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Armenia is an ancient country that was once counted as a great power, if only for a short period. The realm of King Tigranes II, in the first century BC, stretched from the Caspian Sea to the Syrian Arab Republic and the Mediterranean, before it was conquered by the Romans.

The present capital of Armenia, Yerevan is one of the oldest cities in the world, founded nearly 2800 years ago in the time of ancient Babylon. Sadly, little remains to remind the visitor of the city’s ancient heritage. Most of the old town was demolished in the 1930s, ostensibly to upgrade standards of public health but, according to locals, more crucially with a view to facilitating the policing of the city. Yerevan was rebuilt using the attractive pinkish-brown volcanic tufa stone seen throughout the republic, in so-called ’Armenian national style’ architecture – solid, sometimes imposing and essentially Soviet in character. Mount Ararat lies across the border in Turkey, although it is claimed as part of the territory of greater Armenia, and is where Noah’s Ark is said to have settled after the Flood. Yerevan’s National Gallery (founded 1919) includes a section tracing the development of Armenian art to the present day. The history section features models and artefacts informing visitors about life in Armenia and the pre-Armenian state of Urartu. The Yerevan library of ancient manuscripts (Materadaran) houses over 13,000 texts, many beautifully illuminated and some dating as far back as the ninth century. The contents of the library testify to Armenia’s long history of culture and education. The Vernisaj flea market, which takes place at weekends, is very popular with tourists. In the year AD 301, Armenia became the first country to adopt Christianity as the official state religion (with the exception of the now vanished kingdom of King Abgar of Edessa). Many of the most interesting sights in the republic are associated with the heritage of the Armenian apostolic church. Nearby sites of interest include the fortress of Erebuni (an archaeological site studded with over 200 ancient rock engravings [petroglyphs] and surrounded by a pristine lake) and Ughtasar (3km above sea level on a mountainous plateau in the mesmerising region of Syunik, an ancient fortress not to be missed).

Some 20km (12 miles) west of Yerevan, Echmiadzin was the capital of Armenia from AD 180-340 and remains the site of the country’s most important cathedral, and home of the church’s Supreme Catholicos. The Cathedral of St Gregory the Illuminator is believed to stand on the site of a much older church, itself predated by a pagan shrine. The existing 17th-century cathedral is a fine example of Armenian ecclesiastical architecture, with its squat bell tower and elaborately carved dome. In addition to chalices, vestments and other religious artefacts, the cathedral’s treasury contains a spearhead believed to have been used to pierce the side of the crucified Christ, and a chunk of wood from Mount Ararat, claimed to be part of a plank from Noah’s Ark. There are a number of other churches at Echmiadzin, including the excavated remains of the seventh-century Church of St Gregory at Zvartnots. The building, reputed to have been of extraordinary beauty, was largely destroyed by an earthquake in the 10th century, although it has been rebuilt to new Armenian architectural standards.

The Geghard Monastery, located 35km (22 miles) east of Yerevan in a steep, rocky valley, is one of Armenia’s most dramatic sights. Geghard, in Armenian, means 'spear' or 'lance' and hark's back to Christ's crucifixion. The monks, who still inhabit the monastery, occasionally sacrifice sheep on an open-air stone altar. ‘Wishing trees’ by the road approaching the site are decorated with coloured scraps of cloth, tied on by pilgrims and travellers hoping their prayers will be answered. A monastery has occupied this site since the fourth century AD, and the existing churches, all magnificently carved, date from the 13th century. Leading from the vaulted chambers of the main church and adjoining jamatoun, or meeting room, are two chapels hewn into the rock of the mountain itself. One of these contains a holy spring, the other a burial vault decorated with an ornate coat of arms. Higher up the slope, a passage leads into the mountainside to the 13th-century tomb of Prince Papak and his wife Rouzakan, a structure noted for its extraordinary acoustics.

On the road between Geghard and Yerevan, Garni is the site of a temple to the Roman god Mithras. In the first century AD, Nero sent money and slaves to build the temple, as a tribute to the Armenian King Tiridates for his support in fighting off the Parthians. During the centuries following the conversion of the kings of Armenia to Christianity, the temple served as a royal summer palace. Repeated earthquakes have destroyed most of the original structure, but the temple’s vertiginous position, dominating the valley from a plateau 300m (984ft) above the Azat River, is breathtakingly beautiful. A ruined ninth-century church stands near the restored temple, and a Roman bathhouse has recently been excavated, revealing a well-preserved mosaic floor. It stands, as it did two millennia earlier, adorned by two dozen ionic columns.

Situated 70km (43 miles) east of Yerevan, Lake Sevan is the largest lake in the Caucasus, and much vaunted for its pure waters, stunning setting and delicious salmon trout. The principal lakeside resort is Sevan on the northern shore, once popular with Soviet tourists, now optimistically awaiting development to attract wealthy foreigners. Tragically, ill-considered irrigation and hydroelectric projects implemented during the 1970s have triggered an ecological crisis. The water level of the lake has dropped by as much as 16m (41ft). It is now feared that the ecology of Lake Sevan may be irreversibly damaged if radical action is not taken.

North of Sevan, further into the mountains, is Dilijhan, a resort much favoured during the Soviet period for the medicinal powers attributed to its mineral water. The authorities aspire in the long term to develop ski and spa resorts in this region, but at present, tourist infrastructure remains at a primitive level. A few kilometres east of Dilijhan, in a wooded gorge, is the Agartsin Monastery, believed to have been the major cultural centre in medieval Armenia, and one of the very few perfectly preserved examples of the architecture of its period (10th to 13th centuries). The refectory building is particularly prized. 25km (16 miles) from Dilijhan, the 12th-century Goshavank Monastery features some of the finest examples of the delicate, lacey style of stone carving developed by medieval craftspeople in the region.

In the northwest of the republic, Gyumri, Armenia’s second-largest city, and Vanatsor (known during the Soviet period as Leninakan and Kirovaken respectively) suffered badly in the 1988 earthquake and some of the infrastructure has now been rebuilt, although there is still much left in ruins.
Well worth visiting instead are the Monasteries of Haghpat and Sanakin, which are in close proximity to the banks of the Debed River, and are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. These were first built in the 10th century and have undergone many different constructions and expansions. It is believed that the great troubadour-poet, Sayat-Nova, was born in Sanakin, and became a monk at Haghpat.