On 24 April 24 1915, hundreds of Armenian Intellectuals: poets, musicians, publicists, editors, lawyers, doctors, deputies, were arrested in Constantinople (current day Turkey). They were all sent into exile and horrifically slaughtered. The annihilation of the Armenian Intellectuals was the part of a systematic, fiendish plan to exterminate the Armenian people in their homeland. It was the first state-planned Genocide of the 20th century.

Today, the Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day , is a national holiday in Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh Republic and is observed by Armenians in dispersed communities around the world. It is held annually to commemorate the victims of the Armenian Genocide from 1915 to 1923. In Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, hundreds of thousands of people walk to the Tsitsernakaberd Genocide Memorial to lay flowers at the eternal flame.

Since I visited Yerevan last December, I decided to dedicate this post to the lost lives of Armenians during the horrific genocide and sincerely hope that history would not repeat itself.

On another note, Yerevan is celebrating its 2800th anniversary this year. This is a great chance to see Yerevan in its beauty and charm. Come and explore the “pink city”, the nickname given to Yerevan due to the pink color of the historic buildings which are made from a local naturally colored volcanic rock. The capital of Armenia has much to offer its visitors.  It has ancient and amazing sights, rich culture and traditions, beautiful architecture, and friendly people. Locals consider Yerevan as their love and motivation. Many poets, musicians and artists have also dedicated their beautiful works of art to Yerevan.

Starting in the city centre, the ‘I love Yerevan’ sign stands in front of the history museum. I realised that during my trip around the Caucasus, each city had such a sign to help alleviate each the attractiveness of the city and for people to take photos to remember the city. There are fountains in the square but the dancing fountains are only operational during the summer months and switched off in winter to conserve water. The main square can be considered as one of the finest examples of Soviet era architecture in Armenia.

Just across the history museum is a park. At the entrance stands a double-decker bus converted into a makeshift coffee stand. Yerevan has appealed to the hipster coffee lover as a way to revitalise the city, something which I enjoyed discovering. There are some unique artworks and graffiti around the city that are worth checking out. 

Along Nalbandyan street lies the entrance to the park with a statue of Garegin Nzhdeh. He is an Armenian national hero because he is a military strategist who helped to fight for the country’s independence. As it was winter time, the trees were barren. Many children were out playing in the park with their mothers in tow. 

Walking through the local market which sells souvenirs and handicrafts. Armenian rugs, new and old are a favourite choice. Armenian brandy is also quite famous and they are the only other country in the world to be certified to call it ‘cognac’, the other one being France. This fact was something that I learnt on a visit to the museum.

The Blue Mosque is an 18th century Shia Islamic Mosque, one of the extreme few surviving structures of once (before Soviet secularisation) prospering Muslim Community of Yerevan. Since Armenia is a predominantly Christian country, the sights of mosques are quite rare. However, having just came from Iran where mosques are in abundance, I noticed that the architecture of the Blue Mosque is similar to the styles in Iran.

This is Saint Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral. It is such a mouthful and the cathedral sits atop a hill. Due to some snow which fell a few weeks back, there were still traces of snow on the top just outside the cathedral. The church was built by the initiative of the All Armenian Catolicose Vazgen I and was dedicated to the 1700th anniversary of the Christianity adoption in Armenia. The building is a megalomaniac exaggeration of traditional Armenian Church Architecture. As opposed to all other churches in Yerevan (and Armenia) the Cathedral is full of light and does not carry any stand for candles. 

I enjoyed the surroundings of the cathedral, especially this open space with trees in autumn colours. There were many children playing the park. 

There are many statues around Yerevan, part of the Soviet architecture and to commemorate the famous people who have contributed to the building of the country. 

After walking around the city, it is time to learn more about the history of the city by visiting the local museum. The city museum of Yerevan presents all periods of the life in Yerevan starting from the palaeolithic settlements of 50,000 years ago to modern times. Ancient maps and pictures of the lost city – pre-Soviet Erivan – are of special interest. The museum has three storeys and some of the exhibits are quite interesting. It is a good way to learn more about the history of Armenia and how they fought hard for their own independence.

Last but not least, end off your walk around Yerevan with a visit to the cascades. It is a series of steps from the ground floor to the top, where you will be rewarded with a bird’s eye view of the whole city. The Cascade was built in order to connect the lower and upper parts of town. Climb the Cascades (or take the escalator inside) one evening for the great views of the city and Mt. Ararat, then head across the street to the amusement park inside Victory Park for some cotton candy and a ride on the rickety ferris wheel.

The Cafesjian Center for the Arts is an arts museum located within the Cascade complex. It offers a variety of exhibitions and dozens of modern and contemporary sculptures by well-known international sculptors. The sculptures are scattered around Cascade Park, the green area in the lower section of the Cascade complex. Check out the Botero statues at the start of the cascades. These statues are designed by a Colombian artist and they are being displayed at the park.

I spent five days in Yerevan and it was more than enough to see all the sights. During some of these days, I also took a chance to do day trips from the capital to the surrounding region, traveling by the local minivans (mashrutka). There are numerous sights located near Yerevan that are easily accessible and truly worth visiting. Do not forget to visit Armenia before it gets overrun with tourists. I noticed many Indian and Filippino tourists there during my trip. They usually work in Dubai or Abu Dhabi and it is cheaper to fly to Yerevan from their home base. For those visiting Armenia this year, what is your impression of the country as they celebrate their 2800th anniversary?