Let’s discover a few interesting facts about Armenia. Did you know that…
- First Christian Country
Armenia was the first country in the world to adopt Christianity in 301 AD. The country established a separate branch of Christianity, which is called Armenian Apostolic Church. One of the first churches in the world is in Armenia – The Holy See of Etchmiatsin, which was built from 301-301 AD.
- Oldest Winery in the world
In 2011, archeologists discovered the oldest winery in a cave near the village of Areni. According to the director of excavation – Gregory Areshian from the University of Los Angeles, this was the foundation and the earliest example of wine production found yet.
- Churchill’s favorite drink was the Armenian Brandy
In 1945 there was a special kind of cognac produced in Armenia, specifically for the Yalta conference, where Winston Churchill was present too. After this conference, it became one of his favorite alcoholic drinks and when Churchill was asked about the secret of his longevity, he simply answered, “Never be late for dinner, smoke Cuban cigars and drink Armenian brandy…”
- Chess is taught in Armenia as a subject
Armenia is known to have one of the strongest chess players in the world and that explains the fact that chess is part of the curriculum in schools.
- The Armenian Genocide
The Armenian Genocide was one of the biggest tragedies of the 20th century. In 1915, The Ottoman government organized the mass murder and the displacement of 1,5 million Armenians.
- There are more Armenians living abroad than in Armenia
One of the biggest reasons that Armenia has a population of only 3 million people, while there are around 8 million Armenians spread all over the world was the Armenian Genocide, leading hundreds of thousands of Armenians to migrate to many different countries.
- One of the world’s oldest capitals is in Armenia
Yerevan, the current capital of Armenia has a history of around 2800 years as known officially. It was built around in 782 BC, 30 years before Rome.
- World’s longest ropeway is in Armenia
Even the world Guinness record book proves that the “Wings of Tatev” is the longest non-stop aerial tramway in the world (5,752 m), which starts from Halidzor Village and leads to the Monastery of Tatev.
- Armenian UNESCO Bread
Lavash is a soft, thin flatbread of Armenian origin that is widely sued and loved by Armenians all over the world and not only. In 2014, lavash was included in UNESCO’s heritage list as an Armenian bread.
- 5 UNESCO sites in Armenia
The five sightseeings that have significant importance in Armenia and are included in UNESCO’s world heritage list are the following ones: the Monastic Complex of Etchmiadzin, the ancient archeological site of Zvartnots, The Monasteries of Sanahin & Haghpat and the cave monastery of Geghard.