Sitting between the crossroads of Europe and Asia, Armenia is located among the mountains of the South Caucasus neighboring Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Iran. The country is roughly the size of Maryland – about 11,500 square miles – but its history stretches over its present day borders.

A trip here means volcanic peaks, stone monasteries on cliff edges and long dinners with brandy and lavash. It also means meeting a people shaped by tragedy as much as by endurance.

Along with China, Egypt, Greece and Iran, Armenia is one of the oldest civilizations surviving till today.

With more than 5,000 years of history, the country appears on ancient Babylonian and Greek maps next to the Assyrian, Babylonian and Greek civilizations.

In 301, Armenia became the first country to adopt Christianity as a state religion. Today, the Armenian Apostolic Church operates as the world’s oldest national church and an independent Oriental Orthodox Christian denomination.

The history of Armenia has been full of victories and downfalls, oppressions and scientific and artistic uprisings, devastating periods of conflicts, wars, genocide and blooming periods of superpowers.

The most important events

Despite its centuries-long history, no account of Armenia is complete without the events of Armenian genocide which resulted in the loss of 1.5 million Armenians, and the territory of Western Armenia. The genocide was perpetrated by the Ottoman Empire under the cover of World War I, when Turkey was Germany’s ally.

The genocide has left an undeniable mark on the Armenian identity. In addition to losing territory, 1.5 million people and thousands of Armenian cultural sites, the genocide spread Armenians all over the world.

As of 2026, more than 34 countries, including the U.S. under the leadership of Joe Biden in 2021, recognized the Armenian genocide as a crime against humanity. Despite ongoing efforts, Turkey denies the deaths constituted genocide, saying the toll has been inflated and that those killed were victims of civil war and unrest.

Armenia’s modern history has also been shaped by its conflict with neighboring Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh, a mountainous, landlocked region in South Caucasus that has been inhabited by Armenians for centuries before the recent wars and displacements of the Armenian population form the region.

The conflict started in 1988, during the Soviet era, and has lasted more than three decades. Two recent wars, in 2020 and 2023, resulted in the loss of the territory and displacement of 100,000 ethnic Armenians.

Armenia’s border with Azerbaijan has been closed for decades, and the border with Turkey has been closed since the 1990s. Many Armenians carry deep personal memories of these events, so visitors should approach the topic with sensitivity.

Currently, Armenia and Azerbaijan have been moving toward a formal peace agreement, which includes the U.S. The leaders met at the White House, in a ceremony hosted by President Donald Trump, in August 2025. The deal provides for diplomatic relations, border delineation and a transport route linking Azerbaijan to its exclave of Nakhchivan, known as the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity.

The treaty, however, is not yet signed. The situation is calmer than it has been in years, but the peace is still unfinished.

What to see

Despite its complicated geopolitical conditions, a trip to Armenia is a rewarding experience.

The country is famous for its centuries-old monasteries and churches, mesmerizing Caucasian terrain and landscapes, oldest winery traditions, developing gastrotourism and mouth-watering cuisine.

Yerevan: The Aremenian capital – one of the world’s oldest continuously inhabited cities – is the first place to visit. Armenians take pride in the city being older than Rome by 28 years. The city is the administrative center of the country which includes a number of museums, monuments, centers and restaurants.

Yerevan is also home to the Matenadaran, the world’s largest and most significant repository of ancient Armenian manuscripts, which serves as a vital center for national memory, historical research and cultural preservation.

Etchmiadzin Cathedral: Often called the spiritual center of the Armenian church, this cathedral complex near Yerevan dates to the early fourth century, which makes it one of the oldest cathedrals in the world.

Garni Temple and Geghard Monastery: Garni is a Greco-Roman temple from the first century, the only one of its kind in the region. Nearby, Geghard is a monastery partly carved straight out of the rock, with remarkable acoustics.

Lake Sevan: One of the largest high-altitude freshwater lakes in the world. It’s a summer favorite for swimming and lakeside walks, with the monastery of Sevanavank on the shore.

Tatev Monastery: A medieval monastery on a cliff above a gorge, reached by the long “Wings of Tatev” cable car. It’s one of the most dramatic sights in the country.

Noravank Monastery and Areni Winery: Noravank is a striking monastery set among red cliffs. Nearby Areni is the center of an old winemaking region, and archaeologists found what is considered one of the oldest known wine-making sites in the world there.

Dilijan: A forested town often called “Armenia’s Little Switzerland.” It’s good for hiking and for a quieter pace after the capital.

Armenia is a place where you can stand in a fourth century church in the morning and sit in a modern Yerevan café that evening. It is small enough to cover in a week, and its story is old and painful enough that you’ll keep thinking about it long after you leave.

Elen Pahlevanyan is a master’s student in the multiplatform journalism program at the American University of Armenia. She worked in The Spokesman-Review newsroom in a weekslong partnership with Washington State University.