Textiles and Traditions of Armenia

Meet Mandy Shaw and your tour manager at London Heathrow airport for your flight to Armenia. Upon arrival transfer to your hotel in Yerevan, Armenia’s capital.

Today we start our exploration of Armenia’s vibrant capital, Yerevan. This ancient city is home to great traditions mixed with modern trends. Our guided tour begins in the Republic Square, the masterpiece of the architect Alexander Tamanian, and then continues to Cascade Complex, an open-air museum of modern art. Take the stairs to Victory Park, where the monument to Mother Armenia stands tall and provides views over downtown Yerevan. During the tour we will also capture the Opera House, Freedom Square before visiting the Folk Art Museum, a unique cultural hub which exhibits examples of applied, decorative and fine arts. Here, you will find a collection of Armenian embroidery and have the opportunity to participate in an introductory workshop learning the traditions of Armenian embroidery with a local.

After, we visit the local flea market Vernissage. Enjoy browsing the handmade souvenirs, jewellery, ancient rugs and hand-woven carpets.

This evening we will enjoy dinner in a local restaurant.

This morning, join Mandy for your first workshop at the hotel.

We will have our lunch in a local restaurant and then head to Alex Textile factory, known for its high-quality and fashionable products and learn about the company’s process of textile making.

Today, our day begins with a visit to Megeryan Carpets factory, this company preserves the traditions of ancient Armenian rug weaving, folk ornaments and styles. During our visit, we will have a guided tour and learn about the rich carpet weaving traditions and cotton and silk production.

The day continues to the Ararat and Vayots Dzor regions, where we will enjoy sightseeing at Khor-Virap monastery and Noravank monastery. In Yeghegnadzor we will visit a local mastery established by Smithsonian Centre for folklife and cultural heritage. Here we will enjoy a latch hooking class, learning to create ornamental decorations for clothes.

Our exploration today starts at the unique historic village, Khndzoresk. This village is famous for its ancient caves and you can discover many signs of past settlement throughout the valley where caves have been carved by man to serve as houses for people. We continue to the Tatev Monastery, a 9th-century Armenian Apostolic monastery standing on the edge of a deep gorge of the Vorotan River, by the world’s longest cable car.

Then we drive to Verishen, a rural community famous for its sheep breeding and preparing traditional Armenian carpets from sheep wool. The Goris Women’s Resource Centre has created sustainable income opportunities for women and vulnerable groups. During our lunch we will have the opportunity to meet these women, have a tour of the centre, see their work and speak with them.

Our day ends as we arrive at our hotel in Goris, a small town bursting with historical, cultural and natural landmarks.

Leaving Goris, we cross the Selim Pass to visit the medieval Selim Caravanserai, an important trading post on the Great Silk Road, and arrive at the small village of Noratus. This village is famous for its centuries old Khachkar’s, fascinating symbols of Armenia’s culture and religious heritage in a form of a decorative cross-stone. After, we will drive to Lake Sevan, the largest alpine freshwater lake in the Caucasus region. Enjoy sightseeing here before heading to our hotel in the resort town of Dilijan, surrounded by the forests of Dilijan National Park.

We will start our day exploring the heart of the Dilijan’s old town, Sharambeyan Street, which has been preserved and maintained. Here you will find traditional old houses, craftsmen’s workshops, galleries, cafes and more. We will stop at Dila Villa, a local artists house-studio where we will have the opportunity to create batik in a traditional Armenian style.

After, we start our journey back to Yerevan, visiting the Armenian crafts centre, Garni Temple and enjoy lunch at a local house in Garni and participate in the making of Armenian national bread in the underground stove.

This afternoon we visit the Monastery of Geghard, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, set in a landscape of natural beauty. The monastery contains a number of churches and tombs that are cut into the adjacent rocks, showcasing the magnificent medieval Armenian architecture.

Later on, arrive at your hotel in Yerevan.

Enjoy your last workshop with Mandy this morning at the hotel before having an afternoon of free time either spent at the hotel or venture into Yerevan.

Today we will transfer to the airport for our return flight to the UK.