Why Armenia
Armenia is one of those destinations that doesn't give up on the easy way out but gives infinitely more in return. Wedged between Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Iran, it is the oldest Christian country in the world: in 301 AD, King Tiridates III adopted Christianity, twelve years before the Edict of Milan. The consequences of this choice are embodied everywhere in the landscape, from the Geghard Monastery partially carved into a volcanic basalt cliff to the Tatev Monastery, suspended on the edge of a 300-meter gorge in the deep Syunik.
The first thing that strikes you is the dramaturgy of the sites. Ararat, the 5,165-metre snow-capped volcano banned from Turkey, stands out everywhere as the spiritual horizon of a people who have not had access to their sacred mountain for a century. From the terrace of the Khor Virap monastery, to contemplate it in the light of dawn above the wine-growing plain is to understand something essential about what memory can mean. Further on, the beech forest of Dilijan is ablaze every autumn in shades of red and burgundy; the volcanic gorges of Garni reveal their black basalt organs; Lake Sevan, at an altitude of 1,900 metres, reflects an almost unreal blue sky.
Yerevan, the apricot-colored capital, sums it all up in the city: a pink limestone waterfall overlooking parks populated by contemporary sculptures, a Republic Square illuminated every night for its inhabitants, cafes and restaurants where Armenians in the diaspora find a homeland they have sometimes never known. It is a country that welcomes you with quiet generosity and leaves a lasting imprint.
