Day 4 (July 2, 2023):

July 02, 2023

The seven-hour time change did a number on Pam, such that she didn’t get to sleep until 7:45AM this morning! She slept solid for an hour and then got moving just before 9AM. We ended up leaving the hotel just before 10:30AM. I don’t know how she did it all day, but she was real trooper.

We had a handful of key items on our agenda for today: the G.U.M. Market, the Armenian Genocide Memorial Complex, the Cafesjian Centre for the Arts, a couple of churches, and two fountain sound-and-light shows to close the day. And yahoo, we did it all, plus a few more sights.

But first, let me share a few things about Yerevan…. Long fought over by warring empires, the city of Yerevan survived centuries of foreign occupation, finally becoming independent with the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. This capital city, a Centre of Armenian culture, has celebrated its freedom with a flurry of construction and a growing population. The population stands at over 1.1 million.

G.U.M Market:

Dried fruit

Cheese rules in this part of Asia, with so many kinds abounding.

Oh, and bread rules, too! Especially large sheets of pita.

And w’ve never seen fresh fruit and berries looking so good!

The Armenian Genocide Memorial Complex is dedicated to the memory of 1.5 million Armenians who perished during the first genocide of the 20th century. The Memorial was inaugurated in 1967 and is a place of pilgrimage for many who mourn this devastating chapter of Armenia’s history. Our hearts broke as we learned about this genocide at the hands of the Turks. In addition to the 1.5 million Armenians slaughtered,

On the eve of World War !, there were 2.5 million Armenians in the western Armenia and all-Ottoman (Turkey) Empire. In April 1915, the Ottoman government embarked upon the systematic devastation of its Armenian population. 1.5 million Armenians were massacred in the genocide or died as a consequence of military deportations and mass starvations carried out by the Young Turks, Turkey’s ruling party. 600,000 Armenians became refugees and were spread all over the world, 2350 churches and monasteries were looted and destroyed, 1500 schools and colleges were ruined. The facts are staggering. And yet, the West knows little or nothing of this loss.

This monument and accompanying museum had a profound impact on us.

After that moving and troubling experience, we continued with our tour of Yerevan…

The most oddly designed sports complex that resembles a space ship!

The Cafesjian Centre for the Arts and the Cascade Complex, which was planned as far back as the 1920s and was actually completed after the 1988 earthquake.

Some exemplars of the exterior art at the Cascade Complex.

Some examples of the interior art at the Cascade Complex.

Our favorite installation at the Cascade Complex.

The Armenian Opera House, with views from the back (above) and front (below)

Artists setting up shop in Martiros Saroyan Park.

Artificial lake in the center of the city.

Kathoghike St. Astvatsatsin Church was built in the 12th-13th centuries. It survived the ‘Grand Earthquake’ of 1679, only to be knocked down by the Soviets in 1936, as they razed churches across Armenia. It was rebuilt from 1975-77.

Saint Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral, opened in 2001 and seats 1700 people. It is the largest cathedral of the Armenian Apostolic Church. For a city of this size and a country where Christianity is so revered, we have been amazed at the relatively small number of churches in Yerevan. We assume the reason for this is the fact that the Turks destroyed so many during hte Armenian Genocide, and then the Soviets destroyed hundred more when they took over.

Entrance to the Shahumyam Park (above) and its stretch of fountains (below).

It’s a city of great contrasts when it comes to wealth. BMWs intermingle with lots of old Ladas - a automobile that the Soviets churned out in huge numbers.