Wilkes Barre Times-Leader, PA
Miami Herald, FL
Biloxi Sun Herald, MS
Aberdeen American News, SD
Bradenton Herald, FL
Oct 24 2004
YEREVAN, ARMENIA: THINGS TO SEE AND DO
– Visit the ”closed bazaar,” a football stadium-size indoor market
on West Mashtots Avenue, brimming with fresh fruits and vegetables
displayed like gleaming jewels.
– See the rare document museum, the Matenadaran, which houses an
extraordinary collection of ancient manuscripts, some dating to the
ninth century. An English tour guide — a paltry $2.50 above the
regular $4 admission fee — will heighten your experience by
explaining the relevance of what you’re seeing. Highlight: A huge
15th-century book relaying Armenia’s history. It was ripped in half
and smuggled out of the country by two peasant women, at great
personal peril, during the 1915 genocide. Both women, and both halves
of the book, survived.
– Make time for the museum dedicated to Sergey Parajanov, a master of
modern cinema and director of The Color of the Pomegranate. Through
collages, mixed media and paintings you can glimpse into his complex
mind. Alas, there are no film clips.
– Learn the difference between brandy and cognac at the Yerevan
Brandy Company, which offers free factory tours. Armenia is famous
for its brandy and this is the place to go if you want to witness how
spirits are distilled and aged. Located about five minutes by car
from the city center on Admiral Isakov Ave.
– Stroll through the Vernissage, a festive outdoor market that
operates each weekend near Republic Square. Here will you’ll find
accordions, old toasters, Russian nesting dolls, obscure car parts,
compasses, jewelry, and strolling musicians.
– Visit Tsitsernakaberd, the somber site of the Genocide Memorial,
and the Museum of the Armenian Genocide. Tens of thousands of
Armenians make a pilgrimage here each year on April 24, the national
day of commemoration and mourning. Otherwise, it is a fairly deserted
place — fitting for the solemn contemplation that it inspires.
It is located at 46 Kievan St. in the Tsitsenakaberd Park, northwest
of the city center.