Discover Armenia!
 

Welcome to our Armenia Archive. Have fun browsing!

 

Article #132: Historical Overview for Travelers to Armenia

(Browse for more articles)

 
One of the world's oldest civilizations, the Armenian population to the deserts of
Armenia once included Mount Ararat, which Syria and Mesopotamia. According to the
biblical tradition identifies as the majority of historians, between 600,000
mountain that Noah's ark rested on after and 1.5 million Armenians were murdered
the flood. It was the first country in or died of starvation. The Armenian
the world to officially embrace massacre is considered the first genocide
Christianity as its religion (c. A.D. in the 20th century. Turkey denies that a
300). genocide took place, and claims that a
In the 6th century B.C., Armenians much smaller number died in a civil war.
settled in the kingdom of Urartu (the After the Turkish defeat in World War I,
Assyrian name for Ararat), which was in the independent Republic of Armenia was
decline. Under Tigrane the Great (fl. established on May 28, 1918, but survived
95-55 B.C.) the Armenian empire reached only until Nov. 29, 1920, when it was
its height and became one of the most annexed by the Soviet Army. On March 12,
powerful in Asia, stretching from the 1922, the Soviets joined Georgia,
Caspian to the Mediterranean Seas. Armenia, and Azerbaijan to form the
Throughout most of its long history, Transcaucasian Soviet Socialist Republic,
however, Armenia has been invaded by a which became part of the USSR. In 1936,
succession of empires. Under constant after a reorganization, Armenia became a
threat of domination by foreign forces, separate constituent republic of the
Armenians became both cosmopolitan as USSR. Since 1988, Armenia has been
well as fierce protectors of their involved in a territorial dispute with
culture and tradition. Azerbaijan over the enclave of
Over the centuries Armenia was conquered Nagorno-Karabakh, to which both lay
by Greeks, Romans, Persians, Byzantines, claim. Also in 1988, a devastating
Mongols, Arabs, Ottoman Turks, and earthquake killed thousands and wreaked
Russians. From the 16th century through economic havoc.
World War I major portions of Armenia Armenia declared its independence from
were controlled by their most brutal the collapsing Soviet Union on Sept. 23,
invader, the Ottoman Turks, under whom 1991. In 1992-1994, Armenia successfully
the Armenians experienced discrimination, fought Azerbaijan for control of
religious persecution, heavy taxation, Nagorno-Karabakh. The majority of the
and armed attacks. In response to enclave are Armenian Christians who want
Armenian nationalist stirrings, the Turks to secede from Azerbaijan and either
massacred thousands of Armenians in 1894 become part of Armenia or gain full
and 1896. The most horrific massacre took independence. Enormous casualties were
place in April 1915 during World War I, involved.
when the Turks ordered the deportation of






1 - A - B - C - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 - 11 - 12 - 13 - 14 - 15 - 16 - 17 - 18 - 19 - 20 - 21 - 22 - 23 - 24 - 25 - 26 - 27 - 28 - 29 - 30 - 31 - 32 - 33 - 34 - 35 - 36 - 37 - 38 - 39 - 40 - 41 - 42 - 43 - 44 - 45 - 46 - 47 -