Travel: Discover the Rich History and Cultural Tapestry of Armenia: Yerevan and Gyumri

Vicken Chmshkian
EnergyPortal.eu
Dec 2 2023
  • Post authorBy Daniel Hall

When you think of Armenia, what comes to mind? Perhaps the stunning beauty of Mount Ararat or the vibrant city life of Yerevan and Gyumri. This small country nestled amidst the peaks of the Caucasus Mountains is steeped in history, with evidence of human habitation dating back to ancient times. Let’s explore the captivating stories and cultural treasures of Yerevan and Gyumri.

As you step into Yerevan, its rosy capital, you are transported to a time where history whispers from every corner. The city’s delightful pink hue owes itself to Tuff, a robust stone that has withstood the test of time. Yerevan is like a living time capsule, frozen in the Soviet era, with its imposing Soviet structures coexisting seamlessly with modern cafes and bustling markets.

As you wander through Yerevan’s streets, you can’t help but feel the nostalgic echo of the Soviet charm. The art museums and theatres, with their gilded interiors and velvet curtains, are a testament to the rich artistic heritage that blossomed under Soviet patronage. Republic Square, with its grand neoclassical buildings, is the center of the action, where locals and visitors gather to bask in the glorious sunshine and enjoy the melodies of the musical fountains.

Venturing into Gyumri, Armenia’s second-largest city, is like stepping back in time. With a history stretching back thousands of years, Gyumri is an archaeological trove where history serenades you from every stone. The city’s architecture, from intricate churches to charming old houses, showcases the craftsmanship of generations past. Museums tucked away in historic homes offer a glimpse into Gyumri’s rich history and cultural tapestry.

When exploring these cities, be sure to immerse yourself in the flavors of traditional Armenian cuisine, visit vibrant flea markets, and sample exquisite local art. Armenia’s cultural tapestry is a symphony of flavors, colors, and stories, waiting to be discovered.

FAQ

Q: How old is Yerevan?
A: Yerevan’s genesis dates back to 782 BC under the reign of King Argishti I, making it one of the world’s most ancient cities.

Q: What is Tuff?
A: Tuff is a robust stone that gives Yerevan its delightful pink hue. It is lightweight yet capable of bearing the weight of history and the colors of picturesque sunsets.

Q: Where can I visit museums in Gyumri?
A: Gyumri is home to fascinating museums such as the Dzitoghtsyan Museum, the Museum of Urban Life and Culture, and museums within the homes of renowned authors Hovhannes Shiraz and Avetik Isahakyan.

Sources:
– https://www.armenia.travel/

https://www.energyportal.eu/news/why-armenia-should-be-your-next-travel-destination/553319/#gsc.tab=0

Cairo: Armenian President Hails Meeting with Sisi

Emil Lazarian
Egypt – Dec 2 2023
Nada Mustafa

Armenian President Vahagn Khachaturyan confirmed that his meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi on Saturday, December 2, 2023, reflected the friendly nature of Armenian-Egyptian relations.

The meeting came on the sidelines of the 28th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28) in Dubai.

"Held a very cordial meeting with H.E. President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi of Egypt in the frames of the UN Climate Change Conference COP28 in Dubai. Stressed the friendly nature of Armenian-Egyptian relations," he posted on 'X'.

"Exchanged views on the current agenda & further strengthening the multifaceted beneficial cooperation in areas of mutual interest. Discussed wide range of international and regional affairs, developments in the South Caucasus and the Middle East. Looking forward to increased mutual interaction," he added.

L’ omaggio all’Armenia dell’ Accademia di Studi Mediterranei di Agrigento

Raffi Khondkarian

L’
omaggio all’Armenia 

 dell’ Accademia di Studi
Mediterranei di Agrigento

Il
15 dicembre, tra le nuove stele collocate nel Giardino dei Giusti,
una sarà per Giacomo Gorrini: il diplomatico che testimone
degli eccidi armeni, li denunciò al mondo.

E,
il 16 dicembre, il “ Premio Internazionale Empedocle " per la sezione
“Medicina – Coscienza Universale ” andrà
al
console onorario dell’Italia in Armenia, il medico Antonio Montalto

Ci
saranno due momenti importanti di fatto dedicati all’ Armenia, fra le
imminenti iniziative promosse e organizzate dall’Accademia di Studi
Mediterranei di Agrigento, il noto Istituto di Alta Cultura, fondato
e animato da Assuntina Gallo Afflitto, presieduto dal vescovo Enrico
dal Covolo, già rettore della Pontificia Università Lateranense.

Il
15 dicembre, nella Valle dei Templi, la cerimonia per la collocazione
delle nuove stele nel Giardino dei Giusti, preceduta da una tavola
rotonda che ne presenterà i profili scelti in questa edizione- vedrà
onorata – insieme a quella di Giovanni Battista Montini eletto
papa con il nome di Paolo VI; di don Vincenzo Morinello; di Calogero
Marrone e di Beppe Montana – la figura di Giacomo Gorrini.

L’esempio
del celebre diplomatico e storico, testimone oculare dei massacri
armeni, da lui denunciati al mondo,
sarà illustrato
a Casa San Filippo prima della cerimonia da Pietro Kuciukian, console
onorario della Repubblica d’Armenia in Italia.L’ incontro –
presieduto da monsignor Dal Covolo – sarà aperto dai saluti del
sindaco di Agrigento Franco Micciché, dell’arcivescovo metropolita
Alessandro Damiano, del prefetto della città Filippo Romano. Nel
“Giardino dei Giusti” sarà posta anche una stele collettiva
dedicata a tutti i Martiri del XX e del XXI secolo, nonché ai Giusti
delle Forze Armate, della Polizia, dei Corpi Civili, e spiegare il
significato di questo tributo collettivo sarà il teologo Carmelo
Mezzasalma, presidente del Comitato Scientifico dell’ Accademia.

Il
giorno dopo, fra i vincitori del prestigioso “Premio Internazionale
Empedocle” che sarà assegnato nella Sala Zeus del Museo
Archeologico, da segnalare il riconoscimento per la sezione
“Medicina-Coscienza Universale” al medico palermitano Antonio
Montalto, console onorario dell’Italia in Armenia da tempo dedito a
progetti umanitari e di cooperazione internazionale nelle aree
colpite da catastrofi e non solo nel Paese caucasico.
Con lui ci saranno altri tre premiati. Per la sezione “Mare
Nostrum”- “Lago di Pace”, il cardinale Gualtiero Bassetti già
presidente della Conferenza Episcopale Italiana, porporato impegnato
sul fronte dei flussi dei migranti nel Mediterraneo. Per la sezione
“diritti umani universali”, l’ambasciatrice del Regno del
Marocco presso la Santa Sede, Rajae
Naji, giurista apprezzata nel mondo arabo.
Per la sezione “Giustizia, Legalità, Pedagogia Interculturale e
interreligiosa”), la pedagogista dell’Università Cattolica,
Coordinatrice Nazionale per la lotta contro l’antisemitismo presso
la Presidenza del Consiglio dei Ministri, Milena Santerini. Tutti i
premiati terranno una lectio
magistralis.

I
lavori saranno introdotti alle ore 16 da monsignor Dal Covolo al
quale seguiranno interventi del sindaco di Agrigento Francesco
Micciché; dell’arcivescovo di Agrigento Alessandro Damiano; della
presidente onorario Assunta Gallo Afflitto; del presidente del
Comitato Scientifico don Carmelo Mezzasalma; del socio onorario
dell’Accademia nonché sindaco di Palermo Roberto Lagalla; del
presidente del Consorzio Universitario di Agrigento Antonino
Mangiacavallo; della dirigente dell’Ufficio Scolastico Regionale
Maria Buffa; di Roberto Sciarratta e Giuseppe Parello,
rispettivamente direttore e commissario straordinario del Parco
Archeologico Valle dei Templi. Alla fine della XXIX edizione del
Premio si terrà il recital “Empedocle” tratto dal poemetto di Madre Mirella Muià: con la partecipazione straordinaria del noto attore Gaetano Aronica
che darà la sua voce al grande filosofo, accompagnato al pianoforte
dal Maestro Marco Palmisano che ha trascritto in musica l’intero
testo.

First Armenian indigenous satellite already in orbit

Emma Jilavian

 14:15, 2 December 2023

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 2, ARMENPRESS. The first Armenian indigenous satellite – Hayasat 1 – developed by Bazoomq space research lab jointly with CSIE – Center for Scientific Innovation and Education, has detached from the SpaceX Falcon-9 rocket and has entered orbit.

“Next the satellite will deploy its antennas and we will establish contact with it. At this moment the satellite is charging its batteries through solar panels,” Bazoomq Co-founder, board member & CTO Hayk Martirosyan told Armenpress.

The satellite will then start to send status updates.

The ground station can already receive data from the satellite.

The SpaceX Falcon-9 rocket carrying Hayasat-1 took off into orbit on December 1.

Armenia’s Wings of Tatev again named World’s Leading Cable Car Ride

Albert Nalbandian

 14:27, 2 December 2023

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 2, ARMENPRESS. Armenia’s Wings of Tatev has been recognized as the winner in the "The World's Leading Cable Car Ride" nomination at the World Travel Awards 2023. For the 2nd time in the "Leading Cable Car in the World" category, Wings of Tatev has secured 1st place.

According to the results of an open vote, the Armenian cable car, Wings of Tatev, has been recognized as the best in the world, surpassing competitors from Bolivia, Brazil, Vietnam, Canada, New Zealand, the USA, and South Africa, Wings of Tatev said in a statement. 

Today, David Vardanyan, the son of Ruben Vardanyan, the founder of the Wings of Tatev project, received the honorary prize at the 30th awards ceremony of the prestigious International World Travel Awards in Dubai.

It is a great honor for us to receive such a prestigious international recognition. This award strengthens Armenia's status as a leading tourist destination. This victory belongs to all of us. We express our deep gratitude to everyone who voted for Wings of Tatev and helped raise Armenia's honor in the international tourism arena," Wings of Tatev said in the statement. 

The Wings of Tatev project is part of the “Tatev Revival” program, initiated by Ruben Vardanyan and Veronika Zonabend. The aerial tramway is managed by Impulse Business Management.

Key takeaways from Armenia’s participation in 30th OSCE Ministerial Council

Hambik Zargarian

 17:02, 2 December 2023

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 2, ARMENPRESS. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has outlined the main takeaways from FM Ararat Mirzoyan’s participation in the 30th OSCE Ministerial Council. 

“Concluding three days at the 30th OSCE Ministerial Council from November 30 to December 1 in Skopje, North Macedonia.

Minister Mirzoyan delivered remarks at the Council, highlighting the challenges faced by the OSCE and the countries in its area of responsibility, including in the South Caucasus: violations of international law in any part of the world must be unequivocally condemned and must not be tolerated, otherwise it causes a sense of impunity, becoming the new “normal” in other parts of the world.

Minister Mirzoyan held over 20 meetings with representatives of international organizations and Foreign Ministers of other countries, including:

the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Minister of Foreign Affairs of North Macedonia, as well as Minister of Foreign Affairs of Malta, who assumed the OSCE Chairmanship for 2024,

the OSCE Secretary General, the President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, the High Representative of the EU HR/VP, the Special Representative of NATO SG, the Foreign Ministers of the United States, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Norway, from the EU member states France, Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, as well as with the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Russia, Andorra, Liechtenstein and Montenegro.

The Deputy Foreign Minister had a meeting with his Canadian counterpart.

During all meetings, the challenges faced by Armenia, the consequences of the ethnic cleansing of Nagorno-Karabakh by Azerbaijan, as well as Armenia's vision and efforts towards establishing stability in the South Caucasus, the "Crossroads of Peace" project, and the basic principles of the normalization of relations with Azerbaijan, were presented,” Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Ani Badalyan said in a statement on social media.

Armenpress: Director General of Ucom Ralph Yirikian spoke at the "Science and Business Days 2023" conference

Boris Nahapetian

 17:30, 2 December 2023

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 2, ARMENPRESS. These days, Yerevan has become a gathering place for Armenian and foreign businessmen, researchers, and investors. On December 1 and 2, the second conference, "Science and Business Days 2023," was held in Yerevan at the National Academic Theater named after G. Sundukyan. The main speaker of this year's event was scientist, writer, and philosopher Nassim Nicholas Taleb. Ralph Yirikian, Director General of Ucom, was among the guests of honor and speakers.

"The future is, of course, technological, and those countries that adapt to the changing environment succeed. We are future-oriented and have embarked on Ucom's massive network modernization program. We hope that this development will provide new opportunities and speeds not only to our population but also to the enterprises of our country, to their development and progress," said Director General of Ucom Ralph Yirikian.

During the conference, many innovative ideas were discussed, focusing on the challenges facing humanity, as well as the success stories of Armenian businesses and the mutual connection between business and science.

The "Science and Business Days" conference was held in Armenia for the first time in 2022, with the keynote speaker being the Nobel Prize laureate, Lebanese-Armenian molecular biologist Artem Patatutyan. Other speakers included astrophysicist Garik Israelyan, a professor at New York University in Abu Dhabi, sociologist and publicist Georgi Derlugyan, and others.

This year's discussion at the "Science and Business Days 2023" conference was about the author and philosopher Nassim Nicholas Taleb, author of the books "The Black Swan" and "Antifragility," which made this year's conference different from the previous one.

Ucom prepares two new offers for forcibly displaced persons of Nagorno-Karabakh

Emil Lazarian

 15:41, 28 November 2023

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 28, ARMENPRESS. With care and commitment to social responsibility, Ucom has presented a new offer to the forcibly displaced persons of Nagorno-Karabakh. Until December 31, subscribers who join the Unity 9000 regional tariff plan for the fastest home internet can use the service for free for 3 months, and if they continue the subscription, they will pay 8000 AMD instead of 9000 AMD. Unity is one of the best offers of Ucom, simultaneously providing mobile telephony, fixed Internet, 210+ TV channels, and the best devices for a comfortable daily life and always being connected.

"As a national telecommunications operator, our commitment is to make the best services and opportunities available to everyone. The offer of the Unity regional package for our compatriots forcibly displaced from NK was developed with special attention to ensure their connection with their relatives, to ease and simplify their life activities in these difficult times," said Ralph Yirikian, Director General of Ucom.

Furthermore,  upon subscribing to the uHome 6500 package, consumers will receive a 50% discount for the next 3 months.

“Our compatriots can call 444 or 011 444 444 or come to one of the Ucom service centers for additional information and to choose the most suitable offer, as it is not possible to use these offers at the same time,” Ucom said in a press release.

***

Ucom provides the fastest fixed and mobile communication services in Armenia. It is the absolute leader in the provision of IPTV and fixed Internet services, and also occupies the leading positions in the Armenian mobile Internet market. With modernized 4G+ and its own fiber optic networks meeting the best international standards, Ucom provides a complete set of fixed and mobile communication services to more than 700,000 subscribers.