Yerevan: ontdekking te voet

Yerevan was een van my grootste verrassings.  Ek het beplan om daarheen te reis sodat ek berg Ararat kon sien, maar wat gewag het was net buitengewoon mooi / opwindend / uitstekend.

Lees en sien meer by:
http://www.adventurous-travels.com/2013/07/yerevan-armenia-pink-city.html

Hier volg net 'n paar fotos geneem tydens 'n stap deur die weldeurdagte uitleg van die binnestad:

                                                Die laggende kiwi naby die Cascades

                                               Die Cascades is 'n gesig om nooit te vergeet nie.

                                         Die Cafesjian kunssentrum waar die Cascades gelee is.

                                          'n Soetigheid aan die einde van die aandwandeling

                                     Die roosverkoper - op straat - werk tot laataand


History of Yerevan began in the eighth century BC when the fortress of Erebuni was founded in 782 BC by king Argishti I. Since then, the Armenian capital has been one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Yerevan, due to its location was always the center of battles, invasions and clashes by its neighboring empires - Arab, Persian, Ottoman and Russian. The city was leveled to the ground several times not only by invaders but also by natural disasters like earthquakes. Not much of ancient Yerevan has been preserved to this day. The ruins of the Erebuni fortress that give testimony of the greatness of Armenian culture and history are one of the few examples. After the first world war, Yerevan was a small town with only around thirty thousand inhabitants. The survivors of Armenian Genocide started to come back to their fatherland and settle there. In the twentieth century, Armenia became a part of the Soviet Union and Yerevan expanded rapidly during those times. The population grew to around one million within a century. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Armenia didn't handle the transition from communism to free market economy very well and many factories, state farms and other forms of industry stopped operating causing many problems in the country's economy. Nowadays, Yerevan is being reconstructed and it reminds a big construction site. There are many new investments in the area although the level of poverty and the shadows of past times of the Communism Era are still clearly noticeable. However, don't let this discourage you from visiting Yerevan in Armenia as it has a lot to offer culturally and historically (more than you would expect from such a small country), not to mention beautiful scenery and nature.

Op pad van Yerevan na Tbilisi

Saam met Envoy op klein toerbussie noord na Georgie. ' n Verligting vir ons albei dat daar 'n paddiens is want die nagtrein van Tbilisi na Yerevan is 'n reis wat mens net eenkeer aanpak!
     Die toer sluit besoeke aan vele UNESCO erfenistereinne in.
     Haghbat, 'n kloosterkompleks is maar een daarvan... 'n uitstekende voorbeeld van Middeleuse argitektuur.

 meer inligting by: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haghpat_Monastery

'n deel van die mausoleum wat die koningin vir haar seuns se oorskot lat bou het. Let op die kruissteen en die fyn klipwerk.

Meer resent is daar 'n begrafplaas bygevoeg...

  Spoedig was dit middagetetyd en ons is na die rivier Alaverdi vir 'n braai-ete. Ek kon nouwel nie die rivier sien nie, maar die kos was heerlik.  Hier is 'n foto van die slaai en ons gasvrou wat turkse koffie aandra...

Na die ete wag daar nog een kerk op ons!   Akhtala ... ook 'n (nou onaktiewe) kopermyn.

Wikipedia verskaf agtergrond:

Akhtala (Armenian: Ախթալայի վանք; Georgian: ახტალის ტაძარი); also known as Pghindzavank (Armenian: Պղնձավանք, meaning Coppermine Monastery) is a 10th-century fortified Armenian Apostolic Church monasterylocated in the town of Akhtala in the marz of Lori, 185 kilometers (115 mi) north of Yerevan.^[1] The monastery is currently inactive.^[2] The fortress played a major role in protecting the north-western regions of Armenia (Gugark) and is among the most well preserved of all in modern Armenia.^[3]

The main church at the compound is famous for its highly artistic frescoes, which cover the inside walls, the partitions, and the bearings of the building. The modern name of Akhtala was first recorded in a royal decree of 1438. The etymology of the name Akhtala is believed to be of Turkic origin, meaning white glade.^[4] The original Armenian name of the settlement where the monastery is built is Pghindzahank, which means copper mine

Die ingang na Akhtala

Kennismaking met berg Ararat

'n Daguitstappie in Armenie met Envoy Tours na die grens van Turkye was 'n besonderse belewing.

                                            Ararat: altyd so mistig misterieus. Altyd sneeubedek,
                                                    vulkanies en meer as 5 kilometer bo seevlak

                                    Sedert ongeveer 1915 nie meer in Armeense grondgebied nie.
                                                      nou anderkant die geslote grens met Turkye

                                              Ararat, met Khor Virap* regs op voorgrond.

Op pad terug van Khor Virap, stop ons vir middagete by Viri, die klipkunstenaar. Dis 'n eenvoudige huis met buitetoilet, maar die groot sateliet TV het 'n ereplek en is aan tydens die ete.  Viri se vrou is 'n uitmuntende kok en ons word oorlaai met hulle gasvryheid.

                                                       'n Voorbeeld van Viri se klipkuns

                                                        Van Viri se gereedskap

                                               Viri wys vir Kia hoe om 'n waterkruik te dra

                                                            Kia op Viri se stoep

                                             Kia en ons gids op die Ararat-toer

                                                                    Kia en die kok

Bron: Wikipedia:    The Khor Virap * (Armenian: Խոր Վիրապ, meaning "deep pit" or "deep well") is an Armenian monastery located in the Ararat plain in Armenia, near the closed border with Turkey, about 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) south of Artashat, Ararat Province. The monastery was host to a theological seminary and was the residence of Armenian Catholicos.

Khor Virap's notability as a monastery and pilgrimage site is attributed to the fact that Gregory the Illuminator was initially imprisoned here for 14 years by King Tiridates III of Armenia. Saint Gregory subsequently became the king's religious mentor, and they led the proselytizing activity in the country. In the year 301, Armenia was the first country in the world to be declared a Christian nation. A chapel was initially built in 642 at the site of Khor Virap by Nerses III the Builder as a mark of veneration to Saint Gregory. Over the centuries, it was repeatedly rebuilt. In 1662, the larger chapel known as the "St. Astvatsatsin" (Holy Mother of God) was built around the ruins of the old chapel, the monastery, the refectory and the cells of the monks. Now, regular church services are held in this church. It is one of the most visited pilgrimage sites in Armenia.

In die omte van die Ou Muur: Tbilsi

Ons het vir  vyf nagte aan die begin van Oktober akkommodasie by The Old Wall Hostel vlakby die bekende Marionetteteater gehad.
     In die tyd verken ons die buurt... van sy verlate agterstraatjies tot by die pragtige knus Cafe Leila met sy Persiese dekor en die skewe toring van die teater.

Op ou paaie in Praag

In 2005 saam met Arie in die Tjeggiese hoofstad gewees.  Een van die gebeure wat my bybly van daardie besoek is die 60-jarige viering van die bevryding van die stad op 8 Mei.
  Oktober  vanjaar vinnig  vir Kia gaan wys hoe 'n klein deeltjie van die stad lyk wat vir haar pa soveel plesier verskaf het ...

St Giles kerk... in die flek Amadeus gebruik.  Ons het 'n orrelkonsert daar bygewoon.

Die Kadinsky paleis... tot my vreugde was daar 'n uitstallilng van die lewenswerk van die naiewe Franse kunstenaar Rousseau.  Absoluut die moeite werd. Kia was langsaan om o a vir Andy Warhol te ontmoet

Nuwe Joodse sinagoge

Monument ter ere van Franz Kafka

Voor die Mosaic Hostel

Frank Gehry se kantelende gebou, bekend as die Fred and Ginger bldg. 

(na Hollywoodstrerre Fred Astaire en Ginger Rodgers)