I had the opportunity to spend my summer in Yerevan, Armenia. Before coming to Yerevan, I knew little about Armenian history and culture. Although I still have much to learn, I’ve learned a lot during my time in Armenia, and I would love to share part of my journey with you.
Armenia is a small landlocked country in the Caucuses with a population of around three million. Although Armenia is small, the country has a vibrant culture, a rich history, and unique language. Armenian is the only language in its branch of the Indo-European language family, and the language has its own alphabet! Armenia is known for its mountainous landscape, its hospitable people, and its cuisine. Armenians are proud of their lavash- thin bread typically eaten during every meal with vegetables and cheese- and of apricots. They love apricots so much that one of the colors on the Armenian flag is apricot orange! And after a month of living in Yerevan, I can say that I wholeheartedly understand why.
Armenians live by the saying: eat 30 kilograms of apricots in the summer and you’ll be healthy for an entire year!
Armenia is also recognized for its saturated religious history. Armenia was the first country to adopt Christianity as their state religion in 301 CE. Most Armenians are a part of the Armenian Apostolic Church. The Armenian Apostolic Church distanced themselves from other Christians at the Fourth Ecumenical Council, because they disagreed that Christ had two natures. The church believes in monophysitism, in other words that Christ has a single divine nature. As such, they believe that Jesus took on a human form during his lifetime and that Jesus was entirely divine. Armenian Apostolates believe that Christ has one nature that is manifested in three ways: as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (trinity).
During our cultural excursions so far, I’ve had the chance to visit the Saint Hripsime Church, the Saint Gayane Church, the Etchmiadzin Cathedral, the remains of the Zvartnots Cathedral, Gerghard Monastery, and the Garni Temple, among other places.
The first religious site we visited was the seventh-century Saint Hripsime Church. The Saint Hripsime Church is dedicated to Hripsime, who is considered one of the first Christian martyrs in the country’s history.
After visiting grandiose churches in Western Europe, such as the Freiburger Muenster, I admit I was a little surprised that Armenian Apostolic Churches were smaller and less elaborate in comparison, however I was nonetheless impressed by them. The churches’ smaller size often worked to their advantage. For example, under the Soviet Union, many Armenian congregations were able to continue going to church, despite the Soviet policy of atheism, because Soviet officials often did not notice the Apostolic churches nestled between houses.
We went to the Zvartnots Cathedral as our last stop on our first excursion. As we walked through the drizzling rain, our tour guide narrated the legend that the Zvartnots Cathedral was believed to be built where St. Gregory the Illuminator converted the king to Christianity, paving the way for Christianity to take hold in Armenia. Unfortunately, much of the cathedral was destroyed likely due an earthquake in the tenth century.
Two weeks afterward, at the Geghard Monastery, I learned about the tradition of asymmetry in old Armenian churches- architects designed each column to look slightly different from one another. I practiced differentiating between khachkar and non-khachkar carvings. Khachkar are elaborate outdoor carvings that are widespread throughout Armenia (below on the right).
When we visited the Garni Temple, I felt like I was in ancient Rome standing in front of the Pantheon. King Trdat built the Garni Temple in the first century to honor Mihr, the God of the Sun. Although the pagan temple resembles other ones from great empires centuries ago, the Garni Temple is distinct, because it is made from basalt.
I look forward to exploring Armenia more, to immersing myself more in the culture, and to making lasting memories!
Fulbright-Hays Fellowship Recipient
Advanced Russian Language and Area Studies Program
Yerevan, Armenia, Summer 2023