25 Incredible Facts About Armenia You Probably Didn't Know

Facing the northwest border of Asia, Armenia is a country in the southern region of the Caucasus.

This Asian country has a rich history and is an ancient country, and the Armenian capital, which is in Yerevan, or the Pink City, is also amongst the world’s oldest cities. Armenia is currently called the Republic of Armenia after its independence in 1918.

This country is largely dominated by the Armenian Apostolic Church and the majority of its population is Christian. It is located in Western Asia. This country is surrounded by other countries such as Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Iran.

The iron age kingdom of Uratru was first formed in the 860 century BC. From this, we can comprehend how ancient this country is. The country was the first to adopt Christianity.

Eastern Armenia and Western Armenia came under the rule of various empires, including the Persian and Ottoman. This country even went through a horrible phase of genocide (called the Armenian Genocide) where more than one million Armenians (subjects of the Ottoman Empire) were killed.

This country is one of the safest places to visit now, and it has a lot to explore.

Mount Ararat is the national symbol for all Armenians spread in different regions of the world. The people of Armenia believe that Noah’s ark is still on top of the mountain. Armenia is a country where the most beautiful churches abound. The capital of Armenia is also known as the ‘Pink City'.

The language of Armenia is Armenian, and they have their own alphabet. This is also the land of some of the oldest wineries. Besides, Armenia is also culturally ahead, excelling in the arts, music, and sports.

Thus, we can roughly grasp the idea of the magnificence of this country and why it is historically so important. However, more interesting facts about Armenia are stated below, so keep reading this article.

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What is Armenia famous for?

Armenia is famous for numerous things. Being one of the ancient countries, Armenia is rich in culture, heritage, and history. Some of which are discussed below, such as its churches, wineries, landscapes, monuments, food, and many more. Armenia is the home of many beautiful churches and monasteries. It is one of the biggest pilgrimage locations.

The picturesque landscapes and the view of Mount Ararat make it a must-visit place, and it is one of the safest places in the world to travel. Mount Ararat is a major tourist attraction.

The Republic Square, Charles Aznavour Square, Jermuk Waterfalls, Khndzoresk Swinging Bridge, along with museums like the Armenian Genocide Museum, the History Museum of Armenia, Cafesjian Center for the Arts, are some of the must-visit places in Armenia. Nevertheless, there is much to explore, including the local food and local art.

If you are planning to visit Armenia then you must see the churches. Almost all the churches in Armenia have a similar kind of infrastructure as they have pointed domes and are made of stone primarily.

Of all the Churches in Armenia, the Khor Virap monastery is the most famous because it is the place from which Christianity spread and it is considered the birthplace of Christianity.

The Tatev monastery is another famous monstery that was established in the ninth century. The Geghard monastery attained its present structure between the 4-13th centuries and is now a UNESCO heritage site.

Another attraction of this country is Lake Sevan, whose basin covers one-sixth of the territory of Armenia. It is also famous as one of the world’s oldest wine-producing countries for its high-quality grapes.

Facts about Armenian Culture

Every country has its own culture, and Armenia is no different. Although this country is largely dominated by Christian principles, it does not lack diverse cultural aspects, particularly when it comes to dance, art, music, language, theater, and sports.

Historically, Armenia is affluent, but culturally too, this country is well-off as the University of Tatev and the University of Gladzor were established during the medieval period. The language that is predominantly spoken is Armenian, and they have their own set of the alphabet that was invented in 405 AD.

There are ethnic minorities such as Russians and Yazidis. Most of the people are fluent in both Russian and English too.

The state religion is Christianity, which was established in the first century AD by the two apostles of Jesus Christ, Bartholomew, and Thaddaeus.

If we flip through the pages of Armenia’s achievements, we will come across that it has over 30 gold medal winners and grandmasters at international chess Olympiads. Chess is an integral part of Armenia, and thus it was made a compulsory subject for children over the age of six years.

When Tigran Petrosian became the world chess champion, chess became very popular, and Armenia has achieved numerous recognitions in all the major chess championships, including the Chess Olympiad. Many chess players are from the Armenian diaspora, such as Garry Kasparov, Sergei Movsesian, Tatev Abrahamyan, and many others.

Chess also enhances intellectual activities, and thus it acts as an initiative to encourage children more towards chess.

Armenia's History Facts

Armenia's history is very rich as there are pieces of evidence from the stone age, the bronze age, and the iron age.

From ancient Armenia to modern-age Armenia, the country has seen numerous shifts in power and invasion. It started with Urartu, the first kingdom of the Iron Age, and then the Orontid dynasty took over. Christianity is an integral part of Armenia as it was the first country to recognize Christianity. The majority of its population is Christian.

Around 97% of the population is Christian. Furthermore, the first church in the world was built in Armenia. Thus, we can comprehend how Christianity is deeply rooted in this country.

Armenia is deemed to be one of the most religious countries in the world, with 98% of its population being Christian. It is also referred to as the 'land of churches'.

There is a history attached to the religious sentiments of this country and it goes back to the time when the throne was ascended by King Tiridates III after Khosrov II was killed by the Parthian Anak. The king managed to restore peace and executed everyone related to Anak. However, his son, Gregory, managed to survive.

Later, Gregory grew up as a Christian devotee and came back to Armenia and helped the kind and worked as the secretary in the army. However, the identity of Gregory was disclosed and he was sent to prison in Khor Virap where he managed to survive for 13 years.

Meanwhile, King Tiridates III was going mad and executing Christians. According to the dream of the king’s sister, God told her that only Gregory could save the king. So, Gregory was released and he cured the king with his prayers.

Later, in 301 AD, Christianity was acknowledged as the state religion. Later, the Persian, Macedonian, and Artaxian followed. However, it mostly flourished when Tigranes II ruled. After that, an army led by the Roman soldier, Pompey, came and took over.

In the 16th century, the Safavid dynasty ruled Armenia, and years later, the eastern region was under Persian rule while the western region was under Ottoman rule. The eastern region was eventually conquered by Russia in the 19th century. Greater Armenia was divided between the Russian and Ottoman empires, and ultimately, after the genocide, it gained independence.

Wars have done immense damage to mankind, particularly when we think about World War I and its aftermath. Armenia was an unfortunate victim of genocide in 1915 when the Young Turk government initiated the movement of mass killing of Armenian people.

There were approximately 2,500,000 Armenians living under the rule of the Ottoman Empire. People living beyond the territories of the eastern border were under the rule of Russia.

Prior to the genocide, the Young Turk came into power and had abundant military power. After the first Balkan war, the hatred towards the Armenian community increased, and the Balkan Christians were blamed for this defeat by the leaders of the Young Turk.

The genocide occurred soon after the Young Turks joined the force against the triple Entente. Between 1915-1917, over 1,500,000 Armenians were killed, making it one of the biggest genocides in the history of mankind.

What is Armenia called today?

Armenia is called the Republic of Armenia today. It was a part of the Soviet Republic once, but today it is completely free like the rest of the non-Russian countries.

The initial name of Armenia was Hayk, and during the Middle Ages, it was referred to as Hayastan. But the name Hayastan goes back to the fifth century in the various works of historians and authors.

However, the actual explanation behind the name of Armenia is not specified, as there are numerous theories. Some historians believe that Armenia is linked to the early stage of the bronze age called Armani. Modern Armenia is called the Republic of Armenia after Armenia declared its freedom in 1991.

Since the independence of the country, the country has been battling poverty, especially in the rural areas. Almost 26.4% of the population lives below the poverty line.

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