The culture of Armenians is a sphere of spiritual life which is expressed in spiritual and material assets of these people.
Armenia throughout centuries, since an epoch of Urartu, won against Assyria a world championship, and finishing the newest time, passes stages of cultural development. The country has passed a difficult way of long and persistent struggle against the powerful states of the West and the East. All it were incorporated by original spiritual and material culture.
About culture of nationalities which occupied the Armenian uplands during pre-Christian time, it is less than data than historical data. Letters of the Egyptian Pharaohs with the local nobility, products of antique authors, finds of archeologists give representations about cultural life of the people occupying the Armenian uplands in III-I millenia BC
Archeologists had been found subjects of material culture of settled farmers-cattlemen III-II of millenia BC It is the magnificent gold bowl decorated with figures of lions, silver vessels, ceramic vessels with a geometrical list, the bronze weapon and many other things.
Samples of multi-colour wall lists of palaces and temples are exhibited at a museum of Erebuni, a small sculpture and the ornated weapon. And in the British museum of London a bronze head and a hand – fragments of a statue of Anait are kept. There are data that they are found in Small Armenia.
«The Sun temple» in Garni – the fine sample hellinistic the cultures, constructed by traditions of the Roman architecture. The temple is in territory of a fortress of Garni built in I century BC and throughout centuries was summer residence of the Armenian tsars.
High quality coins with the Greek inscriptions coined the first tsars of Great and Small Armenia possess, it allows to judge a level of development of material culture of that time.
Architecture
Armenia name the country of stones – hachkars. The architecture of the Armenian temples is decorated by surprising elements of a carving on a stone. VII century was marked by religious-church architecture though as a whole the furniture of the Armenian churches is more modest, than, for example, than Russian for Armenia.
Hachkars
As symbol of Armenia are considered «hachkars» are stone crosses-stones. They are established in territory of Armenia, them more than thousand. At everyone hachkara is the unique pattern. Hachkary – it is which monuments in one country, except Armenia.
Applied art
Weaving, carpet making, pottery, lacemaking, the jeweller technics, creations and ornaments of house utensils are considered as traditional household employment of Armenians.
Today the Armenian carpets are considered as the most ancient kind of the Armenian life and arts and crafts.
Painting
As the sample of national painting architectural monuments of Echmiadzin, in antique Garni and other temples, and also concerning up the time of Urartu act. Walls and floors in cult constructions have been covered by unique ornaments, bas-reliefs and the reliefs which most part has remained up to now.
The literature
After the alphabet and writing have been invented, to appear the first literary monuments in the Armenian language, time of their occurrence V – VI century of century historical products of Movses Horenatsi concern them.
Theatre
Sources of theatrical art of Armenia leave the roots B.C. Ancestors of theatre during an epoch hellinism were ancient Greeks, at this time the territory of the Armenian uplands was occupied with Great Armenia with capital – Tigranakert.
The big role in development of the Armenian theatre of the end of a XIX-th century the largest tragedian P.Adamjan has played. Leading actors and actresses XIX-has begun the XX-th centuries – M.Amrikjan K.Aramjan, S.Chmshkjan, Vardui, G.Ter-Davtjan, S.Matinjan, Siranujsh, Asthik, R.Azniv, M.Mnakjan, O.Abeljan, etc. Large Armenian playwrights XIX-has begun XX century – G.Sundukjan, A.Paronjan, A.Shirvanzade, etc.
Museums
Museums of Armenia occupy one of the main places in the entertaining program of visitors of the country. In capital of Armenia, in Yerevan, there is a State historical museum, the Museum of city history of Yerevan and the State art gallery.
Music
The Armenian music is unique. It has specific rich sounding. This originality remains thanks to original Armenian tools which have remained since an epoch of the early Middle Ages. These are violin prototypes – pandir and bambir, string – havih, knar; wind instruments – a pipe, zurn, avarpog, shock – a drum.
Folklore
The Armenian folklore differs the variety. These are ancient myths about an origin of gods, originating in hellinistic time.