(Architectural, historical, archaeological)

Armenia has been the stage for many principal political and religious events for the past 4 thousand years. Dating back to the times of Assyria and Babylon, this ancient land has experienced numerous invasions from the legions of Alexander of Macedonia, the Roman Empire and the hordes of Genhis-Kahn and Tamberlain. Armenia boasts the densest concentration of historical and archaeological monuments of early Christianity in the Transcaucasus.

Thousands of historic and prehistoric sights have survived in Armenia to this day. Examples include the remains of a Neolithic camp in Shengavit, Yerevan suburb, and Neolithic underground stone shelters in the village of Oshakan. To the north-west of Yerevan, on the slopes of Mount Aragats, there are remnants of large berdshens (cyclopean fortresses encircling hilltops). View the mammoth menghirs of the megalithic encampment of Khoshun-Dash, and the vishaps of the Geghama mountains (extraordinary huge stone-carved images, usually those of huge fish, date, by our reckoning, back to 2000 BC).

In the ninth century BC, the Urartu Kingdom evolved in the mountainous areas of today's Armenia. This epoch is represented on the territory of Armenia through a smattering of splendid works of architecture - the ruins of as Argishtikhinili, Erebuni and Teyshebaini. Recent excavations have revealed large fortifications and extensive habitations and produced unique articles of Urartian art, on view in the State Museum of Armenian History and the Hermitage (Leningrad).

While Teyshebaini was simply an imposing fortress an Urartu stronghold on the hillside of Karmir-Blur, founded in the 7th century BC, Erebuni acted as a military and administrative centre, founded in the last quarter of the 8th century BC by the king Argishti.

Stone cutting has been a hallmark of Armenian architecture and design throughout the centuries. A tradition of stone cutting and stone construction dates back to this early Urartian period. Finest examples can be seen at Erebuni and other Urartian sites. Pagan, Hellenistic fine monuments are 
Enjoy:

· The settlement of the Early Humans - 178 000 mil. BC 
· Camps of primitive civilisations
· The rock carvings - 6 mil. BC
· Fields of Dolmens and Menghirs in Sissian and 
  Goris (Zangezour) - 5-4 mil. BC 
· The prehistoric  observatories - Karahunge 5 mil. BC and 
  Metsamor 2 mil. BC

· Neolithic settlements of Metsamor, Shengavit, Ltchashen  4-3 mil. BC 
· Priceless historical and national treasures of rich   museum collections: Museum of History of Armenia, Matenadaran   (the world's largest repository of Ancient Manuscripts), Etchmiatsin  Cathedral Museum, Ethnographic Museum in Sardarapat and Metsamor.
· The medieval centre of science and culture - Universities of Gladzor, Tatev, Vorotnavank, etc. (13-17cc)
· The greatest libraries of the oldest Monasteries - Haghpat, Sanahin, Geghard, etc.

· Urartian sites and fortresses, numerous cuneiform
  writings - 1 mil. BC 
· Towns and monuments of pagan period - Garni, Dvin,
  Armavir 
· Historical monuments of Christian Period from  301 AD 
  to the present time