Historical Overview for Travelers to Armenia

One of the world's oldest civilizations, Armenia onceArmenian population to the deserts of Syria and
included Mount Ararat, which biblical tradition identifiesMesopotamia. According to the majority of historians,
as the mountain that Noah's ark rested on after thebetween 600,000 and 1.5 million Armenians were
flood. It was the first country in the world to officiallymurdered or died of starvation. The Armenian
embrace Christianity as its religion (c. A.D. 300).massacre is considered the first genocide in the 20th
In the 6th century B.C., Armenians settled in thecentury. Turkey denies that a genocide took place, and
kingdom of Urartu (the Assyrian name for Ararat),claims that a much smaller number died in a civil war.
which was in decline. Under Tigrane the Great (fl.After the Turkish defeat in World War I, the
95-55 B.C.) the Armenian empire reached its heightindependent Republic of Armenia was established on
and became one of the most powerful in Asia,May 28, 1918, but survived only until Nov. 29, 1920,
stretching from the Caspian to the Mediterraneanwhen it was annexed by the Soviet Army. On March
Seas. Throughout most of its long history, however,12, 1922, the Soviets joined Georgia, Armenia, and
Armenia has been invaded by a succession ofAzerbaijan to form the Transcaucasian Soviet
empires. Under constant threat of domination bySocialist Republic, which became part of the USSR. In
foreign forces, Armenians became both cosmopolitan1936, after a reorganization, Armenia became a
as well as fierce protectors of their culture andseparate constituent republic of the USSR. Since 1988,
tradition.Armenia has been involved in a territorial dispute with
Over the centuries Armenia was conquered byAzerbaijan over the enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh, to
Greeks, Romans, Persians, Byzantines, Mongols, Arabs,which both lay claim. Also in 1988, a devastating
Ottoman Turks, and Russians. From the 16th centuryearthquake killed thousands and wreaked economic
through World War I major portions of Armenia werehavoc.
controlled by their most brutal invader, the OttomanArmenia declared its independence from the collapsing
Turks, under whom the Armenians experiencedSoviet Union on Sept. 23, 1991. In 1992-1994, Armenia
discrimination, religious persecution, heavy taxation, andsuccessfully fought Azerbaijan for control of
armed attacks. In response to Armenian nationalistNagorno-Karabakh. The majority of the enclave are
stirrings, the Turks massacred thousands ofArmenian Christians who want to secede from
Armenians in 1894 and 1896. The most horrificAzerbaijan and either become part of Armenia or gain
massacre took place in April 1915 during World War I,full independence. Enormous casualties were involved.
when the Turks ordered the deportation of the