Anoushik Posted February 13, 2006 Report Share Posted February 13, 2006 http://www.sltrib.com/travel/ci_3499924# Armenia: Europe's final tourism frontier By Richard Plunkett Villagers enjoy a festive meal in rural Armenia. Armenians share a passion for culture, food and family. Mountainous Armenia is a compelling mix of European elegance, Middle Eastern exuberance, ex-Soviet mundanity and modern economic miracle. (Bill Wassman/Lonely Planet Images ) ARMENIA For an unfair first impression of a country, try arriving at an unrenovated Soviet airport in the middle of the night. Armenia's Zvartnots airport looked like a space station from the outside and a disused factory on the inside. Mercifully, this ancient country revealed its authentic - and attractive - nature very quickly. Along the stately boulevards of the capital Yerevan, cafes were still doing business at 3 a.m., and the hosts at my B & B (a modern apartment decked out with traditional Armenian carpets) were waiting up to embrace me, literally, and feed me until I dropped. The next few days were a never-ending feast of fruit, cured ham, lavash (flat bread), salads, brandy, wine and divinely rich Armenian soorch (coffee). Mountainous Armenia is a compelling mix of European elegance, Middle Eastern exuberance, ex-Soviet mundanity and modern economic miracle. The first country to convert to Christianity, it has countless legacies from 1,700 years of faith - from ancient churches and monasteries to the uniquely Armenian khatchkars, literally "crucifix stones," upright blocks of basalt deftly carved with crosses and interweaving patterns. Though 20th-century wars almost destroyed the country, the new century is seeing a gratifying upsurge in fortunes. Armenia has one of the fastest-growing economies in the world. It still has a long way to go, but prosperity is beginning to spread. Smart new hotels and guesthouses are sweeping away the gloomy old Soviet hotels. The 3 million or so Armenians are rediscovering their traditional enjoyment of life - they share a passion for culture, food and family not unlike Greeks and Italians. Armenia is the size of Maryland, and almost every corner of the country can be reached in a day's drive from Yerevan. The highlight for Diasporan Armenians is the Vatican of Armenia, Holy Echmiadzin. The 1,700-year-old Mayr Tachar (Mother Church) is an exotic mix of Persian-style murals, monks in black cowls and richly gilded holy relics. Armenia's holiest treasure, the lance said to have pierced Christ's side, lies in the treasure room at the rear of the cathedral. The casing around the spearhead is a riot of finely wrought silver, but the relic itself is a brutal, crude shard of iron - exactly what a provincial Roman soldier might have wielded 2,000 years ago. Echmiadzin is only 30 minutes away from Yerevan through the vineyard-studded Araks Valley. North from Yerevan lies the vast blue mirror of Lake Sevan. The richly forested northern province of Lori has two gorgeous World Heritage-listed monasteries. Heading south, you skirt past the awesome bulk of Mount Ararat and wind through jagged ranges and knotted valleys on the way to the spectacular fortress of Tatev. Numerous tour companies run day trips and overnight stays to the provinces. Back in Yerevan, the cafes stay open late into the night on warm summer evenings; the Opera House offers high culture at bargain Advertisement [0] prices; and the national museum on Republic Square has a magnificent art collection, regarded as the third best in the former USSR. The Museum of the Armenian Genocide at Tsitsernakaberd just outside the city center commemorates the victims of the Ottoman and Turkish massacres of 1915-1923. There is a solemn procession here every year on April 24 to honor the fallen. Best of all, there are the Armenians themselves. The language is something of a challenge (it has a unique 38-letter alphabet), but many people, especially the young, speak English. Armenians are an expressive, cultured, hospitable people who love barbecues, boxing and homemade liqueurs as much as the latest opera production. Visit someone's house, and within minutes a table of food and drinks is set, but the hospitality is not over the top. As one host said, it is his duty to keep everyone's glasses full, but the next step is up to the guest. And I'm happy to report that an overseas Armenian businessman is totally renovating and modernizing that dismal airport. Getting there: British Airways, Austrian Airlines and CSA Czech Airlines fly via Europe to Yerevan's Zvartnots airport. Yerevan has an excellent and rapidly growing range of accommodation options. Parev Inn (tel. 011-374-10-555-543, http://www.parev.am) is a wonderful lodge-style B & B run by a delightful Canadian-Armenian couple. On the edge of central Yerevan, it features spacious doubles with kitchenettes for $50. Avan Villa Yerevan (011-374-10-547-888, http://www.tufenkian heritage.com) is a superb luxury boutique hotel, part of a chain of luxury hotels fitted out in traditional Armenian style. Double rooms with all modern conveniences run from $120. There is also a delicious restaurant on site. The classic Armenian meal is khorovats (barbecue), usually lamb or pork with salads, pickles and flat bread. The dining culture is distinctly relaxed - people settle in for hours of eating, drinking and talking. Our Village (011-374-1-548-700), 5 Sayat Nova Ave. in Yerevan, near the Opera House, is a charming traditional restaurant with meals for $5-$8 and live folk music. Sayat Nova (011-374-1-580-033), at the corner of Sayat Nova Avenue and Khandjian Street in Yerevan, is a multi-level restaurant/cafe complex with a restaurant on the ground floor, a nightclub in the basement and a terrace cafe upstairs with hookah pipes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gevo Posted February 13, 2006 Report Share Posted February 13, 2006 Well, im glad this person enjoyed the trip, however you can not truthfully enjoy Armenia until you understand its history very well. Also, people with money are people well looked after. This person seemed to have had all the comodities available to him through money.. I found the overall attitudes of the people in Yerevan to be much less extravagent than this article seems to claim. Either way, a well written article. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MosJan Posted February 13, 2006 Report Share Posted February 13, 2006 Anushik jan Thank you - now i can go and dream on Armenia is like an good night kiss that will bring sweet dreams Yes gnatsy - and don;t anyone call / PM me or email me on lost or forgotten passwords Yerazi Im yerkir ........ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phantom22 Posted February 13, 2006 Report Share Posted February 13, 2006 (edited) The architect who designed the Zvarnotz Airport building should be shot (LOL) if he is still alive. http://www.sltrib.com/travel/ci_3499924# Armenia: Europe's final tourism frontier By Richard Plunkett Villagers enjoy a festive meal in rural Armenia. Armenians share a passion for culture, food and family. Mountainous Armenia is a compelling mix of European elegance, Middle Eastern exuberance, ex-Soviet mundanity and modern economic miracle. (Bill Wassman/Lonely Planet Images ) ARMENIA For an unfair first impression of a country, try arriving at an unrenovated Soviet airport in the middle of the night. Armenia's Zvartnots airport looked like a space station from the outside and a disused factory on the inside. Mercifully, this ancient country revealed its authentic - and attractive - nature very quickly. Along the stately boulevards of the capital Yerevan, cafes were still doing business at 3 a.m., and the hosts at my B & B (a modern apartment decked out with traditional Armenian carpets) were waiting up to embrace me, literally, and feed me until I dropped. The next few days were a never-ending feast of fruit, cured ham, lavash (flat bread), salads, brandy, wine and divinely rich Armenian soorch (coffee). Mountainous Armenia is a compelling mix of European elegance, Middle Eastern exuberance, ex-Soviet mundanity and modern economic miracle. The first country to convert to Christianity, it has countless legacies from 1,700 years of faith - from ancient churches and monasteries to the uniquely Armenian khatchkars, literally "crucifix stones," upright blocks of basalt deftly carved with crosses and interweaving patterns. Though 20th-century wars almost destroyed the country, the new century is seeing a gratifying upsurge in fortunes. Armenia has one of the fastest-growing economies in the world. It still has a long way to go, but prosperity is beginning to spread. Smart new hotels and guesthouses are sweeping away the gloomy old Soviet hotels. The 3 million or so Armenians are rediscovering their traditional enjoyment of life - they share a passion for culture, food and family not unlike Greeks and Italians. Armenia is the size of Maryland, and almost every corner of the country can be reached in a day's drive from Yerevan. The highlight for Diasporan Armenians is the Vatican of Armenia, Holy Echmiadzin. The 1,700-year-old Mayr Tachar (Mother Church) is an exotic mix of Persian-style murals, monks in black cowls and richly gilded holy relics. Armenia's holiest treasure, the lance said to have pierced Christ's side, lies in the treasure room at the rear of the cathedral. The casing around the spearhead is a riot of finely wrought silver, but the relic itself is a brutal, crude shard of iron - exactly what a provincial Roman soldier might have wielded 2,000 years ago. Echmiadzin is only 30 minutes away from Yerevan through the vineyard-studded Araks Valley. North from Yerevan lies the vast blue mirror of Lake Sevan. The richly forested northern province of Lori has two gorgeous World Heritage-listed monasteries. Heading south, you skirt past the awesome bulk of Mount Ararat and wind through jagged ranges and knotted valleys on the way to the spectacular fortress of Tatev. Numerous tour companies run day trips and overnight stays to the provinces. Back in Yerevan, the cafes stay open late into the night on warm summer evenings; the Opera House offers high culture at bargain Advertisement [0] prices; and the national museum on Republic Square has a magnificent art collection, regarded as the third best in the former USSR. The Museum of the Armenian Genocide at Tsitsernakaberd just outside the city center commemorates the victims of the Ottoman and Turkish massacres of 1915-1923. There is a solemn procession here every year on April 24 to honor the fallen. Best of all, there are the Armenians themselves. The language is something of a challenge (it has a unique 38-letter alphabet), but many people, especially the young, speak English. Armenians are an expressive, cultured, hospitable people who love barbecues, boxing and homemade liqueurs as much as the latest opera production. Visit someone's house, and within minutes a table of food and drinks is set, but the hospitality is not over the top. As one host said, it is his duty to keep everyone's glasses full, but the next step is up to the guest. And I'm happy to report that an overseas Armenian businessman is totally renovating and modernizing that dismal airport. Getting there: British Airways, Austrian Airlines and CSA Czech Airlines fly via Europe to Yerevan's Zvartnots airport. Yerevan has an excellent and rapidly growing range of accommodation options. Parev Inn (tel. 011-374-10-555-543, http://www.parev.am) is a wonderful lodge-style B & B run by a delightful Canadian-Armenian couple. On the edge of central Yerevan, it features spacious doubles with kitchenettes for $50. Avan Villa Yerevan (011-374-10-547-888, http://www.tufenkian heritage.com) is a superb luxury boutique hotel, part of a chain of luxury hotels fitted out in traditional Armenian style. Double rooms with all modern conveniences run from $120. There is also a delicious restaurant on site. The classic Armenian meal is khorovats (barbecue), usually lamb or pork with salads, pickles and flat bread. The dining culture is distinctly relaxed - people settle in for hours of eating, drinking and talking. Our Village (011-374-1-548-700), 5 Sayat Nova Ave. in Yerevan, near the Opera House, is a charming traditional restaurant with meals for $5-$8 and live folk music. Sayat Nova (011-374-1-580-033), at the corner of Sayat Nova Avenue and Khandjian Street in Yerevan, is a multi-level restaurant/cafe complex with a restaurant on the ground floor, a nightclub in the basement and a terrace cafe upstairs with hookah pipes. Edited February 13, 2006 by phantom22 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gamavor Posted February 15, 2006 Report Share Posted February 15, 2006 The architect who designed the Zvarnotz Airport building should be shot (LOL) if he is still alive. Zvartnots airport was one of the best and modern facilities not only in the former USSR (I mean as a design) but worldwide. At the time of the construction of the airport there were very few airports in the world that had "sleeves" and parking lots for the airplanes. As to the level of modernity and interior I agree. It is poor, not very clean and overall miserable. http://www.armeniantourinfo.com/cpg/thumbnails.php?album=7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gamavor Posted June 2, 2007 Report Share Posted June 2, 2007 http://www.ibctoday.com/News/ViewNewsItem....ideoPanelType=1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MosJan Posted June 2, 2007 Report Share Posted June 2, 2007 Five years ago management of ‘Zvartnots’ airport was handed over to Armenia International Airports CJSC. The managing company has invested around 100 million USD to correspond the airport to international standards. The runway has been renovated, the entire lighting/signaling system has been renewed, ground level services have been modernized and an emergency center has been established. In order to service flights in conditions of low visibility, the PAPI system has been installed, which is the International Civil Aviation Organization’s compulsory condition. Works realized during recent years were directed towards flight safety, due to which, in the sense of security and safety, ‘Zvartnots’ corresponds to the highest international standards today. Now the time has come for passenger conveniences. With the utilization of the new passenger’s complex, in this sense too, ‘Zvartnots’ will correspond to international standards. Robert Kocharyan, President of Armenia “This is the first and most important entry into Armenia, and I am convinced that this entry reflects correctly the image of Armenia in the near future-- as a country with a prosperous, developed and competitive economy.” Construction of the new complex lasted 3 years. Contemporary technologies have been applied during the construction; in particular, seismic insulators have been used in the three-meter-deep foundation. Eduardo Eurnekian, Head of Zvartnots Airport “We decided to turn this airport into a communication center of international level, and undoubtedly, today it is the best in the entire region.” The modernization of ‘Zvartnots’ does not end with this though. According to Eduardo Eurnekian this is just the first phase. By 2010 the airport will correspond to the highest international standards entirely. For this purpose another 100 million USD will be invested. “I am sure you share our belief that Armenia deserves the best.” Armen Akheyan, Gevorg Olkinyan ‘Yerkirn Aysor’ (The Country Today) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ED Posted June 2, 2007 Report Share Posted June 2, 2007 Armenia must of used DORVAL airport in Montreal as a model, its almost a carbon copy of YUL its beutiful Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azat Posted June 3, 2007 Report Share Posted June 3, 2007 hesa mek amsits keta achkovs ktesnem kpatmem Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MosJan Posted June 3, 2007 Report Share Posted June 3, 2007 Yerani qo achqerin / yes haziv Septemberin karroghanam gnal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azat Posted June 3, 2007 Report Share Posted June 3, 2007 Movses jan et achkeris tesats lav knkarey yete mi hat lav photo aparat unenai. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phantom22 Posted June 3, 2007 Report Share Posted June 3, 2007 soon to be equal to the best airports in the world. See photos of Zvarnots here: shttp://www.aia-zvartnots.aero/home.html Five years ago management of ‘Zvartnots’ airport was handed over to Armenia International Airports CJSC. The managing company has invested around 100 million USD to correspond the airport to international standards. The runway has been renovated, the entire lighting/signaling system has been renewed, ground level services have been modernized and an emergency center has been established. In order to service flights in conditions of low visibility, the PAPI system has been installed, which is the International Civil Aviation Organization’s compulsory condition. Works realized during recent years were directed towards flight safety, due to which, in the sense of security and safety, ‘Zvartnots’ corresponds to the highest international standards today. Now the time has come for passenger conveniences. With the utilization of the new passenger’s complex, in this sense too, ‘Zvartnots’ will correspond to international standards. Robert Kocharyan, President of Armenia “This is the first and most important entry into Armenia, and I am convinced that this entry reflects correctly the image of Armenia in the near future-- as a country with a prosperous, developed and competitive economy.” Construction of the new complex lasted 3 years. Contemporary technologies have been applied during the construction; in particular, seismic insulators have been used in the three-meter-deep foundation. Eduardo Eurnekian, Head of Zvartnots Airport “We decided to turn this airport into a communication center of international level, and undoubtedly, today it is the best in the entire region.” The modernization of ‘Zvartnots’ does not end with this though. According to Eduardo Eurnekian this is just the first phase. By 2010 the airport will correspond to the highest international standards entirely. For this purpose another 100 million USD will be invested. “I am sure you share our belief that Armenia deserves the best.” Armen Akheyan, Gevorg Olkinyan ‘Yerkirn Aysor’ (The Country Today) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.