Home to the world’s oldest church and schools of keen chess players, Armenia borders Europe and Asia. This ancient country is also one of the places where you can send money with TransferGo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To celebrate everything we love about this historic, culturally rich and fascinating country, we thought it was high time to explore some interesting facts about Armenia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In Armenia, 97% of the population are Christians. It was also the first country to adopt Christianity as its state religion after G<\/span>regory the Illuminator (Lusavorich) converted Armenia from paganism to Christianity <\/span>in 301. The first church in the world was built here. Holy Etchmiadzin is now one of the most visited pilgrimage sites in the world.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Here\u2019s a fun fact\u2026 Armenia has its own alphabet. And it\u2019s one of the most advanced alphabets in the world. Created in 405-406 AD by scholar and monk Mesrop Mashtots, the Mashtots\u2019 alphabet is 36 letters long. It was originally designed to make the Holy Scriptures and liturgy more intelligible. Many locals are so proud of their alphabet that they have it framed and hanging in their living room.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n You already know that Armenia converted to Christianity in 301. So, you probably have a general idea that it’s a pretty ancient country. Well, the country\u2019s rich, cultural heritage actually dates as far back as 12,000 BC. This puts Armenia as one of the 6 ancient countries to have survived thousands of years along with Iran, China, Greece, Egypt and Japan. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n The game of chess has been gaining attention and popularity in Armenia since the 9th Century. Then between 1960 and 1969, an Armenian called Tigran Petrosyan became the 9th world chess champion. Since then, Armenian chess players have dominated many prestigious chess tournaments including the European Team Championship and Chess Olympics. In 2011, the game of chess was officially added to the school curriculum. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n If you look at photos of the skyline of Yerevan, Armenia\u2019s capital, you\u2019ll often see Mount Ararat in the background. Comprising two extinct volcanoes, this mountain is significant to the culture. And even though it\u2019s no longer in Armenia\u2019s current territory today (it\u2019s actually on the eastern side of Turkey), Ararat is considered to be the national symbol. It also appears in Armenia\u2019s national blazon. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n During World War I, the Ottoman empire committed a genocide killing approximately 1.5 million Armenians. During and since this time, millions fled abroad for safety. Many found refuge in countries such as the USA, Italy, France and Lebanon. Today, approximately 3 million Armenians live in their home country. Meanwhile, around 7 million Armenians live in other parts of the world.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Many famous Armenians have created many famous inventions. And many of them we live with and use today. From colour television (<\/span>Hovhannes (Ivan) Adamian) and ATM machines (Luther George Simjian) to the vast and complex industry of plastic surgery (Varazdat Kazanjian), Armenia has some very impressive inventions in its repertoire.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n ______________<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe country has its own alphabet<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Armenia dates way, way back<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
All public schools teach chess<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Ararat Mountain is the main symbol of Armenia <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
More Armenians live abroad than in Armenia<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Armenians have created many famous inventions<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n