Warm or cold?

Armenia is a country with an amazing atmosphere, where every inch of rocky land breathes history and gives rich shoots of unique culture, ineradicable traditions, amazing cuisine and original crafts. The very melodious sound of the name of this region seems to outline sharp mountain peaks, rumble with the rapids of stormy rivers, and slide down soft slopes covered with emerald greenery into fertile valleys. Every breath of air here is filled with tender love for the native land and piercing pride in its history, every breath of the people living here and every one of their stingy, polished movements speak of these feelings. There is a special sense of time here, in Armenia it sometimes seems that the most ancient events have passed quite recently, and only a thin veil of mountain fogs hides the pictures of the heroic past from contemporaries like a transparent blanket. And it is customary to be proud of the age of the native land, as well as the wisdom of the ancestors. It is not surprising that the adjective “ancient” is treated specially here.   Armenia is perhaps one of the few countries where historical myths and folk tales have a real background. These fertile lands have been developed by people since time immemorial. In ancient times, this region was part of the great state of Urartu, or, if we use another interpretation, it was that very Urartu, but the lazy flow of centuries honed and finally formed the modern silhouette of the country. After the fall of this mysterious civilization, the land was subordinated to one of the Persian dynasties, although many historians claim that the subordination was only symbolic – as was Armenia’s belonging to the empire of Alexander the Great. Armenia was included in the territory of the kingdom on the maps, but the proud and freedom-loving people themselves were forgotten to be warned about this, so the inhabitants of distant centuries will learn about this only by reading history textbooks through the eyes of distant descendants. The interweaving of history and modern life of the country in the perception of its inhabitants is another proof of the non-linearity of time.   The origin of the name of the region also has several options. This is always the case with ancient states. Someone believes that the name goes back to the name of the great Urartian king Aram. Some even see echoes of the ancient name of the country Hayastan, which goes back to the mythical Armenian warrior Hayk, who defeated the Assyrian army and gave rise to the first Armenian state, as well as the traditional chronology in this country. There are many versions, but the country is one. But its fertile soil has absorbed all the rich heritage of centuries, and having carefully preserved it, has brought it to our days. That is why here you can see the oldest knotted carpet in the world, taste dishes whose recipes have remained unchanged for several millennia, and see Christian churches in which the ancient, but beautiful in their purity, traditions of this faith are still alive.   Here modernity surprisingly coexists harmoniously and peacefully with the inescapable depth of centuries. Modern drinks are accompanied by grandiloquent toasts, ancient traditions of carpet weaving find a response in modern works, centuries-old musical culture finds a new fresh reflection in modern sounds.   And this cannot but inspire numerous tourists, the number of which is only increasing year by year. This industry in Armenia, compared, for example, with tourism in Uzbekistan, according to statistics, is developing by leaps and bounds. Many travelers, both from nearby countries and from distant lands, are eager to cling to the life-giving source of culture and art. Since the beginning of the 2000s, according to statistics from the local Ministry of Tourism, the volume of tourist flow has increased by about a quarter. Tourists are attracted here by the dizzying in their height and endless whiteness mountain peaks, foothills covered with velvet virgin forests, whose shady paths can be explored on foot or towering in the saddle on a proud steed, juicy and aromatic fruits, which the local land generously bestows, as well as the creative processing of these fruits into divine drinks and dishes. In addition to the above, many unique works of modern masters and ancient craftsmen, ancient fortresses and monasteries, as if growing roots into the rocky soil, touching and piercing tunes of the pipe, absorbing the freshness of mountain winds, the power of stormy streams and the hidden sadness of aged eternity, also surprise travelers.   Armenia is a country as strong as cognac, as tender and soft as freshly baked lavash, as juicy and sweet as ripe golden apricot, as complex and mysterious as the interweaving of carpet threads. Anyone who has visited it once will remain captive to bright and fresh memories that will entice and tug at the soul with the gentle song of the pipe and the warmth of true hospitality. Many travelers from near and far abroad