Armenia is an ancient country and it appears on some of the oldest world maps. You won’t fully feel the weight of how old the country is when you are walking around Yerevan. However, once you leave the city and visit some of the country's monasteries you will truly experience what an ancient country looks like.
There are about 4,000 monasteries all throughout Armenia which is quite a lot for such a small country. However, Armenia was the first country to accept Christianity as their country’s religion back in 301 AD. Armenians are very proud of this and of all of their monasteries. It is something that they believe is heavily tied to their culture.
While many of the monasteries and monastic complexes are quite large and grand, it was the small details that stood out to me. From the carvings on the wall to the arches above each entrance I couldn’t help but notice all of the intricacies. While people took pictures of the view or of the monastery as a whole I was taking pictures off door frames and forgotten about corners.
I have been to quite a few monasteries in Armenia, but the top 5 I would suggest are: Noravank, Geghard, Khor Virap, Haghpat, and Etchmiadzin. I could go on and tell you why I fancy each one, but I would rather you have your own unique experience and not let my words influence your viewpoint.
