Wake up and smell the soorch
Berlin is so last year and you marked Prague and Warsaw off your list ages ago, so it’s a relief to know that there’s a rising city-break destination which you can easily visit – Yerevan Words | Piers Gladstone GOOD FOOD, EVEN better coffee, bustling markets and ancient churches: are we talking about somewhere in western Europe? Actually, it’s [...]
Berlin is so last year and you marked Prague and Warsaw off
your list ages ago, so it’s a relief to know that there’s a rising
city-break destination which you can easily visit – Yerevan
Words | Piers Gladstone
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GOOD FOOD, EVEN better coffee, bustling
markets and ancient churches: are we talking
about somewhere in western Europe?
Actually, it’s all in Yerevan, the capital of
mountainous and ancient Armenia. And,
while it may not be the most obvious
choice for a long weekend, the city’s charming and relaxed
atmosphere, combined with a good selection of hotels,
restaurants and nightlife, make it an ideal destination. That,
and the fact that it is only a five-hour flight from London.
Yerevan lies in the heart of the Caucasus, surrounded by
hills that give way to the Ararat plains, and on a clear day
you will catch sight of the snow-capped, Biblical Mount
Ararat. Although Yerevan dates back to 782 BC, the city was
redesigned in 1924 and so retains very little of its ancient
history. Instead, visitors make the most of the city’s laid-back
and friendly atmosphere, cultural offerings and café culture.
width="180" height="116" alt="A traditional Armenian church">
Your first stop in Yerevan should always be for coffee
– Armenia is renowned for its freshly-ground soorch.
Next, take a stroll around the tree-lined Hanrapetutyan
Hraparak (Republic Square), ringed by some of the city’s
finer architecture – the buildings’ curving sides, colonnades
and arches made of softly coloured stone are a masterful
blend of traditional Armenian and early 20th-century
architecture. Then cool off by the fountains before admiring
the art in the National Gallery of Armenia, home to a vast
array of works by European, Russian and Armenian masters,
including Tintoretto, Chagall, Sarian and Aivazosky.
Armenia was the first nation in the world to accept
Christianity as its official religion in 301 AD, and so naturally
is famed for its ancient churches. Much of the Christian
heritage was destroyed during the Soviet era, from the
early 1920s until 1991, but one church, the 12th-century
Katoghike chapel, survived. Tucked away in a small courtyard,
and dwarfed by 20th-century Soviet apartment blocks,
Katoghike is on a corner where two of Yerevan’s most
fashionable boutique and café-lined streets, Saya-Nova
and Abhovyan Avenues, converge. So tiny is it that the
congregation has to gather outside under a marquee. Pieces
of broken stone carvings and inscriptions lie all around the
chapel, reminders of other buildings that didn’t survive.
width="180" height="116" alt="The Cascade in Yerevan at night">
Only 10 minutes away is the Matenadaran, meaning
library, a magnificent stone building that stands at the head
of Yerevan’s grandest avenue, Mesrop Mashtots Poghota. It
houses much of Armenia’s written and illuminated history
as well as Greek, Roman and Iranian texts, some of which
are on display. At the foot of the building is a statue of
Mashtots, the inventor of the 36-letter Armenian alphabet.
Almost next door to here is Yerevan’s greatest, and some
might say starkest, landmark – the Cascade, a concrete set
of steps, commemorating the 50th anniversary of Soviet
Armenia, that leads up to Haghtanak Park. For the less
energetic, there are internal escalators, but those who walk
up will be rewarded by fine sculptures along the way,
including works by major British artists Lynn Chadwick and
Barry Flanagan, as well as modern khatchkars (Armenian
carved crosses). Plus the view from the top of Yerevan and
Mount Ararat make the climb even more worthwhile.
width="180" height="264"alt="A bird’s-eye view of Yerevan with Mount Ararat in the background">
Close to the foot of the Cascade is the Opera Building,
home of the Aram Khachaturian Concert Hall, named after
the Armenian composer, and the National Academic Opera
and Ballet Theatre. The acoustics and performances are
world-class, yet ticket prices are from around a mere £2.
The surrounding park has a vast array of cafés and al-fresco
restaurants that are very popular in the summer months.
Eating and drinking in Armenia represent important
social occasions, meaning that you can – and indeed are
encouraged to – spend hours over coffee and meals. There
are many different cuisines on offer in Yerevan’s restaurants,
like Thai food, Belgium waffles or pizza, but Armenian
food itself is mainly a delicious blend of Turkish, Lebanese,
Georgian and Arabic cooking influences. Local dishes you can
try are khoravats (barbecued meat, adored by Armenians),
lahmajoon (a kind of pizza with minced lamb) or khashlama
(a rich lamb soup). Quality is high, while prices are low.
If you fancy music with your food, head across the
street from the Opera Building to Our Village (5 Sayat
Nova Avenue), where you will be treated to some of
the best Armenian cuisine in town, accompanied by live
performances of beautifully haunting, traditional music.
width="180" height="153" alt="Republic Square, the city’s main public space">
Just 20km west of Yerevan is Echmiadzin city, known
as the ‘Vatican’ of the Armenian Apostolic Church and
Armenia’s most important religious site. Visitors are
welcome to attend services at Mayr Tachar, Echmiadzin’s
main cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which start
at 10am on Sundays. The cathedral’s intricate carvings,
frescoes and icons are enchanting and its gardens are
flanked by a further collection of ancient khatchkars,
many of which are more than 1,000 years old.
But any historical discussion about Armenia is now
more likely to start at more modern times, chiefly in 1915,
when the Armenian genocide began, leading 1.5 million
people to lose their lives or be deported at the hands of the
Ottoman Empire. Tributes can be paid to those lives that
were affected at the Museum of the Armenian Genocide at
Tsitsernakaberd Hill in Yerevan.
A great place to soak up authentic Armenian culture is
at Vernissage market (Saturdays and Sundays) on Pavstos
Byuzand, a five-minute walk from Republic Square. Traders
sell everything from dog collars and framed holograms
depicting idealised waterfalls to intricately illustrated
porcelain, delicate embroidery, statues and sculptures, fur
hats and coats. Traditional musical instruments such as duduk
flutes, abstract and figurative paintings, stamps and coins, as
well as a host of ubiquitous Soviet memorabilia make it
a must-see place of interest for the truly curious.
width="180" height="124" alt="The Opera Building, where you can enjoy opera, ballet or a classical concert">
Foodies will enjoy Shuka market (3 Mesrop Mashtots),
where rows of piled vegetables, fresh and dried fruit, spices
and honey are housed in what looks like a concrete aircraft
hangar. You can try all manner of delicious local delicacies.
Look out for treats such as suchush, a long thin stick of
walnuts wrapped in solidified grape juice, which make for
good, small gifts to take home.
Another popular purchase among visitors as well as
Yerevanians is the local brandy – Stalin reputedly used to
send Winston Churchill caseloads of Ararat Cognac. The
Yerevan Brandy Company offers tours (and liberal tastings!)
of its world-famous brandies at its headquarters on Admiral
Isakov Street. Tours are £5 and last just over an hour.
width="150" height="183" alt="A vegetable seller in Shuka market">
Afterwards you can totter across the Hrazdan river to the
Sergei Parajanov Museum (15-16 Dzoragiugh Ethnographic
Centre). Parajanov was an avant-garde filmmaker who was
imprisoned twice by the Soviet authorities and banned from
making more films. This prompted him to turn his artistic
attention to making phenomenal collages and sculptures,
many assembled from pieces of junk and humorous in tone.
But a visit to Yerevan is just a taster of Armenia – take a
trip to Lake Sevan, less than an hour from Yerevan (£10 in
a taxi), to get an idea of what lies beyond. The picturesque
Sevanavank peninsula, famed for its monastery, has the best
beaches and two charming traditional churches perched
on the hill, offering magnificent views across the lake’s
turquoise waters. The beaches, which are open only for the
summer months, can get very crowded at the weekends,
however the water is deliciously cool and clean, and perfect
for the water sports on offer, be it jet-skiing or a ride in
an old Soviet hydrofoil speedboat. Before you return to
Yerevan, have an early dinner on the terrace of Ashot Yerkat
restaurant, known for its fantastic kebabs, salads and the
local delicacy, grilled ishkan (trout), freshly caught in Lake
Sevan, and watch the early evening shadows crawl slowly
across the mountains.
FACTBOX
-
Central Yerevan is small enough to walk around, although
taxis are cheap (£2 will get you anywhere you need to go). -
The best times to visit are spring and autumn (summer and
winter temperatures can be extreme).
WHERE TO STAY
High-end for business:
The Marriott cannot be beaten for location. It also boasts
two wonderful restaurants and rooms with views of either
Mount Ararat or Republic Square.
Armenia Marriott Hotel, Republic Square, +374 10 599 000
Home stay:
Rooms are shared, but B&B Anahit Stepanyan is a large,
centrally-located apartment crammed with works of art
and well worth the £7 it costs per night. The owner speaks
several languages, including perfect English, and is a font
of useful information.
B&B Anahit Stepanyan, 5 Sayat-Nova avenue, apt 25,
5th Floor, +374 10 527 589;  stepanahit@yahoo.com
