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Another frequent sight outside churches in Armenia is a tree or shrub to which numerous scraps of cloth are tied. Each scrap is attached by a person making a private prayer.We witnessed this phenomenone at nearly all the churches we visited in Armenia. The photograph is taken at Haghartsin Monastery by a khachkar where people have tied articles of clothing, usually handcershiefs to the tree outside the main church structure.
Armenians are overwhelmingly members of the Armenian Apostolic Church, whose head, the "Katholikos" has his seat at Ejmiatsin. Armenians are the first nation to adopt Christianity as the official religion of their state (301 A.D.). The Armenian church is sometimes called the Gregorian Church because it was founded in Armenian by St. Gregory the Illuminator. When visiting any Armenian Church it is normal on entry to buy candles and then light them while making prayers and then placing them upright in the trays of sand. The candles usually cost somewhere in the neighborhood of US 10-20 cents.One other fact about visiting churches in Armenia is that it is correct to leave a church walking backwards so as not to turn one's back on God. This photograph was taken at Geghard Monastery. To read more about Geghard Monastery and its unusual architecture, please visit Gehard Monastery
If you've ever been to the Geghard Monastery in Armenia, you may have come across musicians playing traditional Armenian instruments outside by the car park. The instruments consist of the Accordion, the "Zourna" which is a wind instrument with a very loud noise and the "Dhol" which is a form of percussion.... The picture is of the musicians playing traditional music at a wedding outside the reception hall before the bride and the groom enter the hall. You will also see traditional instruments playing the music at "Old Yerevan" restaurant in Yerevan.. For more information please click Old Yerevan link.
You can frequently see Armenian men kissing hello and walking around arm-in-arm. It's not a gay thing; it's pretty common amongst friends throughout this region. This can be pretty disconcerting if you are not expecting it. If a friend or coworker comes in for a kiss, just dodge left or right and hope he misses alltogether.
It is not a matter of course that all Armenian homes have got running water in the taps. At Gayane's homestay in Yerevan there was just running water for 2,5 hours in the morning and for 1,5 hours in the evening. Therefor she always had water in the bath to use in between. At the hotel where I stayed in Alaverdi there was no running water at all.
In the trees and bushes by the river passing Geghard Monastery there is a lot of stripes of cloths tied to the branches.It is a religious custom saying that prayers will be answerd if you tie a strip of cloth to a tree near the monastery.
In front of Khor Virap visitors can buy pigeons. Someone told me they are sacrificed, someone told me they were let to fly at an outdoor altar.Anyway, at Khor Virap there is a place were animals (for ex sheep) are sacrificed.It is belived that these old pagan rites were accepted because Armenia became a christian country very early and by keeping some old traditions it was easier to get people to convert to the new religion.
Also in the mountains you can find water for drinking. Here I am drinking from a fountain just by the road on the way from Haghpat to Alaverdi. The water was very cold and fresh.
All over Yerevan there are small fountains with drinkingwater. For me, as a tourist, there was no problem drinking the water.
When entering a church it is very common that people light two candels (or one, or more). The candels are for sale in the church and cost around 40 drams each.
Hotel Meg Yerevan
1 Review and 53 Opinions I decided to give this place a try. Normally I would opt for a cheaper option but due to the short...
Nur Hotel Tsaghkadzor
1 Review and 0 Opinions Nur Hotel is an absolutely amazing place to stay! It's neat and clean, and a perfect place for...
Marriott Armenia Hotel Yerevan Yerevan
3 Reviews and 78 Opinions I guess if you are staying here you probably do not need VT much as you will be able to afford a...
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Q: Plan to travel next fall in Armenia, Georgia, and Azerbaijan. What is your opinion of renting cars in these countries and driving?
A: I can't speak specifically for renting in the other 2, but renting in Azerbaijan is more hassle than it's worth. Rental cars are expensive, $70+ per day. On top of that,...
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