Report Serge Barret / Photos Alain Parinet
It looks like an old-fashioned guinguette, one of those that once graced the banks of the Marne. A guinguette without a river, alas, because right in the centre of YerevanArmenia's capital, nestled in an absolutely secret courtyard that you reach... by walking through a souvenir shop. Not the slightest indication, not the slightest sign, nothing. Clearly, you have to know this Abovyan 12 restaurant to find it. There's a trellis covering almost the entire open-air space, chequered tablecloths thrown over bistro tables, an informal central bar and a stage set up on an old Russian tipper lorry converted for the purpose. A 'music truck' of sorts. The courtyard is enclosed by an old house, with a grand staircase and a traditional balcony lined with a few extra tables, a rough plank floor, kilims hanging outside and a veranda for the winter. Mad charm and an interior that has also been transformed into a slightly more sophisticated restaurant, with white tablecloths and large windows opening onto Rue Abovyan. What's on the menu? Pretty much the whole range of Armenian cuisine, with a hint of oriental flavour and a plethora of kebabs, as well as freshwater fish, soups, stuffed aubergines and delicious flat cakes topped with a tomato and minced meat coulis...
There are still a few places like this in Yerevan. There are also parks and charming shady lanes, but basically, it's quite rare, the bulldozers ravaging the country of the Soviets having passed through there. 70 years of annexation (1922-1991), they had plenty of time! However, if you overlook a few graceless streets as wide as the Champs-Elysées in Paris, you'll discover a lively capital, lounging on café terraces in summer and popping into wine bars in winter.
This is how we will see the city, blending Western modernity with the Caucasian way of life, a sort of mix between East and WestYerevan is one of the oldest capitals in the world, the legacy of more than 2,800 years of history. This history will be explored through the city's museums and monuments.
First stop: the history museum on the Place de la République, one of the city's two emblematic squares along with the Place de l'Opéra. In all, 160,000 exhibits tell the story of the fabulous history of Armenia which, at its height, stretched from the Mediterranean to the Caspian Sea, today's country occupying just one tenth of its historic territory. Bronze weapons, wooden chariots from the Xe century BC, helmets from the VIIe The most recent pieces include traditional costumes, handicrafts and carpets.
Illuminations and parchments
But when it comes to large museums, what's the point? some amateurs make the trip themselvesYou'll find it in the Museum of Manuscripts, the Matenadaran. No fewer than 20,000 manuscripts are housed in a dedicated building constructed in 1957 and guarded at the entrance by the imposing statue of Mesrop Machtots (362-440), the inventor of the Armenian alphabet. 17,000 works in Armenian, with others in Persian, Greek and Arabic, tell the story of history, science, philosophy, mathematics and medicine. These are marvels on display in air-conditioned showcases, masterpieces of illumination resplendent in all their intact reds, blues and golds. Not all of them are on show, of course, but the items on display - and the commentary provided by the French-speaking guides, who kindly put themselves within the reach of neophytes - are more than enough to give you an idea of the importance of books in Armenian culture.
This museum, undoubtedly one of the richest in the world in this field, is a strong attack on the cultural domain. But isn't that the point of a trip to Armenia, which is above all historical? Of course, we could also discover it, this legendary countryIt's said to be extraordinary, hiking through its mountains and canyons, along the shores of Lake Sevan, past archaeological sites and caravanserai ruins, isolated monasteries and Hellenistic temples, or even, in winter, on cross-country skis. However, the time constraints that mark business tourism operations are far from allowing this style of escapade, which generally lasts just over a week. But for the time being, the focus is on Yerevan, with the same guiding principle: one monument, one era. And of course, you can't escape the Soviet period which is everywhere in the capital, sometimes in an extreme greyness - like low-cost housing or an improbable warehouse in the middle of the city centre - and sometimes in a grandiloquent beauty, like the Place de la République or the Cascade, Yerevan's totem monument.
The Cascade. A flight of 572 steps, 50 metres wide, punctuated by terraces overlooking the whole city, as well as fountains and gardens. At the top, the monumental statue of the "fiftieth anniversary of Soviet Armenia"; at the bottom, the opera house. It's giganticIt's Soviet-style, thanks to the imagination of the town-planning architect Alexandre Tamanian, who is also omnipresent in Yerevan, having completely redesigned the city from 1924 onwards, rather like Baron Haussmann did in Paris. Gone were most of the beautiful Nikolai-style buildings, and to hell with the vestiges of the Persian city. Instead, and as a highlight, the opera house, but also this staircase, the actual construction of which did not begin until the 1970s, when the city's leading architect during the Soviet era, Jim Torisan, put flesh on the bones of Alexander Tamanian's idea.
After a period of inactivity due to the earthquake in 1988 and the collapse of the USSR, the Cascade was given a new lease of life when it was bought by Armenian-born American billionaire Gérard L. Cafesjian. Today, its bowels house a contemporary art centreThe Cafesjian Center for the Arts, where no fewer than 1,200 works can be seen, including works by Botero, Braque, Lichtenstein, Vasarely and Warhol... As a result, the area has become fashionable, with bistros, restaurants and discotheques, as well as a venue for major open-air shows. The late Charles AznavourThe Armenian music scene, with La bohème, Les comédiens and Emmenez moi playing in the background in almost all Armenian restaurants, has set up its beautiful museum-foundation at the very top of the building. In fine weather, the view of the eternal snows of Mount Ararat is said to be sublime. But alas, summer mists and capricious winter skies often get the better of the divine panorama.
Alexandre left empty-handed
We can always console ourselves with the thought that Alexander himself, on his way to conquer Asia, would have deliberately paused for a few days to catch a glimpse of the venerable mountain. And left furiously empty-handed. On the other hand, what the clouds and mists don't obscure is the spire on a nearby hill, the Memorial to the 1915-1922 genocide committed by the Ottomans who occupied Armenia at the time. Without any transition whatsoever - and how could there be any? - you'll cross the town in around ten minutes to get there. This duty of remembrance is a must-see in Yerevan, both for tourists and for heads of state on official visits, who symbolically plant a coniferous tree. At least those whose countries they represent have recognised the first genocide of the 20th century.e There are 29 of them in all. Among the great absentees are Turkey, of course, which, as we know, remains in total denial, but also, and among others, the United States. Even in Obama's time... The dramatically sober monument, built in 1996, houses an edifying museum with archives, photos, films and accounts of what Armenians modestly call the "Great Catastrophe". And it's terrifying!
Back to the hustle and bustle of the city, with a visit to the 18th-century Goy mosque.e You can also visit the central market with its gargantuan stalls of dried fruit, the cellars of the Ararat cognac distillery - one of the greatest cognacs in the world - and, in the evening, sample the best Armenian wines in one of the wine bars on Sarian Street, where you will come across the most famous Armenian wines. optimistic youth who no longer necessarily think of joining the diaspora. Taste in moderation, however, because tomorrow, at dawn, it will be the turn of the country roads to offer their wonders to the traveller's gaze.
As the country is not very large, barely bigger than Belgium, trips usually start from Yerevan, which serves as a base for hub. Unless, of course, you want to get to know Armenia at first hand, there is no shortage of hotels worthy of receiving corporate groups for a stopover here or elsewhere.
The day is slowly dawning and the weather is clear. It even looks like the sun is going to light up the first signs of a blue sky. A quick trip to the balcony of the Hotel Regineh, which has a commanding view of the city from the top of its hill, and then... and then... it's dazzling, almost staggering... His Majesty Ararat It's so close that you'd almost forget that it's now in Turkey... If you've travelled here just for that, you're in for a treat - it's truly sublime. It's so close that you'd almost forget that it's now in Turkey... If you've made the trip just for that, you're in for a treat - it's absolutely sublime.
Ancient Rome too
Some thirty kilometres from the capital, it's the turn of ancient Rome - which was missing from the picture - to make its presence felt with a perfectly preserved Temple of the Sun (77 AD) that boasts among the finest examples of Hellenistic architecture have come down to us. A rectangular house of grey basalt surrounded by 24 columns, the ruins of a palace, a fragment of a mosaic from the 3rd century AD, the remains of a church, the remains of a church, the remains of a church, the remains of a church and the remains of a church.e It's not just a breathtaking view of the Ararat plain, but also a welcoming village where the locals go out of their way - in true Armenian style - to do their foreign visitors proud. Some of the guest houses, which are perfectly suited to receiving large groups, organise demonstrations of the traditional production of lavash, Armenian bread made from flour, salt and water. It's spectacular, especially when the ladies, seated on the floor, turn the dough dexterously in space, then slam it with a sharp blow against the walls of an oven dug into the earth. Fresh from the oven, hot and crunchyLavash is a real delight.
Around ten kilometres away, at the bottom of a green valley, is the first of a series of monasteries along the way. This is the cave monastery of Geghard. Dating from the XIIIe century and listed by UNESCOThis is undoubtedly one of the must-sees on any visit to Armenia. It's an enchanting place, half carved out of the rock, with chapels, a church, domes, monastic cells, surrounding walls and, below, a gently rolling stream. If it weren't for the tourists, walkers, street vendors and sometimes even the overflow of pilgrims, the place would be a haven of serenity. The price of success, they say...
In fact, all the monasteries scattered across the country are a bit like that. Away from it all, mostly isolated in their mountains, but still easily accessible. The tourist agencies have understood this and have created a route, the aptly named "monastery route. To the untrained eye, they all look rather the same, with their walls and pointed-roofed tower. Specialist guides are therefore needed to distinguish the differences. But above all, each monument is an opportunity to discover many other aspects of Armenia's rich culture, in addition to the jewels of medieval architecture. For example, as you head south, the monastery of Khor Virap will provide some of the most beautiful photos of the entire trip, with the monastery in the foreground and the 5,165-metre peak of Mount Ararat in the background. The sinister watchtowers punctuating the border line below the building are a reminder that the mountain of the Book is now located on Turkish soil, some twenty kilometres away. And this is one of the things that Armenians feel most sorry about.
The oldest grape variety in the world
A little further on, the Noravank monastery, dating from the XIIIe It is set in a mountain cirque with steep cliffs where a few wild goats roam. You can also stop off in the wine-growing town of Aréni, visit some of the cellars and, of course, enjoy some wine tasting. Car growing vines Aréni is not exactly new. In fact, it is thought to be some 6,100 years old, since in 2011 scientists discovered the remains of a clear wine-making activity - along with the oldest shoe ever worn, dating back 6,000 years and preserved in the Yerevan museum - in a cave that can be visited today. This makes Aréni wine the oldest wine in the world. And that's just the beginning.
Even further south, on the road to neighbouring Iran, the monastery of Tatev, with its 9th-century stonework, is a must-see.e century, offers a completely different experience. It can be reached via the longest cable car in the worlda prodigious flight of 5.7 km, 320 metres above the Vorotan gorges. The Orbelian caravanserai, built in 1332 on the Selim Pass, and the powerful atmosphere emanating from the hundred or so menhirs of a III-II century observatory are also worth a visit.e millennium BC, well before Stonehenge. All this while skimming past villages with tufa houses that have escaped the Soviet makeover, coming across shepherds herding their flocks here and there on horseback in Central Asian style, occasionally plunging into gorges where the raging waters of a torrent flow, and then out of them, through windswept mountain landscapes. In the end, it's a relatively short journey. At the end, we'll stop off in a forgotten village, Dilijan, where some of the streets have been restored to their original state. Tufa walls, elaborate balconies, tiled roofs, tiny windows protecting whitewashed interiors, bazaar-shops that look as if they were oriental and a few restaurants set on large traditional covered balconies. An opportunity to discover the vernacular architecture of Deep ArmeniaAnd, above all, that Armenians are finally reclaiming their culture. Time regained, so to speak.
