First time in ARMENIA - this country will shock you! Հայաստան
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 29 เม.ย. 2023
- Hi everyone! This is episode eight of my Caucasus series in which I travel through Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia. This is also the first of my Armenia videos in the series.
I did not know what to expect of Armenia. I had some questions at the border about my visit to Azerbaijan, and even though I did not visit the region of Nagorno-Karabakh (alternative spelling: Nagorno Karabakh; also called the Republic of Artsakh in Armenia), I was very aware of the situation.
In this video, I go on an organised tour called 'Essential Armenia'. The tour consists of various stops showing the absolute essential must see destinations in this country. Please note that I am not sponsored by any individual or company in this video or in the production thereof.
The tour starts with a visit to the Symphony of Stones, consisting of basalt columns that resemble a musical organ. The river provides the 'music', hence the name. During this stop, I talk about the challenges I faced after visiting Azerbaijan earlier in this series and the interest that border officials had regarding that visit.
The next stop is Geghard Monastery, located in the mountains which provides for quite a stunning setting. This is also testament to the importance of religion in Armenia - the oldest Christian country in the world.
After this, we also visit Garni Temple that was destroyed in a 17th century earthquake but reconstructed and also surrounded by incredible nature. The Armenian royal family used this area as a resort and there were also Roman baths - I briefly visit the remains of the latter.
We then head to the village of Noratus, passing the incredible Lake Sevan along the way. This lake is situated approximately 1.9 kilometres above sea level and is the lifeblood of the economy for many parts of Armenia. We then stop for lunch at an Armenian family's home where we eat, among other things, some delicious trout from Lake Sevan.
After lunch, we simply cross the street to our next stop, which is Noratus cemetery. Here I learn all about the cemetery and its many 'khachkars', as well as some interesting stories regarding some of the cross-stones and others graves.
The final stop on the tour is Sevanavank, a monastic complex overlooking Lake Sevan.
Hope you enjoy a taste of this fascinating country! A massive thanks to tour guide Christina who patiently answered all my questions :)
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Hi everyone! Just want to say a massive thanks to everyone for watching this video. Please consider giving this video a 'like' as well if you haven't already - it really helps my channel to grow, which means that I can continue making videos such as this for you to view for free! Thank you so much :)
My lovely Armenia🇦🇲❤️σ'αγαπώ πολύ🇬🇷
Armenia is one of the most mysterious , ancient, wonderful countries in the world and still largely undiscovered!!!
Thanks for watching Yana and taking the time to comment! I really loved this day in Armenia and was blown away by the beautiful nature and hospitality of the people. I can't wait to show more of Yerevan in my next videos :)
Dear Wille, thank you for interesting video. I will wait impatiently for your next video!
@@yanaAG2008 thanks Yana, glad to hear you're looking forward to my videos :) That is exactly what any content creator wants to hear! Have you watched the latest one I made of Yerevan?
🇦🇲❤️🇬🇷
These might be the Rests of huge TREES !?? As I watched once an interesting documentary….
I once read a Book of the Armenian Demos Shakarian, who had to flee the country in ~ 1920 - and it is said in there,
that there exists a prophesy of God for the LAST DAYS BEFORE THE RETURN OF CHRIST,
and this prophesy is still sealed !
Never an unkind word! It's a pleasure sightseeing along with someone who has so much respect for nature and humanity.
Really appreciate your comment there Mark! Thanks for exploring virtually with me :)
Հայաստան գնալուց առաջ պետք է գոնե մի քիչ իմանալ հայ ժողովրդի պատմությունը որ ինչքան մեծ երկիր ենք եղել, ինչքան մեծ երկրներ են մեզ հետ պատերազմել, ինչ մեծ թագավորներ ենք ունեցել, ինչքան հանճարեղ մարդիք եվ գիտնականներ ենք տվել աշխարհին։ Հայերին սպանել են երկիրը մասնատել են թողնելով փոքր հողակտոր մեծ Հայաստանից։
Շնորհակալություն ձեզանից որ գնացել եք Հայաստան եվ հետաքրքիր նկարահանումներ եք արել մեր Սուրբ հողից։
Thank you and God bless you my friend ❤
@@KH-it7nzгде это великий армения находится??
The rock formations are amazing, Can't imagine living in the monastery amazing all the same. Unusual countryside around Garni and the temples, all very rugged. Spring is everywhere; life appeared to be very cheap there going by the stories in the cemetery. The Sevan Lake is amazing. Once again very interesting tour Willie thank you. Kiwi from Virginia.
Thanks Swanoaks, always wonderful to hear from you. You are right - it has a rugged, almost untouched beauty. Whilst walking around the temples and monasteries I asked myself how difficult it must have been to build those and then of course the earthquake did some damage in the 17th century. I can only imagine how nice Sevan Lake must be in summer!
I knew absolutely nothing about Armenia before this video. Now, I know that it's an amazingly beautiful country.
Thank you for all your wonderful videos. You're great at balancing the content of the videos, whether it's the food, the historical facts, the busy city areas or the pristine nature areas.
What a wonderful, heartfelt message to receive Firelord! I really appreciate your kind words and support for my channel. Glad you enjoy the variety!
How don’t you know the oldest Christian country on the planet?
This was so interesting, Willie, another place I would not have thought about visiting and know nothing about. Some of the views reminded me of the scenery we have here in Scotland and the same changeable weather too😂. Your tour guide was great, very knowledgeable and proud of her country. Food looked amazing and the architecture was stunning. The Symphony of Stones proves how beautiful nature is.
Thank you so much Sheila! Appreciate your support as always! The scenery really was special, especially around Garni and Lake Sevan, but I also do have a soft spot for the Symphony of Stones - perhaps because it was the very first stop. Christina, the tour guide, was a star and answered all of my annoying questions. Really glad I did this trip!
Wow, I wasn't expecting that!
As soon as I saw those rock formations in the intro, my first thought was that they were like an upside-down Giant's Causeway! But as you went on, I added "on steroids" 😁 It all looked beautifully atmospheric in the rain, but imagine it on a sunny day.
A fascinating video, Willie, thanks!
Thank you so much Andy! Always great to hear from you. Glad you enjoyed this video. It really was a fascinating day and exceeded my expectations. It always amazes me just how many beautiful experiences there are to be had in this world. Yes, that "upside-down Giant's Causeway" is surreal!
Thank you for visiting the first country accepting Christianity in 301. Thank you for visiting open museum. Armenians admire your visit and appreciation. We’ve survived through centuries as one of worlds oldest civilizations.
Thank you very much for your comments there Gayane! Your support for my channel is much appreciated :)
From an Armenian living in Australia I envy your vist to Armenia. My homeland is on my bucket list and most of the sites you visited will be in my intinerary.
You can add Cher as part Armenian as well!!
Cheers John, really appreciate you watching my content! And I do hope you get there in due course!
Its never too late to repat
I'm Armenian in Los Angeles and it's on mine too! I'm saving up to be there for Vardavar next year!
@@talosheeg I'm thinking I should also go for Vardavar! :)
Thanks for the informative video of the historic country! Beautiful 4-seasons seemingly gave an interesting color to the places you visited! 🤗 It’s an amazing thing what you are doing with your travels and videos: showing the beauty from your perspective and teaching new things to your followers! I learned also many things myself and will definitely visit Noratus next time I am in Armenia! Thanks a lot for visiting Armenia 🍀
Thank you so much for watching and for your kind comments Anahid! I really appreciate it! What a spectacularly beautiful country - you can be very proud indeed. I do hope this video also encourages others to visit. Definitely check out Noratus :)
Great country. Beutiful nature. Delicious food. Cheap prices. The armenins i´ve met, in Armenia and Georgia, has been very friendly and helpful..
Armenia and Georgia, are 2 hidden gems, on the planet 👌👌👌
Nice video, mate
Thanks a lot mate! Glad you enjoyed this one :)
Who would have known System of a Down and the Kardashians had anything in common! lol The area looks absolutely gorgeous. Those basalt columns reminded me of the ones in Southern Iceland near Vík, very cool. What kind of wildlife is natural to the area? I like exploring on rainy or foggy or otherwise gloomy days, there is a different vibe when it's gloomy out that I really enjoy, especially in national parks or old ruins. I of course love a nice, bright day too, but there's something about those gloomier days, I can't really explain it! I'm sure most people would disagree though and prefer a sunny day! Do you have a preferred climate/temperature/weather to explore in? Also you mentioned some questioning about your previous travels when entering the country, definitely always something to consider. Hopefully it didn't delay you too long!
Love the insight into these fantastic places, thank you as always. Out of curiosity, what is on the horizon after this tri-country trip? :)
Cheers Landshark, what a wonderful adventure this was! You are right, I did not expect System of a Down and the Kardashians to have much in common but there you go! I've been to Iceland three times but never to Vik, so it is interesting to hear your comparison there. In terms of wildlife, obviously you have the fish species in Lake Sevan but I also understand there are some bears, wild sheep and goat and even some leopards. And you know what - you are right about the gloomier days! Interestingly though, sometimes (though not always) the footage (especially photos) come out better on days like these as you don't have to deal with the glare of the sun. But trust me, I also do like my beach holidays / adventures! Maybe that is something I could think about doing next as there is no specific plan. I'm mulling over a few destinations in my head but need to make a decision soon. As for delays in getting to Armenia, they asked more questions but when I explained that I was a tourist and that I didn't visit any of the conflict areas it was fine. Appreciate your support as always my friend!
I can understand you..The sun is good for the see or for the parks or for the every morning to take your coffee.. But when you go to see somethign ancient the gloomy whether is better, like you enter inside the past...
Once again I watched your adventure during my dinner time . Always breath taking to see these regions. I shall await more, :D
Cheers Sunny! Really appreciate your support for my channel my friend. Hope your dinner was as good as the trout I had from Lake Sevan :)
Thank you so much for your kind words and visiting Armenia. 😊
What a wonderful message to receive Marine, thank you very much! Appreciate your support and thanks for watching my videos :)
@@willieexplore Of course! You’re welcome 😇
Вы вольшебник друг,показал сказочную страну Армения ❤.Спасибо.Приезжайте снова .Вы добрый,хороший человек.
What a nice message to receive, thank you Jemma! Appreciate your support for my channel :)
Absolutely amazing mate welldone 👏
Thank you very much! Appreciate your support!
Great video, Wille! Love to see you trying local cuisine! Looks delicious!
Cheers Jasper! I cannot begin to describe to you how delicious that fish was :)
Another first class video plenty of good history experience and information about the country that is worth visiting to thanks!
Cheers so much Simon, really glad you enjoyed this one too!
Thank you for sharing with us your wonderful journey!
It is a privilege and a pleasure taking you along on this journey Viki! Thanks for watching and commenting! :)
Спасибо, что посетили Армению❤ Армения прекрасная страна 🙏🙏🙏 Красивая живая чистая страна..🫶💯🍷...Россия Агрессор ещё в СССР отдала армянские земли турции и азербайджану,Персии 😢😢
Thanks for watching my video! Appreciate it :)
Irevan Xanligi
@@mamedovmagsad7612 цапаш оглы 🤣🤣🤣🪳🕸🍉🍅🥒🍄🍆
My country 🇦🇲❤
My wonderful Armenia ❤💙🧡
A great country to visit!
Thank you very much for your realistic video about our wonderful Armenia. Enjoy Armenia!
You are most welcome Karine! Thank you for watching my videos. I usually try my best to keep the footage as raw as possible without fancy editing, to show exactly as you said - the realistic elements :)
Armenia 🇦🇲 love from America 🇺🇸
Was a special trip
Great video and the sites you visited are essential in Armenia. Regrettably about Noratus cemetery, it should have been the second largest khachkar cemetery; however, the largest one in Julfa, Nakhichevan was deliberately destroyed in 2006 by the “neighbors “ to the east of Armenia. Turned into a military zone with no resemblance of its former glory as nothing remains there. Look forward to more of your videos.
Thank you very much for your kind words and for watching my videos! Really appreciate it. I didn't know about Nakhichevan so thanks for providing more context. Such a fascinating country!
We're very happy to host people like you in Armenia.😊 Thanks for the video and I do hope you enjoyed your stay in Armenia.
What a nice message to receive Gohar, thank you! Cheers for checking out my videos :)
Really enjoyed your travel thru Armenia sight-seeing. You're such a respectful person, thank you for visiting and hope you enjoyed the tour as well!
Those you were on are the most common tourist routes. Whilst out of them there is much more to explore for extreme lovers, snow sports, hiking, culture and medieval christianity heritage and much more!
Thank you for video again! Come again and reveal more!
Thank you very much for your kind message! I really appreciate you watching this video and supporting my channel. I had a fantastic time on this trip and would love to visit Armenia again one day. As you mentioned, there are so many other experiences to be had in this fascinating country. Watch out for my next videos on Yerevan though :)
Amazing video.
Thank you :)
Wonderful👍👏👏
Thank you Willie ❤
Thank you Kara! Really appreciate your comment! :)
@@willieexplore you welcome👍👏👏
It is so amazing to see similarities and uniqueness in places around the world. Save travel!
Thank you Mariyetta! Very true words you mention. Appreciate you checking out my content :)
I have never thought Armenia is so beautiful.
Definitely a very underrated place Inquisitive Adventurer, put that on your travel list :)
Thanks for visiting my beautiful homeland 🥰😍
It was a wonderful trip Lucy! Thanks for watching and supporting my channel, it is much appreciated :)
Thank You and prayers for peace to ARMENIA GOD BLESS
Thanks for watching!
Hi Willie! Nice tour, thanks for sharing this beautiful country scenes 😍 I have a trip to Armenia in May. Can you tell me please where I can find “Essential Armenia”?
Hi World Walker Woman! Thank you for your kind words and for checking out my content :) The tour I did was with Envoy hostel - they are located in Pushkin street in Yerevan. Hope you'll have an amazing time in this unbelievable country!
@@willieexplore Thank you very much! Your videos are amazing, I’m going to watch other countries 😍
WELCOME TO ARMENIA.
@@aramgrigoryan8039 thank you my friend!
An absolutley amasing video!!! Thank you so much, I've greatly enjoyed watching it. You are always welcome to our treasure, to Armenia!. Stay safe and healthy!!!👍👍👍🤗🤗🤗
What a nice message to receive! Thank you so much for your positive feedback and encouragement. I really appreciate your support for my channel! :)
👍beautiful amazing please put more videos about Armenia and more information I need to see and know about Thank you
Hi Gogo Yan! Thanks for watching my videos and supporting my channel. I have more Armenia videos that I will post in due course, so do watch out for those :)
underrated wow
i am shocked you only have 2.4k subscribers
youll blow up soon im convinced
Thank you for such a kind comment Aku! Really pleased that you enjoy my content!
Thank you very much for the nice video! Armenia is very oldest country and the first official Christian country. Armenian people are very friendly, I have very good Armenian friend. Good choice to go there,amazing place and people!
Thanks for watching and leaving a comment! I really enjoyed my time in Armenia, even though I only saw a limited part of this beautiful country
You can't go to Azerbaijan if you are an ethnic Armenian or even if you have Armenian-like last name, ending in 'ian' or 'yan.' It doesn't matter your citizenship is German, Australian, American or Chinese.
Thanks for providing this additional information!
Very true!!
Not there there is anything worth to see in azerbaijan.
I try hard not to get political but its important to know that, Azerbaijan is more active in its anti-Armenian propaganda. Baku government is hardly democracy and has been deliberately spreading hate. And yet western thirst for oil and its obedience towards Israel drives their indifference towards the facts about the Azerbaijan government.
Thanks for the video. ❤❤❤
You are most welcome! Thanks for checking out my content :)
Well done, Will!Thanks
You are welcome Armen! Thanks for watching my content and supporting my channel! :)
Thank you for visiting our country!
It was a great privilege and experience, thank you! Appreciate you watching my content :)
Safe travels !
Thank you my friend! Cheers for watching :)
Wow all those stones were amazing. Everything is so old but so beautiful. I knew nothing B4 I watched this so thank you for uploading
Thanks for watching Jenny! Glad you found it informative!
Amazing, spectacular Armenia. So much history to discover. Thank you!!
Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment! Appreciate the support :)
Thank you! I had no idea Armenia was so incredibly interesting.
Thanks for watching Kathleen! I really appreciate you checking out my content :)
Respect for your video my friend👍
Armenia soulful and beautiful country😍
good luck on your travels✊
Thank you my friend for you kind words! Cheers for watching along ;)
Beautiful Armenia. I will visit you soon ❤❤
Hope you have a great time Heidi! Thanks for watching and supporting my channel!
Thank you for the very best tour of Armenia as an Armenian I thank you
What a great comment to receive Susan, thank you! Glad you enjoyed it! :)
That "symphony of stone" is the best example I've ever seen of an ancient tree. They used to grow that big during the age of dinosaurs.
Cheers for watching and supporting my channel!
Yes,you improve every single day my brother miss you 🐺
Cheers Pieter! Really appreciate that comment bro. Thanks for all your support!
Thankyou so much for teaming me to this place🙏I will though make the comment that it would have been better if you did the audio after the filming 😉
Thanks Carol for watching! I very much focus on producing raw vlogs (or as raw as possible) but I appreciate it is not everyone's style ;)
Absolutely Beautiful 🤩🇦🇲🇦🇲👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
What a wonderful place!
🙏🏼👍🏻👍🏻🙏🏼👼🏼🇦🇲🇦🇲✝️🇦🇲🇦🇲👼🏼🙏🏼👍🏻👍🏻🙏🏼 God bless my country and my people. Thank you and God bless you,
Thanks for watching and supporting my channel, I really appreciate it
I love the way this Armenin girl explains the history
I love her accent. She is very smart.
Good bless Armenia women.
She was a wonderful tour guide! Thanks for watching and commenting
Thank you for sharing.
And cheers to you for watching and supporting my channel!
I have been watching so many videos of people who have left Russia and have gone to Turkey and the places that they have shown are all amazing as is your tour. Thank you for posting this.
Thank you for watching my videos, it is hugely appreciated! :)
I want to go to armenia so beautiful and full of Christian history. ❤️ love it
You won't regret it! Cheers for watching and engaging :)
I just ran across your content and I really like your "raw" video footage. You have a new subscriber! Keep up the good work and maybe our paths will cross one day...😉
Thank you very much! Appreciate you checking out my content and supporting my channel! Yep, small world, who knows! :)
Great video and great place! 👏✝️😊
Cheers SnowdriftBoy, appreciate the support! :)
Lovely!
Thank you Tina!
Willie dis super intressante land. Ek het baie gelees van die konflik met Abidjan in die een area. Baie geluk ek sien jou video was baie suksesvol. Geniet.
Dankie Tosca, dit was 'n fantastiese ondervinding in hierdie pragtige land. Ek sal maklik weer terugkeer.
Спасибо за интересное видео. Молодец 👍
Thank you very much for your kind comment! Glad you enjoyed it :)
When i visited that cemetery i roamed about for about an hour or so. Put me in a somber and reflective mood. I saw the stone about the bride and groom but didnt have any context behind it at the time to what i was looking at. My thanks to your guide for filling in the gaps.
About Sevan, funny you mentioned Slovenia in your video because when i went there i met a Slovenian couple which asked me to take a picture of them.
Sevan really did draw similarities to Lake Bled for me, I am not surprised to hear the Slovenian couple asked for a photo as they must have felt right at home :)
Wish you have a 100 thousand subscribers very soon. Best wishes from Hyderabad, India.
Thanks for the support! Really appreciate it ;)
Love mountain nature...
Same here my friend!
You also forgot to mention Cher. 😊
Wow Kristina! I never knew that! Thanks for providing this additional information :)
beautiful video and well explained and that coffee looked like Arabic coffee 👍
Thank you very much Yusuf! You are spot on, it is very similar :)
Theyre basically the same, just slightly different preparation!
@@talosheeg I could drink it all day long :)
@willieexplore we're opposites lmao. My mom gave me one sip of armenian coffee as a kid and it was so strong I swore off coffee 🤣 im 23 and still don't drink coffee or tea.
@@talosheeg amazing what stories we all have about food or drinks we don't like :D
Just might be there this October.
I hope you find it as great as I did!
Very good video
Thanks for watching!
Thank you.
Thanks for watching Michael!
Gorgeous
Thanks so much for watching!
Having spent several years in Glendale, CA I have been around many Armenians; also sharing sme religion we both endured centuries of brutal repression;
that Armenians survived the Genocide shows what a resilient and proud people they are, which is something the life failures in the "collective west" will never understand.
Certainly a proud people and country! Thanks for commenting and watching my video :)
thank you
Thanks for watching Ani!
i hope you enjoyed visiting ancient Armenia !
I really did! Thanks for watching and supporting my channel :)
❤ARMENIE❤
Beautiful place
And if you'd traveled to Armenia first and then gone to azeris you would not even be allowed to pass the border, while usually you would be arrested.
I've had friends who travelled to Azerbaijan last and - although they had issues - they got in after explaining the purpose of their visit and that they didn't visit any conflict areas. Having said that, I was told in no uncertain terms that it is best to visit Armenia last.
I wish the tour guide was more knowledgeable but still thanks for visiting Armenia and enjoy
What did the tour guide forget to mention? I thought she did a great job
To answer your question, I don't know about Azerbaijani citizens, but thousands of Iranian and Georgian Azeris visit Armenia. Armenians, no matter their citizenship, are banned from Azerbaijan for some reason.
Thanks for clarifying Vache, much appreciated. Cheers also for checking out my content!
Beautiful Armenia
Thanks for watching!
yes yes, they really shocked us, enough
What are you on about mate?
I’m Armenian but have never been to the mother land. Hopefully next year.
Thanks for watching! Hope you get a chance to get to Armenia.
The hole in the roof is called an "oculus" and is considered to be the "Eye of God."
Thanks for adding this
The Almighty bless Armenia 🇦🇲 . I love Armenian brandy from Yerevan. Greetings from Minneapolis Minnesota ♥️🙏🙏🙏👍👍👍
Thanks for watching my videos and engaging! Really appreciate the support :)
Greetings from Malaysia
And greetings to you too! Thanks for checking out my videos :)
Intriguing trip. Very informative. What mic and camera are you using? Does it rain quite often in Armenia
Thanks Alexandre, glad you enjoyed it. I'm not an expert on Armenian weather so can't answer that one I'm afraid. I use a GoPro
Not so fun fact, the water in Lake Sevan used to be so pure that you could dunk your cup in & drink it. The rich kids & their toys have significantly polluted this once pristine lake.
Pollution a problem everywhere
New sub
Thank you Erik! Appreciate the support!
Do you have a link and price for this trip?
No link as I booked with the hostel (Envoy) directly. I paid 17900 Armenian Dram but I believe this includes a discount from staying at the hostel
Azamat Bagatov likes this.
I think he will yes
Our old world was a gigantic world of which most of us have no imagination. Those hexagonal rocks are the remains of petrified trees. Gigantic tress. Truly gigantic. Guess what caused their petrification them?
Believe what thou wilt of course.
Thanks for watching!
😍🥰👍👍🇦🇲🇦🇲
Thanks for taking the time to watch and comment! :) What a beautiful country!
At first glance I thought you were Peter Stormare.
Classic :)
does this one debunk how the giants causeway was formed?
No idea but it kind of makes me want to read up about it more!
@@willieexplore the narrative tells us it's lava. alternatives to this would be a giant tree. or giant human tendons a (mudfossil university) theory.
Greetings thank you for an amazing video. Is there anyone who knows the Haas families from Armenia who changed their surname to Hess as the moved in those days during the 15'000,s to England and Germany. I believe my ancestors are from Armenia. Ill be grateful for any replies. Thank you. ❤.
Thanks for watching! I hope someone can help you out with your query
Thank you ..All of the best in your endevours..
To me, east turkey and Armenia are the oldest peoples in the world. Oldest in the sense of they are the closest descendants of the people of the Valley of Eight.
I really enjoyed my visit :)
🇦🇲👌👌✌️
Thanks for watching!
What shocked me how they lost that war
No politics please, let's stick to travelling
Yeah, I'm sure Armenia is really proud of that little kardashian fact...
I asked some Armenians what they thought of it and they were actually quite fond of them, particularly their efforts to promote Armenia on the global stage
I hope you visit Iran as well
So many places to explore my friend!
Also Cher is part Armenian
Yes I've been told by a few :) Thanks for watching!