National Name: Hayastani Hanrapetut'yun
President: Robert Kocharian (1998)
Prime Minister: Serzh Sarkisyan (2007)
Current government officials:
Land area: 11,506 sq mi (29,800 sq km); total area: 11,506 sq mi (29,800 sq km)
Population (2007 est.): 2,971,650 (growth rate: –0.1%); (Armenian, 93%; others, Kurds, Ukrainians, and Russians); birth rate: 12.3/1000; infant mortality rate: 21.7/1000; life expectancy: 72.1; density per sq mi: 258
Capital and largest city (2003 est.): Yerevan, 1,462,700 (metro. area), 1,267,600 (city proper)
Other large cities: Vanadzor, 147,400; Gyumri (Leninakan), 125,300; Abovian, 59,300
Monetary unit: Dram
Languages: Armenian 98%, Yezidi, Russian
Ethnicity/race: Armenian 97.9%, Russian 0.5%, Kurds 1.3%, other 0.3% (2001)
Religion: Armenian Apostolic 95%, other Christian 4%, Yezidi 1%
Literacy rate: 99% (1989 est.)
Economic summary: GDP/PPP (2005 est.): $15.7 billion; per capita $5,300. Real growth rate: 13.9%. Inflation: –0.2%. Unemployment: 31.6% (2004 est.). Arable land: 16.78%. Agriculture: fruit (especially grapes), vegetables; livestock. Labor force: 1.2 million; agriculture 45%, industry 25%, services 30% (2002 est). Industries: diamond processing, metal-cutting machine tools, forging-pressing machines, electric motors, tires, knitted wear, hosiery, shoes, silk fabric, chemicals, trucks, instruments, microelectronics, jewelry manufacturing, software development, food processing, brandy. Natural resources: small deposits of gold, copper, molybdenum, zinc, alumina. Exports: $800 million f.o.b. (2005 est.): diamonds, mineral products, foodstuffs, energy. Imports: $$1.5 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.): natural gas, petroleum, tobacco products, foodstuffs, diamonds. Major trading partners: Belgium, Israel, Germany, Russia, U.S., Netherlands, Iran, Georgia, UAE, Ukraine, Italy, France.
Communications: Telephones: main lines in use: 582,500 (2004); mobile cellular: 203,300 (2004). Radio broadcast stations: AM 9, FM 6, shortwave 1 (1998). Television broadcast stations: 3 (plus an unknown number of repeaters) (1998). Internet hosts: 8,852 (2005). Internet users: 150,000 (2005).
Transportation: Railways: total: 845 km (2004). Highways: total: 7,633 km; paved: 7,633 km (includes 1,561 km of expressways) (2003). Waterways: n.a. Ports and harbors: none. Airports: 16 (2005).
International disputes: Armenia supports ethnic Armenian secessionists in Nagorno-Karabakh and since the early 1990s, has militarily occupied 16% of Azerbaijan - Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) continues to mediate dispute; over 800,000 mostly ethnic Azerbaijanis were driven from the occupied lands and Armenia; about 230,000 ethnic Armenians were driven from their homes in Azerbaijan into Armenia; Azerbaijan seeks transit route through Armenia to connect to Naxcivan exclave; border with Turkey remains closed over Nagorno-Karabakh dispute; ethnic Armenian groups in Javakheti region of Georgia seek greater autonomy; tens of thousands of Armenians emigrate, primarily to Russia, to seek employment.

Geography
Armenia is located in the southern Caucasus and is the smallest of the former Soviet republics. It is bounded by Georgia on the north, Azerbaijan on the east, Iran on the south, and Turkey on the west. Contemporary Armenia is a fraction of the size of ancient Armenia. A land of rugged mountains and extinct volcanoes, its highest point is Mount Aragats, 13,435 ft (4,095 m).

History
Prehistory
Archaeologists refer to the Shulaveri-Shomu culture of the central Transcaucasus region, including modern Armenia , as the earliest known prehistoric culture in the area, carbon-dated to roughly 6000 - 4000 BC . However, a recently discovered tomb has been dated to 9000 BC . Another early culture in the Armenian Highland and surrounding areas—the Kura-Araxes culture —is assigned the period of ca. 4000 - 2200 BC , and is believed to have subsequently developed into the Trialeti culture (ca. 2200 - 1500 BC ). Armenians are an Indo-European race.
The original Armenian name for the country was Hayq, later Hayastan, translated as the land of Haik, and consisting of the name Haik and the Persian suffix '-stan' (land). According to legend, Haik was a great-great-grandson of Noah (son of Togarmah, who was a son of Gomer, a son of Noah's son, Yafet), and according to tradition, a forefather of all Armenians. Mount Ararat, a sacred mountain for the Armenian people, rising in the center of the Armenian Highland as its highest peak, is traditionally considered the landing place of Noah 's Ark.
The name Armenia was given to the country by the surrounding states, as it was the name of the strongest tribe living in the historic Armenian lands, who called themselves Armens. It is traditionally derived from Armenak or Aram (the great-grandson of Haik's great-grandson, and another leader who is, according to Armenian tradition, the ancestor of all Armenians).
Early history Achaemenid empire at its greatest extent
The Armenian Kingdom of Urartu or Van flourished in the Caucasus and eastern Asia Minor between ca. 800 BC and 600 BC . It streched from the Black Sea to the Caspian Sea, including much of modern Eastern Turkey. According to Strabo (XI.14.5), Armeno-Phrygians conquered Carenitis (the upper Euphrates region) from the Chalybes , probably around 600 BC. The Armenians subsequently moved to the territory of the failing kingdom of Urartu. In the 5th century BC , when both Armenians and Phrygians served under Xerxes (during the reign of the Achaemenid Persian Empire), Herodotus tells us that their costume and equipment was still identical, and the Armenians were considered colonists of the Phrygians .Armenian Kingdom Kingdom of Armenia at its greatest extent under the Artaxiad Dynasty after the conquests of Tigranes the Great , 80 BC
After the destruction of the Seleucid Empire , a Hellenistic Greek successor state of Alexander the Great 's short-lived empire, a Hellenistic Armenian state was founded in 190 BC . At its zenith, from 95 to 66 BC , Armenia extended its rule over parts of the Caucasus and the area that is now eastern Turkey , Syria and Lebanon . For a time, Armenia was one of the most powerful states in the Roman East. It came under Roman control in 66 BC, and the Armenian people adopted a Western political, philosophical, and religious orientation.Armenia was often a focus of contention between Rome and Persia.
The Parthians forced Armenia into submission from 37 to 47 , when the Romans retook control of the kingdom.
Under Nero , the Romans fought a campaign ( 55 – 63 ) against the Parthian Empire , which had invaded the kingdom of Armenia, allied to the Romans. After gaining ( 60 ) and losing ( 62 ) Armenia, the Romans sent XV Apollinaris from Pannonia to Cn. Domitius Corbulo , legatus of Syria . Corbulo, with the legions XV Apollinaris , III Gallica , V Macedonica , X Fretensis and XXII , entered ( 63 ) into the territories of Vologases I of Parthia , who returned the Armenian kingdom to Tiridates .
Coin issued to celebrate the victory of Lucius Verus Armeniacus against Vologases IV of Parthia in the Armenian campaign of 162–5.
Another campaign was led by Emperor Lucius Verus in 162 - 165 , after Vologases IV of Parthia had invaded Armenia and installed his chief general on its throne. To counter the Parthian threat, Verus set out for the east. His army won significant victories and retook the capital. Sohaemus, a Roman citizen of Armenian heritage, was installed as the new client king.
The Sassanid Persians occupied Armenia in 252 and held it until the Romans returned in 287 . In 384 the kingdom was split between the Byzantine or East Roman Empire and the Persians. Western Armenia quickly became a province of the Roman Empire under the name of Armenia Minor ; Eastern Armenia remained a kingdom within Persia until 428 , when the local nobility overthrew the king, and the Sassanids installed a governor in his place.
Christianisation
In AD 301 , Armenia became the first nation to adopt Christianity as a state religion. It established a church that still exists independently of both the Catholic and the Eastern Orthodox churches, having become so in 451 as a result of its excommunication by the Council of Chalcedon . The Armenian Apostolic Church is a part of the Oriental Orthodox communion, not to be confused with the Eastern Orthodox communion.
Vardan Mamikonian leading Armenians in the Battle of Vartanantz (451).
During its later political eclipses, Armenia depended on the church to preserve and protect its unique identity. From around 1080 to 1375 , the focus of Armenian nationalism moved south, as the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia , with close ties to European Crusader States , flourished in southeastern Asia Minor until it was conquered by Muslim states.
Armenia and Byzantium
In 591, the great Byzantine warrior-Emperor Maurice defeated the Persians and 'recovered' much of the remaining territory of Armenia into the empire. The conquest was completed by the Emperor Heraclius in 629.
In 645, the Moslem Arab armies of the Caliphate had attacked the country, which fell, an easy victim, before them. So Armenia, which once had its own rulers and was at other times under Persian and Byzantine control, passed largely into the power of the Caliphs.
Nonetheless, there were still parts of Armenia held within the Empire, and many Armenians. This exiled population held tremendous power within the Empire. The Emperor Heraclius (610-641) was of Armenian descent, as was the Emperor Philippicus (711-713). The Emperor Basil I , who took the Byzantine throne in 867, was the first of what is sometimes called the Armenian dynasty, reflecting the strong effect the Armenians had on the East Roman state. Indeed, while there were many different racial and linguistic groups within the Byzantine Empire, only the Armenians were able and allowed to maintain a distinct culture.
In 1071, after the defeat of the Byzantine forces by the Seljuk Turks under Alp Arslan at the Battle of Manzikert , the Turks captured the Byzantine province of Greater Armenia. So ended Christian leadership of Armenia for the next millennium.
Arabs, Seljuks and Crusaders, The Caliphate
Although the native dynasty of the Bagratids to which the Arabs gave the royal crown of Armenia, was founded under favourable circumstances, the feudal system gradually weakened the country by eroding loyalty to the central government. Thus internally enfeebled, Armenia proved an easy victim for the Seljuk Turks under Alp Arslan in the latter half of the eleventh century. To escape death or servitude at the hands of those who had assassinated his relative, Gagik II, King of Ani , an Armenian named Roupen with some of his countrymen went into the gorges of the Taurus Mountains and then into Tarsus of Cilicia. Here the Byzantine governor of the place gave them shelter. Soon after the members of the first Crusade appeared in Asia Minor.
Count Baldwin , who with the rest of the Crusaders was passing through Asia Minor bound for Jerusalem, left the Crusader army and was adopted by Thoros of Edessa . Hostile as they were to the Seljuks , and unfriendly to the Byzantines , the Armenians took kindly to the crusader count, and when Thoros was assassinated he was made ruler of the new crusader County of Edessa .
It seems that the Armenians enjoyed the rule of Baldwin and the crusaders in general, and some number of them fought alongside the Christians of Europe. When Antioch had been taken (1097), Constantine, the son of Roupen, received from the crusaders the title of baron. Within a century, the heirs of Roupen were further rewarded by the grant of a kingdom known as Cilicia or Lesser Armenia, to be held as a vassal government of the Holy See and of Germany. This kept them in touch with the crusaders. No doubt the Armenians aided in some of the other crusades. This kingdom lasted till 1375, when the Mamelukes of Egypt destroyed it.
One of the oldest surviving Armenian churches, St. Hripsime in Ejmiadzin , near Yerevan . This church was build near the spot where St. Hripsime, an early female Christian martyr, was killed according to the legend.
Armenia under Ottoman Rule (from 1514) Main article: History of Ottoman Armenia
Between the 4th and 19th centuries , Armenia was conquered and ruled by Persians , Byzantines , Arabs , Mongols , and Turks , among others. The Ottoman Empire ceded a big part of Armenia to the Russian Empire , known as Eastern Armenia or Russian Armenia following the Russo-Turkish War, 1828-1829 , while Western Armenia or Ottoman Armenia remained under Ottoman sovereignty.
East Armenia under Russian Rule (1820-1917)
In the 1820s , the parts of historic Armenia under Persian control, centering on Yerevan and Lake Sevan , were incorporated into Russia .
The First Republic (1917-1922) Main article: The First Republic of Armenia
After the Russian Revolution of 1917 and the takeover of the Bolsheviks , Stepan Shaumyan was placed in charge of Armenia.
The convention in Tiflis happened in September of 1917. The convention elected an Armenian National Council . Meanwhile, both the Ittihad (Unionist) and the Nationalists moved to win the friendship of the Bolsheviks. Mustafa Kemal sent several delegations to Moscow. This alliance proved disastrous for the Armenians. The signing of the Ottoman-Russian friendship treaty (January 1, 1918), helped the Vehib Pasha to attack the new Republic. Under heavy pressure from the combined forces of the Ottoman army and the Kurdish irregulars, the Republic was forced to withdraw from Erzincan to Erzurum. In the end, the Republic had to evacuate Erzurum as well.
Further southeast, in Van, the Armenians resisted the Turkish army until April, 1918, but eventually were forced to evacuate it and withdraw to Persia. When the Azerbaijani Tatars sided with the Turks and seized the communication lines, thus cutting off the Armenian National Councils in Baku and Erevan from the National Council in Tiflis.
Turkish Nationals fought against the Armenians with the justification that the Armenians under the border were performing "crimes" against the Turkish population in the Ottoman provinces. Thus a Turkish-Armenian War was started.
In between two fronts, Islamic rebellion overthrew Shaumyan and declared a Transcaucasian Federation independent from Russia . The independence lasted until late 1920 when the communists came to power following an invasion of Armenia by the Red Army , and in 1922 , Armenia became part of the Transcaucasian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic .
Transcaucasian Federative Soviet Socialist Republic (1923-1936)
Armenia became part of the Transcaucasian Federative Soviet Socialist Republic.
The Second Republic (1936-1990)
In 1936 , it became the Armenian SSR .
The Armenian Republic (1990-today)
Armenia declared its independence from the Soviet Union on September 21 , 1991.

CITIES

Alaverdi Travel Guide
Alaverdi is an industrial and mining town at the bottom of the Debed gorge in the northern part of the northern province of Lori, quite close to the border with Georgia. At the site of the present day Alaverdi a bridge was built in the 12th century and the settlement only arose in 18th century when copper ore was found.
The town with its typical Soviet style appearance is not very interesting to visitors but it's a convinient place to visit nearby monuments, e.g. Haghpat, Sanahin, Odzun etc. If you enjoy hiking, take some time explore the area. Any road heading up a hill will offer you spectacular views and a different perspective of the area.
There are a few "marshutni" connections with Yerevan each day, a ride costs approx. $3 per person.
The three and a half hour journey may start in a variety of locations in the center of Yerevan but goes via Ashtarak, Yezidi populated Aparan, breathtaking Spitak Pass, Vanadzor where it enters the Debed gorge and about an hour later arrives in Alaverdi. There are some additional connections to Vanadzor and if you take an overnight Yerevan - Tbilisi train it'll stop in Alaverdi as well, though this isn't recommended.
The only hotel in the area is the rundown (no maintance for decades) Debed in Sarahart. To get there take a cable car (50AMD per ride, irregular schedule), go by taxi, or the marshutni driver might take you up the hill (there specific marshutni's from Yerevan, Vanadzor to Sarahart, but only once or twice/day). The Tufenkian Hotel is located about 30 minutes away in Dzoraget (direction Vanadzor) and rooms begin at $60/night. For a true cultural experience, stay with a host family. You can find one by visiting the Business and Tourist Center located on the 3rd floor in the Alaverdi Government Offices building.
Apart from some street stands the only restaurant seems to be Flora with huge 3$ meals. From the downtwn cross the river at a pedestrian hanging bridge, pass a small swiming pool (locals might invite you to drink a beer with them) turn left and enter the first house on your right. The staff seems to speak Armenian only (with very limited Russian or other languages) and according to my guidebook it could also arrange homestays. You can also ask the Debed hotel manager (actually she will offer it to you and she speaks English) to prepare some dinner at the similar cost and quality as at Flora.

Ani Travel Guide
Earliest History Bronze and Iron age settlements have been excavated on the site, so have possible Uruatian buildings. There is re-used classical masonry in the citadel walls and the remains of what is probably a Zoroastrian fire temple. Ani is first mentioned by Armenian chroniclers in the 5th century A.D. as a strong castle built on a hilltop and a possession of the Kamsarakan dynasty.
In the middle of the 7th century Armenia was invaded and conquered by the Arabs. The ethnic makeup of the population was little changed by this invasion, but it destroyed the existing power structures and paved the way for the eventual emergence of new ruling dynasties. By the end of the 9th century Armenia had regained most of her former independence - but was divided into numerous kingdoms and principalities. The two most powerful Armenian kingdoms were those of the Artzruni dynasty, who were based around Lake Van, and the Bagratid dynasty, who ruled most of north-eastern Armenia and who would eventually have their capital at Ani.
The Bagratid Period The Bagratids bought the castle of Ani and its nearby estates from the Kamsarakans, and in the year 971 the Bagratid king Ashot III transferred his capital from Kars to Ani.
At this time Ani was probably little more than a fortress town built around the citadel hill. King Ashot constructed new city walls across the narrowest point of the site, below and a little to the north of the citadel (there may have been older earthen ramparts along the same route). The city grew so quickly that the much larger outer walls to the north were completed by the year 989. The ruins that still extend beyond these walls prove that even they did not enclose a large enough area to contain the whole population.
Ani became an important crossroads for merchant caravans and the city controlled trade routes between Byzantium, Persia, Syria and central Asia. Merchants and craftsmen flocked to Ani from Armenia's older cities, accompanied by a flow of population from the rural areas of Armenia. In 992 the Armenian Katholikosat moved its seat to Ani: at the start of the 11th century there were 12 bishops, 40 monks and 500 priests in the city. By the 11th century the population of Ani was well over 100 000, perhaps as high as 200 000, and its wealth and renown was such that it was known as "the city of a thousand and one churches".
After King Gagik I died in 1020 his two sons quarrelled and fought over who should succeed him. The eldest son, Hovhannes-Sembat, gained control of Ani. His younger brother, Ashot, controlled other parts of the Bagratid kingdom. Hovhannes had supported the ruler of Georgia in that king's war against the expansionist Byzantine empire and he feared that the Byzantines would now attack the weakened Bagratid Kingdom. To try and avoid this he made the Byzantine emperor Basil the heir to his dominions.
Ani Under Byzantine Rule King Hovhannes died in 1041, and the then Byzantine emperor Michael IV claimed sovereignty over Ani. Hovhannes had died childless so the people of Ani put forward the son of Ashot, Gagik II, as his successor. A Byzantine army sent to capture Ani was defeated in 1042. (Armenian chroniclers speak of Byzantine losses of more than 20,000 men, but Byzantine chroniclers are silent about the whole event). Pro-Byzantine Armenians in the city persuaded Gagik to go to Constantinople to sign a peace treaty; on arriving there Gagik was imprisoned. The Byzantines again attacked Ani, and again they were defeated, but in 1045 the city's population, realising that they were leaderless and surrounded by enemies, decided to surrender Ani to the Byzantines. King Gagik II was given a palace in Constantinople and the city of Caesarea (modern Kayseri) as compensation. After the Turkish invasions into the Byzantine empire, he was murdered in the Greek held castle of Cybistra in northern Cilicia. Constantine, the son of Rupen, one of Gagik's generals, was later to be the founder of the separate Armenian kingdom in Cilicia.
Ani Captured By the Turks Raiding parties of Turks, originating from central Asia, began to reach Armenia and Byzantine Anatolia in the second half of the eleventh century. The Byzantine Empire was not successful in stopping the advance of the Turkish Seljuk armies that were ever increasing in size and in confidence. In the summer of 1064 a large Seljuk Turkish army attacked Ani, and after a siege
of 25 days they captured the city.
In the year 1071, at the Battle of Manzikert, the Turkish armies won a decisive victory over a combined Byzantine and Armenian force, and the Byzantine emperor Romanus Diogenese was taken prisoner. There was now nothing to protect Armenia, and much of the Byzantine Empire, from the waves of Turkish invasions.
Ani Under Georgian Rule In 1072 the Turks sold Ani to the Kurdish Shaddadid dynasty, who maintained a precarious hold of Ani until the end of the 12th century (loosing it several times to the Georgians or to internal rebellions by the city's still almost exclusively Armenian population). In the year 1200 the Georgian queen Tamara captured Ani and gave it to the Mkhargrdzeli family, whose territory eventually resembled that of the Bagratid kingdom in size. Under their rule Ani regained much of its former prosperity - several of the churches date from this period, as do many of the towers in the city walls. The region was invaded and occupied by the Mongols in 1237, but
after the usual killing and looting some stability returned and the Mkhargrdzeli dynasty continued to rule Ani, only now as vassals of the Mongols rather than the Georgians. However, by the 1330s they had lost control of the city to a succession of Turkish dynasties, including the Kara Koyunlu (Black Sheep clan) who made Ani their capital.
The Decline and Death of Ani The mass emigration of the population had started with the Mongol invasions. By the mid 14th century Ani had ceased to be a trading city and the remaining trade routes now passed further to the south. Tamerlane captured Ani in the 1380s, but on his death the Kara Koyunlu regained control. By then Ani was about to collapse as a city - the Kara Koyunlu transferred their capital to Yerevan (the Armenian Katholikosat did the same in 1441) and much of the city’s remaining population abandoned it. It is a myth (still propagated in many guide books about Turkey) that the city was abandoned after an earthquake in 1319.
Ani became part of the Ottoman Turkish empire in 1579. A small town still remained within its walls at least until the mid 17th century, and a European traveller in the early 17th century mentions the existence of 200 churches in Ani and the immediate neighbourhood. The final decline of Ani was accompanied by the desertion of the rural population as the region became over-run by nomadic Kurdish tribes who would rob and murder at will. The survival of any form of settled life, whether by Christians or Muslims, ultimately became unsustainable. The church at Kizkale was in use by monks at least until 1735, so the final and total abandonment of the site is probably the mid 18th century. By the beginning of the 19th century Ani was empty of human beings.

Dilijan Travel Guide
Nestled in the heart of the forests of northern Armenia, Dilijan is the epitome of quaint. Home to many famous composers, artists and cinematographers, this reclusive town of 23,000 boasts a historic refurbished city center with rows of houses with typical early twentieth century interiors and others displaying handicrafts or musical instruments. This popular vacation destination is like a piece of Switerzerland sequestered within the Armenian highlands.
Several places you should see if you are in Dilijan. Proceed north towards Ijevan, there is a road that reads Hagartsin. This is a beautiful drive to a church complex, composed of three standing churches, one completely ruined one and an old dining room that was for the Armenian kings. Behind one of the churches are the graves of Bagratuni dynasty family members. Going back to Dilijan, another road reads Parz Lich (Clear Lake). It is very muddy but the scenary around the lake, the forest is magnificant for hikes, camping or picnics.
About 3 km W of Dilijan there is a spectacular 11-12c Jukhtak Vank (Church). Ask locals how to get there. From Jukhtak church you can take about 15 min on foot hike to Matosavank. This is another ruined church complex around Dilijan town. It is believed to be built around 1247. These two churches are both located in a forested area (in Dilijan National Reserve), so the surrounding, the scenary and the atmosphere is worth a visit.

Echmiadzin Travel Guide
Echmiadzin is the site of one of the oldest churches of Christianity. The city was the capital of the country for almost two centuries. Today, Echmiadzin remains the spiritual capital of Armenia, as it is the home of the Supreme Catholicos, the spiritual leader of the Armenian Church.
The main sights are the Church of Hripsime and the Church St. Gayanch, and last but not least the Cathedral which has a beautiful interior and contains an amazing array of apocryphal religious artifacts. Echmiadzin is just 30 kilometers from Yerevan and can be seen on a daytrip, combined with Zvartnots cathedral. There are many minibuses. A taxi shouldn't cost more than two dollars.

Gyumri Travel Guide
Gyumri-Alexandrapol has been famous not only for its craftsmen, men of arts and cultural values but also for its churches.
I saw a town amateur of church
Dwellers about twenty thousand not so much,
They have no bread for feeding their kids
But they built seven temples, eyed the wits.

In his famous song "Eyed the Wits" bard Jivani characterized the love of the Gyumri people towards churches. People called Gyumri "The Town of Seven Churches". In fact, seven churches were built in Gyumri, among them four Armenian Apostolic churches, a Russian, a Greek and Catholic churches. The Catholic church was built in 1852. The construction works were led by clergyman Alexander Araratyan, whose gravestone is situated in the churchyard. All the ecclesiastical expenditure was covered by the catholic families living in the neighborhood.
The only Greek church (founded in 1850), called "Uroms" church, was built by means of the Bayandur villagers, the priest of which was Ter-Kostandin.
The Russian church with a curved cross, called "Plplan" was built on Teryan Street. Because of the emitting brightness of the dome the people called it "Plplan" church (meaning "Shining" in translation). There were no ecclesiastical ceremonies conducted in this church. When any high-rank officer died, the corpse was placed in the church for the entire night and buried in the near-by cemetery the next day.
The church of "Gyughatsots" (St. Grigor Enlighter) was built in 1862. This name was given to the church not because most visitors were poor peasants but because of the construction the peasants carried out with their expenditure and according to their own "taste", without maintaining the symmetries accepted in the Armenian architecture. Therefore, judging by the external view, people named it "Gyughatsots". There used to be an elementary school working within the church. Later on the church was turned into a corn store and given to a beer-producing factory. Almost all the other churches shared the same fate during the atheistic years of Soviet Armenia.
One of the four Apostolic churches in Gyumri is "Saint Nshan" or the "Sev Zham", built in 1870. The construction works were headed by the spiritual leader, clergyman Ananikyan. Sahganushian gymnasium operated within the church. During the years of Soviet Power the church was turned into an observatory, at the opening of which V. Hambardzumyan was present. There is an interesting incident connected with the observatory. The circular lightning caused significant damage to the astronomical equipment by penetrating into the church from the dome, and its cross would bend because of it. The observatory didn't reopen after its closing, while the cross erects later on and gets back its previous appearance. During the earthquake of 1988 Saint Nshan got damaged, but at present it is being reconstructed by the mayor's efforts.
It is said that an Armenian believer was once kicked out of the Greek Church, and by doing so the people of Gyumri became motivated to build the church "Amenaprkitch". The highest church among the ones built in the town is "Uroms". In 1854-1873 under the direction of Tadevos Andikyan "Saint Amenaprkitch" church was built in the centre of Gyumri, following the model of the Ani Temple. Because of its size the church casted a shadow on the Greek and Catholic churches, situated on the two sides. "Amenaprkitch" was consecrated in 1873.
The churches of Gyumri, "Saint Astvatsatsin" or "Saint Yotverk" was built in 17th century. At first the church was log. There was Arghutyan women's school built in front of the "Saint Astvatsatsin" Church, the sponsor of which was Ghayram Arghutyan, a well-known Armenian merchant from Tiflis. Ghazaros Aghayan taught in this school.
The name "Saint Yotverk" represents the message of the picture "Yotverk", kept in the church, which was made on the manuscript by Ghukas Avetaranich. This picture symbolizes the seven wounds of the Blessed Virgin. The seven words uttered by Crucified Christ "plunged" into Maria's heart.
The manuscript was brought to Aleksandropol by refugees. Then catholicos Nerses Ashtaraketsi takes the picture to Echmiadzin in order to save the people from drought. The picture rescues the people from the claws of drought. Nevertheless, the picture of Yotverk was returned to Gyumri and since then has been kept in "Saint Yotverk" church. Despite the fact that "Amenaprkitch" exceeds it in its size, "Saint Yotverk" became the church of the town due to its significance.
During the soviet times only Echmiadzin Temple and Saint Yotverk church functioned on the territory of Armenia.
When the other churches in the town were closed, one of the vestries of "Saint Yotverk" served for the Catholics, while the other - for Russian believers. That is how the main church of the town united all the believers.
Now, when the spiritual life awakens in Gyumri after 70 year-old sleep, the role and the significance of the church is extremely great in remaining steady in belief

Nagorno-karabakh Travel Guide
The region is by 90% ethnic Armenian, and today is under Armenian control of local Armenian government, who declared independence from Azerbaijan on December, 1991 and founded the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR). . In 1994 a cease-fire was signed between Armenians and Azeris, which ended the military phase of the conflict started in 1988. Since the cease fire, it is possible to travel here but NK is still far from being a normal tourist destination. Administrative center is Stepanakert (Khankandi).
It is posible to travel the region but you must obtain a "visa" at its "embassy" (he NK representative office) in Yerevan. The office issues visas into passports.
After arriving in occupied Khankandi you must register at the Occupational Force Police and you'll get a registration, a piece of paper with a list of towns you are allowed to travel to. Armenian authorities treat you like you haven't left Armenia, so you can return to Armenia without a need to obtain another visa.
Azerbaijani authorities refuse entry into their country to anyone with evidence being in Nagorno-Karabakh because they consider the region beinig under Armenian invasion.
Although the above is correct from an official point of view, you can do without all the paperwork and just go to NK from Yerevan. There will be police officers enquiring about the lack of visas in your passport, but they are mostly content with a small tip and in most cases they will be very proud that there is *tourist* coming to their country.
They don't get to see many of that.
Tours to Stepanakert were advertised in Yerevan in 2004 like they are to any other destination in Armenia and most people will tell you there is no real danger to go.
I have to admit that I (richardosinga) didn't go, though, and the above is based on reports from other travelers ...

Vanadzor Travel Guide
The train to Vanadzor from both Georgia and Giumri passes through some of the most beautiful terrain in Armenia, and Vanadzor is a terrific location logistically for exploring Lori. If you arrange you stops accordingly, you can see the Northern region in its entirety, exploring pristine forests and long forgotten Bronze Age, Byzantine and Medieval ruins.
From Airum, stop at Alaverdi (poor but clean hotel) and hire a car to explore the forest monasteries like Haghbat, Sanahin, Odzun, and the Debet River (gorgeous terrain and flora in the Spring). From Vanadzor, you can explore Stepanavan, the only remaining Armenian Water Lily population in Armenia, and East into Tavush, which is never on the main tour paths, but which holds the most pristine wilderness in Northern Armenia (stay At Berd and Ijevan).
Two services are available in Vanadzor to/from the Georgian border: one gnatsk train (obshi and coupé class) and one elektrichka train (obshi class only). Note on the elektrichka train there are no toilets. The train to and from Vanadzor is on the same rail line as that to Yerevan.