Armenia - acknowledged as one of the cradles of civilization - is a beautiful country with a sophisticated people and a long and cultured history. As a result, Armenia is an intriguing tourist destination. Numerous monuments and masterpieces of the Ancient era and Middle Ages can be found throughout the country. The monasteries of Haghpat and Sanahin enjoy have been given the status of world heritage sites. Tourism in Armenia is rooted in the country's historical landmarks and natural attractions such as the water resorts of Lake Sevan, the hot springs of Arzni and Jermuk, the forests of Dilijan, Aghveran, Tsaghkadzor, Bjurakan and Gugark, and the mountainous natural caves and cliffs of the Southeast region. The 5165 meter Mount Ararat, geographically located in Turkey, is a national symbol of Armenia and is visible from much of the Southwest region. In 1997 Armenia became a member of the World Tourism Organization.
The culture of Armenia encompasses many elements that are based on the geography, literature, architecture, dance, and music of the people. The culture is similar to and yet distinct from many of the bordering countries like Russia, Georgia and Iran as well as Mediterranean nations such as Greece and Cyprus . Armenian culture has strong influences from both its Eastern neighbors, as well as an underlying influence from Europe to the West.
Wine is the part of the national lifestyle, and traditional dishes are not complete without wine, drunk to beautiful and traditional toasts of Tamada (Toastmaker).
This region is famous for its red wine, especially "Areni". This wine is made of the relict vineyards the history of which goes to1000BC. They are really unique, and tasting once you will test them again and again. Armenia's enterprises produce over a dozen brands of brandies which according to the unanimous opinion of expert tasters are in no way inferior to the world-famous French ones.
Many of their labels show the gold medals awarded at international exhibitions.
The history of Armenian brandy starts from the vineyards of the Shustovs from the beginning of XIX century.
The Armenian language (հայերէն in TAO or հայերեն in RAO, Armenian pronunciation: [hɑjɛˈɾɛn]—hayeren) is an Indo-European language spoken by the Armenian people. It is the official language of the Republic of Armenia as well as in the region of Nagorno-Karabakh. The language is also widely spoken by Armenian communities in the Armenian diaspora. It has its own script, the Armenian alphabet, and is of interest to linguists for its distinctive phonological developments within Indo-European.
