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Armenia Travel Guide
Neither ruins nor museums can preserve history and antiquity, the spirit of ancient people best of all can do it. Armenia is the country of preserved ancient spirit, one of the most ancient countries. Even Gomer mentioned Armenia along with Persia and Syria in his maps. (Name of Armenia is known from VI century B.C.) The country was a part of ancient civilization center. Many evidences prove it: according to Greek myth, Prometheus was chained to a rock in the Caucasus (Armenian region) in eternal punishment; the Bible says that Noah's Ark stood still on the mountains of Ararat —so Armenia was a part of the ancient world. Armenia is the first country adopted Christianity so there you can find wonderful examples of the ancient architecture (basilicas, etc.). Geographically Armenia was in the centre of ancient Minor Asia and that is why it is a place of regular influx of ancient peoples: Persians, Greeks, Roman, Mongols, Byzantines. All nations from Alexander the Great to Timur tried to conquer this country. Armenia took much from different ancient cultures. Because every nation made its own unique contribution. Each people give its unique national colour. Many ancient civilizations have gone forever. Sumerians, Babylonians, Hittites, ancient Egyptians have gone as a result of cultural dissolution in changed environment. Thus Armenians proved able to resist centuries.
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