Discover Armenia while at EaPEC2019
As EaPEC2019 conference is being hosted by ASNET-AM, take the chance to discover Armenia with its’ rich culture, sublime nature, delicious cuisine, and innovative tech community. Being ancient country with a capital older than Rome nowadays Armenia has IT as the fastest growing sector.
Visa and airport Info
There is three visa regimes to enter Armenia: Visa Free, Obtaining Visa Upon Arrival and Obtaining Visa Upon Invitations Only.
Please find complete information on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia: https://www.mfa.am/en/visa/
All flights to Yerevan arrive at Zvartnots International Airport, which is around a 20 minutes drive to the city center.
At the airport you can convert your currency to Armenian dram (AMD).
Transportation from airport
A taxi from Zvartnots should cost around 3000-4000 AMD (~Euro 6-8) max to the city center. However check the price before if you take a taxi from the airport. Many taxi drivers may not speak English.
GGtaxi is a good option. It is like the Uber/Lyft of Armenia. It gives best service and price in Yerevan. You can download the App before your trip and enjoy your visit.
Public transport infrastructure is not good instead taxi is cheap enough. You can reach from city center to any corner of the city for about 2 Euro max.
Armenian currency is the Dram. Older generation speaks mostly Russian while younger generation mainly speaks English.
Accomodation
Since availability is limited at the hotels during this time of the year, make sure to book your hotel as soon as possible. Yerevan is a pretty small city so chances are anywhere you stay will be just a short walk or taxi ride to the Conference Venue!
Some of favorite hotels you can find at our website:
About Armenia
Armenia, being an ancient county with rich history full of culture and tradition, has so much to offer.
Armenia is situated at a cultural, historical, and religious intersection and located at the crossroads between Europe and Asia. It is a crossroad of past and future at the same time.
If you have time to spare, we highly encourage you make the best out of your visit enjoying sights in and outside Yerevan.
It is the first country to have adopted Christianity as state religion with holy capital Etchmiadzin. That’s the reason, Armenia has numerous iconic monasteries and churches, and these religious buildings are popular tourist sites. Traditional Armenian crosses are carved into stone and can be found throughout the country.
Armenia's landscapes offer boundless beauty. Armenia is often referred to as an open-air museum.
There are six UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Armenia: Haghpat monastery, Sanahin monastery, Echmiadzin cathedral and churches, Zvartnots archaeological site, Geghard monastery, and Azat valley.
Armenia's Lake Sevan is one of the largest freshwater high-altitude lakes in Eurasia. It’s also among major freshwater high-altitude lakes in the world.
Ever wondered how it feels like to fly over a picturesque ravine for 15 minutes?
The Wings of Tatev cableway is in the Guinness World Record for the longest non-stop reversible aerial tramway. The cableway carries passengers from Halidzor to the 9th-century Tatev monastery, a stunning building in an area of unremitting beauty.
Scholars have cited Armenia as the place where rug and carpet weaving originated. Armenians continue this tradition, and one can find many shops specializing in fine new and old rugs and carpets.
Chess is very famous in Armenia.
Did you know that Armenia has the most chess grandmasters per capita than any other country?
Chess has been known in Armenia since the IX century. It is mentioned in Armenian manuscripts of XII-XIII centuries, which are kept in Matenadaran. Today, chess is part of the curriculum in all public schools.
If you have heard of many famous Armenians from different countries and different areas it is because more Armenians live abroad than in Armenia. They have big diaspora spread all over the world.
Sites to see outside Yerevan
Armenia has a plethora of beautiful churches, monuments, natural wonders and jaw dropping sights in and outside Yerevan. If you have time to spare, we highly encourage you make your way to these beautiful places
Khor Virap - Literally translates to “deep dungeon”. This monastery, built in 642, marks the spot where Saint Gregory the Illuminator, who converted Armenia from paganism to Christianity in 301, was imprisoned for 14 years. You can climb down to the dungeon still today, and also enjoy one of the best views of Mount Ararat from the monastery complex!
Garni Temple - Pagan temple dedicated to the Armenian sun god Mihr, built in the 1st century.
Geghard Monastery - A medieval monastery partially carved out of the mountain. Geghard is very close to Garni, and we highly recommend visiting both on the same trip. Make sure to buy some gata (Armenian sweet bread) being sold by locals outside Geghard - it’s the best in Armenia!
Lake Sevan - A beautiful freshwater high-altitude lake that is also the largest body of water in Armenia. Make sure to also visit Sevanavank, the monastery located on a peninsula, that once used to be an island in lake Sevan.
Noravank - A 13th century monastery located in a narrow gorge lined with tall, red cliffs. Noravank can often be visited on the way to Tatev Monastery.
Tatev Monastery - A 9th century monastery with breathtaking views and home of the world’s longest aerial tramway.
Etchmiadzin Cathedral - The mother church of the Armenian Apostolic Church and the first cathedral built in ancient Armenia. If you come to Etchmiadzin, you can also easily visit nearby St. Hripsime, St. Gayane and Shoghakat churches.
Zvartnots Cathedral - Though only ruins remain today, the site of the circular Zvartnots Cathedral are still beautiful and impressive to walk through.
Yerevan
Yerevan is the capital of Armenia. It is one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities. The fortress of Erebuni (Yerevan) was built in 782 BC, 29 years before building began in Rome. It is known as the “Pink City” because of the rosy volcanic rock called “tuff” is mainly used to construct many of the city’s buildings.
Yerevan is famous with its small fountains with drinkable water. You can meet them on your way in every street or backyard. Tap water is drinkable (unless your hotel uses water container).
Armenians love music, and they have been creating exquisite compositions for centuries. Sharakans are traditional Armenian liturgical songs, which are experiencing a revival today. Distinctive musical instruments are used to play Armenian folk songs. Sayat Nova, Komitas, and Aram Khachaturian are among Armenia's best-known musicians and composers. Contemporary music comes in the forms of jazz and pop.
The best places to visit in Yerevan:
There are many museums and parks in Yerevan, some of them are:
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History Museum of Armenia
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National Gallery of Armenia
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Blue Mosque
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Cascade Museum Complex - Climb to the top for amazing views of Yerevan
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Opera House- Center of the city surrounded by cafes. Grab a glacé and people watch away.
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Northern Avenue - The “Broadway” of Yerevan lined with shops and cafes.
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Republic Square - Come see the dancing fountains at night!
Matenadaran
The Armenian alphabet is one of the most advanced in the world
The Armenian alphabet was created in 405-406 AD by a scholar and monk Mesrop Mashtots. Scientists consider the Armenian alphabet one of the three most advanced in the world, along with Georgian and Korean alphabets.
Mesrop Mashtots is also the creator of the Georgian and Albanian alphabets. More than one thousand six hundred years the Armenian alphabet exists almost unchanged.
Christian culture and the invention of the Armenian alphabet by Mesrop Mashtots gave new stimuli to the development of unique cultural traditions. There is no better place to view this literary and artistic history than Yerevan's unique Matenadaran (Institute of Ancient Manuscripts), which houses an extraordinary collection of 14,000 complete manuscripts, fragments and miniatures.
Food and Night Life
A trip to Armenia wouldn’t be complete without enjoying its’ amazing cuisine.
Dinner tables are rarely without huge piles of lavash, tasty, flat bread that is the cornerstone of Armenian cuisine. So important is this humble dish that it was placed on Unesco’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2014.
Armenia is considered to be the homeland of apricot. Apricot was called “Armenian apple” (lat. Mela armeniaca, lat. pomum armeniacum), which confirms the theory that the apricot was brought to Rome from Armenia.
Armenian brandy is a well-known drink and respected around the world.
Here are some our favorite places to eat and relax. Anoush lini! (Bon Appetite!)
There are plenty of cafes and restaurants in Yerevan. In the city center they are open until late at night.
Wine Republic Yerevan – Wine bar with sea food
Pandok Yerevan - a place with an easy environment where fresh and tasty food is always in supply
SHerep Restaurant - the first restaurant in Armenia with an open and large kitchen, due to which the visitor can follow the whole process of creating the taste, color and the smell of each dish.
Grand Candy – Armenian Candy shop
El Sky Bar - Rooftop bar with good drinks and even better views
Malkhas Jazz Club - High quality live jazz music with food and drinks
Mezzo Classic House Club – MEZZO has number of jazz, rock, blues, latin and classic music bands that visitors can chose from to enjoy during their night – out in Yerevan.
And a nice place to have a really good bear go to Beer Academy!
Shopping
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Vernissage - Popular open-air market. Go on the weekends to find the best souvenirs.
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Gum Market - You can get variety of local dry fruits and lots of fresh fruits with very reasonable prices
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Dalma Garden Mall - Shopping mall with more than hundred brand stores, food court and entertainment.
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Yerevan Mall - Yerevan Mall welcomes thousands of visitors a day from across the country to enjoy over 200 stores and attractions
And two interesting events happening on 27th - 28th of September: