldest Christian country’ Armenia offers monasteries, mountains and mouth-watering food

Masses of basalt columns rise vertically from the valley floor for 100 metres and more, as if glued together like gigantic organ pipes. The geological phenomenon in the Garni Gorge is called the “Symphony of Stones”, natural works of art in the country of Armenia, which markets itself as a land of “hidden wonders”. It attracts visitors with mountains, monasteries, ruins and vineyards, but it is not overrun by tourist crowds. Yerevan is the gateway to Armenia. The capital city is a balancing act between the old and the avant-garde, between sober Soviet architecture and hip designer bars. Outside the city limits, you rumble over patchworks of tarmac, through mountain landscapes and fertile valleys. Along the road, friendly locals sell their mini harvests of apples, tomatoes, watermelons and potatoes from baskets and cardboard boxes. They need every dram (one-quarter of one US cent) they earn from selling them. Incomes are low – the monthly wage of a teacher is equivalent to one night in a luxury hotel in Yerevan. This explains why there are more Armenians living abroad than in their homeland of three million people. Armenia, a country in the Caucasus bordered by Turkey, Iran, Azerbaijan and Georgia, stands out for its multitude of sacred monuments. “We have 70,000 stone crosses and 3,000 monasteries and churches,” our tour guide, Aramayis Mnatsakanyan, says. “We are the oldest Christian country in the world.” The 42-year-old puts the number of followers of the Armenian Apostolic Church at more than 90 per cent of the population. Christianity became the state religion in the year 301. Among the monasteries, Khor Virap, southeast of Yerevan, offers the most famous photo setting: Mount Ararat, the peak where Noah’s Ark is said to have touched land after the Biblical great flood. However, the 5,137-metre (16,854ft) peak is in Turkey and therefore “on the wrong side”, says Mnatsakanyan, while recalling the atrocities committed against the Armenians under Ottoman Empire rule 110 years ago. The place is incredible. It’s very emotional, it gives me goosebumps every time Nelly Kalashyan, an Armenian singer, talks about Geghard, a Unesco World Heritage site “My great-grandfather was only able to save three of his six children” during the Turkish massacre of Armenians in the year 1915, he says. His other three children were killed in what is widely regarded as genocide, although denied by Turkey. The border is hermetically sealed, the nearby mountain unreachable for Armenians. What feeling does the sight trigger among his compatriots, our guide is asked? “For some, it is associated with pain or even hatred, because of family roots in western Armenia, which is now [a region of Turkey] called Eastern Anatolia,” Mnatsakanyan says. Back to the subject of monasteries, there is Haghartsin, in the green landscape of the north, Noravank in the south, and Geghard in central Armenia. In Geghard, a Unesco World Heritage site, the church walls are blackened by soot from candles, while some of the chambers are carved into the mountain. If you are lucky, you might catch a small concert by Garni, an a cappella quintet, in a cavernous mountain hall. The singers, including soprano Nelly Kalashyan and mezzo-soprano Manush Harutyunyan, bring to life Armenia’s ancient spiritual music. The 32-year-old Kalashyan says: “The place is incredible. It’s very emotional, it gives me goosebumps every time.” Armenia’s cultural heritage tour continues with the Hellenistic temple of Garni, the ruins of Zvartnots from the 7th century and the tiny old spa resort town of Dilijan. On the Sevan Peninsula, nature and culture intertwine. Lake Sevan, known as the “Blue Pearl of Armenia”, provides the setting for the Sevanavank Monastery. Reaching the monastery involves a climb of 240 stone steps, passing stalls with paintings, devotional objects and knick-knacks. A stone cross in the monastery complex depicts the so-called Mongolian Christ with almond-shaped eyes and pigtails down to his feet. “He has long hair because he did not lose his vitality on the cross,” says guide Mnatsakanyan, interpreting the artist’s intention. As well as Christianity, Armenia’s cuisine reflects the character of the country and its people. They have always needed a cheap way to fill their stomachs. In a kitchen house in Tsaghkunk, Gohar Gareginyan and Anna Yesayan demonstrate how to make a flatbread called lavash, baked in an earth oven. Lavash is included on Unesco’s Intangible Cultural Heritage List. It is often filled with cheese and fresh herbs. In her Tasty Guest House, west of Yerevan, Zara Karapetyan serves food that is full of flavour, from sweet bread to Armenian pasta. Her aim is to revive and continue Armenia’s culinary traditions. She was not professionally trained, but learned to cook from her mother and grandmother. She originally trained as a philologist – yet another one of the unexpected surprises Armenia has to offer.

‘Oldest Christian country’ Armenia offers monasteries, mountains and mouth-watering food

From Khor Virap monastery with an incredible view of Mount Ararat to the stunning Lake Sevan, off-the-beaten-track Armenia is a must-visit