Tuesday 3 November 2015

Armenian News... A Topalian...15 best kept secretes in Armenia...

armenpress.am 
Aleppo rocket attacks leave two Armenians dead and one injured
17 October, 2015
 
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 17. Armenians were killed as a result of
rocket attacks by armed terrorist groups in Aleppo's Nor Geghi
district. There is also one injured. ''Armenpress'' was informed about
this from the editor of the Aleppo-based `Gandzasar' weekly Zarmik
Poghikyan.

The killed and injured are identified. The rocket attack resulted in
the death of Vera Kirakosian-Kentimian,1956, and her son Harutyun
Kentimian, 1985. Davit Ter-Nersisian is injured.

The bodies are already taken. Their funneral will be held on October
17 at St. Mary Church in Aleppo. 


a1plus.am 
Two out of ten families in Armenia are hungry
October 17,2015 


About 50% of the population is poor in our country, today, on the
World Day to Overcome Extreme Poverty, announced sociologist Aharon
Adibekyan and added that this index varies in Armenia, `In the
communities the poverty is about 60%, yet in Yerevan 40% of the
population is poor.'

With the poverty index Armenia is on the 33rd place in the world,
Azerbaijan- 41st, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Georgia are poorer.

The average family in Armenia has 26-40 thousand income. 25% of the
population lives on benefits and only 33% on salaries, `The poor,
whose poverty cannot be concealed, make up 19-20% of the population.
The wealthy make up 15%, yet the number of the rich has decreased from
3% to 1%,' notes the sociologist and adds Armenia need USD 150 billion
in order to overcome poverty.

According to the data of the UNO, today 2 million people in the world
are below the level of poverty, `Generally, 70% of the poor live in
rich countries, as they separate several levels of poverty. For
example, a person in Europe, who hasn't got a car, isn't able to buy
meat on every other day or organize picnic once a week, is considered
to be poor.' 


arka.am 
 56% OF ARMENIAN CITIZENS SUPPORT THEIR COUNTRY'S 
MEMBERSHIP IN EURASIAN ECONOMIC UNION

YEREVAN, October 19. A study of the Eurasian Development
Bank's Center for Integration Studies shows that this year 56% of
Armenian citizens support their country's membership in the Eurasian
Economic Union - eight percent less than in 2014.

More than 11,000 people in Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan and Ukraine were surveyed
this year.

The survey shows that 78% of Russia's population and 80% of
Kazakhstan's population favor their countries' membership in the union.

In Belarus the rate was lower - 60% - eight percent decrease, compared
with 2014.

Kyrgyzstan showed the highest rate - 86% of its citizens are happy
about their country's membership in the Eurasian Economic Union.

Tajikistan is singled out among those countries that have not joined
the union so far for its highest rate - 72%.

"This fact shows reasonability of further priority development of the
Eurasian Economic Union's integration interaction with Tajikistan as
well as Uzbekistan, where this year 68% of the population would like
to see their country in the union," the authors of the report say.

Residents of Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia were asked
what they thought about establishments of some common institutions
within the Eurasian Economic Union, such as a single currency as
well as common laws, army and administration institution. Answers
were different and there was no a single stance on this matter in
none of these countries, excluding Armenia, where 55% of respondents
`expressed favor for a single currency.

"Another exception is related to a single army - in Belarus and
Russia 57% and 53% respondents respectively were against this idea,"
the centre says in its report.

Remarkable is that Eurasian integration was chosen rather by old
than young people in almost all the countries of the Commonwealth of
Independent States.

The gap between approaches of new and old generations was wide
especially in Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine.

Besides, it was noticed that in large countries (Russia, Kazakhstan
and Ukraine) the difference in preferences depended also on territorial
differences.

The Eurasian Development Bank's Center for Integration Studies started
conducting its integration preferences studies in partnership with
the Eurasian Monitor International Research Agency in 2012.

The Eurasian Economic Union started functioning on January 1, 2015.

Its members are Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.

arka.am 
ARMENIA'S RESIDENTS PREFER INVESTMENTS FROM RUSSIA 
AND THE UNITED STATES - REPORT
YEREVAN, October 19. Armenia's residents prefer investments
from Russia and the United States, according to 'The Eurasian
Development Bank Barometer- 2015 ' report of the Eurasian Development
Bank's Center for Integration Studies.

More than 11,000 people in Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan and Ukraine were surveyed
this year.

The respondents were asked from which countries they want to have
capital, investments, companies and entrepreneurs in their countries.

According to the results of the survey, 46% of respondents in Armenia
prefer investments from Russia and 45% from the United States.

Citizens of Belarus and Kazakhstan prefer Russian investments. Russian
investments are most preferable in Tajikistan (69%) and Kyrgyzstan
(59%).

American investments are preferable to Georgia (52%) and Ukraine (46%).

EU courtiers' residents prefer to have capital inflow from Germany
(34%) and France (31%).

The results of the survey show that Armenian citizens prefer
investments from other countries - 54% in 2015 against 37% in 2014,
and 47% of respondents in Armenia prefer investments from CIS countries
against 37% in 2014.

According to the National Statistical Service of Armenia, the
total inflow of foreign investments into Armenia's real sector
(the difference between foreign investment net inflow and net
outflow) amounted to AMD 81.9 billion in the first half of 2015 - 6%
year-on-year growth.

Armenia's biggest investors in the first half of 2015 were Germany
(AMD 11.1 billion or $23.2 million), Cyprus (AMD 11 billion or $22.9
million), the United Arab Emirates (AMD 9.3 billion or $19.6 million),
the Virgin Islands (AMD 8.4 billion or $17.7 million), Argentina
(AMD 7.8 billion or $16.3 million) and Canada (AMD 6 million or
$12.7 million).

The Eurasian Development Bank's Center for Integration Studies started
conducting its integration preferences studies in partnership with
the Eurasian Monitor International Research Agency in 2012.

The Eurasian Economic Union started functioning on January 1, 2015.

Its members are Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.


a1plus.am 
NATIONALISTS TEAR DOWN ARMENIAN WRITING LETTERS IN 
TURKEY'S IGDIR
October 19, 2015

An unknown person, or persons, has stripped off some of the Armenian
writings that were put up at the entrance of Tuzluca city (i.e.,
the historical Armenian Koghb city) in Turkey's Igdır Province,
which borders Armenia.

The Armenian from the four-language inscription was attacked, according
to News.am, reported CNN Turk news agency of Turkey.

The police informed that an unknown person, or persons, had stripped
off the letters of the Armenian writing that read "Goodbye," and a
probe has been launched into this incident.

About one month ago, Turkey's pro-Kurdish "Peoples' Democratic Party"
(HDP)-member mayor of Tuzluca had also put up an Armenian inscription
that read "Welcome" and "Goodbye" at the city entrance. This, however,
had caused quite a stir especially among the Azerbaijani associations
of Igdır. 


Trend, Azerbaijan
Oct 17 2015
Turkey goes on the offensive
17 October 2015
By Rufiz Hafizoglu 

At first sight it may seem that there is nothing in common between the
last decision of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) with
regard to the `Armenian genocide' and the EU's recent agreement with
Ankara to limit the Syrian refugee flow from Turkey to the Union.

But when carefully examining the situation in Europe with regard to
the Syrian refugees it can be seen that there is actually a link
between the two developments.

Syrian refugees, both in Turkey and in Europe, can cause a number of
social problems, which is by the way quite obvious.

Initially, a number of European countries decided that they could only
receive Christians from Syria and Iraq. This decision in fact is
nothing but a religious discrimination, contradicting the European
values. The decision can also lead to further religious monotony of
Iraq and Syria.

Currently, Turkey, along with Jordan, is a home to Syrian and Iraqi
refugees, where they live without problems. Given this, these two
countries can be called a `paradise for refugees.'

Every country tries to protect first of all its own interests in all
kinds of developments, and so, with regard to the Syrian refugees,
Ankara and the EU also act in line with their interests only.

Ankara, on one hand, proved to the EU that it can keep the Syrian
refugee flow into the Union, and on the other hand, demanded that the
Union stops criminalizing the denial of the so-called Armenian
genocide.

The decision taken by the ECtHR with regard to the so-called Armenian
genocide can be seen as the Armenian diaspora's collapse and Turkey's
victory. History has once again proved that the so-called Armenian
genocide had been a trump card for super powers.

Northern Cyprus moving from the lira to the euro

Northern Cyprus has always rested on Turkey's political and economic
support, and it doesn't differ from Turkey.

Almost all the political and economic developments in Turkey, which is
considered by Turkish Cypriots as their motherland (ana vatan as they
call it in Turkish), are in the first place reflected on the Northern
Cyprus.

However, despite that the Northern Cyprus is being supported by
Ankara, there are still some aspects that drastically make it
different from Turkey.

Northern Cyprus is a place where the Muslim identification of
population ends and the national identification begins, according to
the majority of the Turkish Cypriots. That is, national values are
higher here than the religious ones.

Besides, the views of the current political leaders of Northern Cyprus
already differ from those of the political elite in Turkey.

Earlier, Mustafa Akinci, leader of Turkish Cypriots told Trend that
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus speaks for the policy independent
from Turkey.

Turkish cypriots believe in their power and are confident that they
will be able to pursue independent policy, he added. `It is an
advantage not only for us, but also for Turkey,' said Akinci.

The Cyprus issue remains a major political obstacle to Turkey's
accession to the EU.

But it seems that Turkey has solved this issue in its own way.

Earlier on October 13, Northern Cyprus started technical work on the
transition of the national currency from the Turkish lira to the euro.

Experts of the European Union will arrive in the Northern Cyprus and
start work with officials of the country as part of the preparations.

Along with the transition to the euro, the process of accession of
Northern Cyprus to the European Union Customs Union (EUCU) will begin
as well. The customs legislation of Northern Cyprus will be brought
into line with the EU legislation within the framework of this
process, which is primarily in the interests of Turkey.

Some experts believe that this is the first serious step to get out of
Turkey's control but in fact it is not so.

In order to withdraw from the jurisdiction of Turkey, Northern Cyprus
must have economic development, which is currently missing in the
Turkish part.

Refusal of Northern Cyprus from the lira and the transition to the
euro may lead to serious problems for the EU in the future.

It can be said that Turkey, which previously defended itself against
political and economic pressure from the EU, has completely taken the
offensive. 


Discover Armenia's 15 Best Kept Secrets
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Armenia is a small country that doesn’t find itself on the list of popular tourist destinations. But for tourists who like to explore nature, learn about history, drink and eat delicious food, Armenia is the right choice, it’s a rustic ancient land with amazing countryside where people take great pride in their traditions, culture, religion and cuisine.
 
Armenia is getting more attention since Kim Kardashian’s recent visit. She came to visit her ancestral homeland and pay respect to the Armenian genocide. There are many popular places to visit in Armenia, but as always, there are some hidden beauties not many people know about.
Follow us through this wonderful journey and discover the 15 best-kept secrets in Armenia.
1 – KARAHUNGE
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This place is also called the Armenian Stonehenge. [source]
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The holes were drilled on most of the stones and pointed out to different stars. [source]
This temple was built a few thousand years ago to honor the sun god- Ari. It is the world’s oldest astronomical observatory and is older than Stonehenge in England and Egyptian pyramids. It consists of 223 stones, many of which have small holes pointing at a different direction in space. Surprisingly, not many people have heard of this ancient place, making it a real hidden gem of Armenia.
2 – THE GÖK (BLUE) MOSQUE
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The name came from the blue tiles on the mosque. [source]
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The mosque is hidden by apartment buildings surrounding it. [source]
The blue mosque is the only remaining mosque in Yerevan, Armenia’s capital. The name blue came from blue tiles at the entrance and the exterior of the mosque. Evan though it covers more than 70,000 sq. ft. of land in the center of Yerevan and has a big inner courtyard, this place is pretty much hidden by the surrounding buildings.
3 – ARENI-1 CAVE COMPLEX
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This cave complex is an important archeological site. [source]
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The oldest shoe ever found was discovered in Areni Cave. [source]
If you find yourself in Armenia, you must take a tour in the Areni Cave Complex that lies along the Arpa River. What makes this place special are the Copper Age artifacts found there, such as the oldest shoe, brain, and wine press in the world! This wine press is the earliest proof of wine-making ever found.  Since they were discovered in 2010, they really make this place one of the best-kept secrets.
4 – ALPHABET MONUMENT
image088.jpg
The monument is dedicated to the Armenian alphabet. [source]
These giant stone letters are dedicated to Mesrop Mashtots, the creator of the Armenian alphabet. They were set near his resting place in 2005 when the alphabet celebrated its 1600th birthday. His system has been used ever since, and each of 39 letters has its own free-standing statue in a large field near the village of Artashavan.
5 – GARNI GORGE
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Cliff walls of Garni Gorge. [source]
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Climbers enjoy this natural wonder. [source]
Garni Temple is a famous place to visit in Armenia, but along the sides of the gorge are lesser-known  cliff walls with hexagonal basalt columns. This part of the gorge is called the Symphony of the Stones because they look just like organ piano pipes. They were formed over the years by the river below. This place is a heaven for cliff climbers.
6 – UMBRELLA WATERFALLS
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This waterfall looks just like an umbrella. [source]
Not many people know about Hunot Gorge, an amazing natural beauty where you can find caves, forests and umbrella waterfalls. The hike down to the waterfalls is a long one, up to 2 hours, but you can always make a stop and rest at the villages along the road.
7 – ARMENIAN ILLUMINATED MANUSCRIPTS
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An example of Armenian manuscript. [source]
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Matenadaran building  is where the manuscripts are held. [source]
They are a form of medieval art and Byzantine tradition. Around2.500 of these manuscripts are preserved at the Matenadaran, Armenian institute of ancient manuscripts. The building itself is quite recognizable in Yerevan, but not many people are aware of what lies inside.
8 – VERNISSAGE FLEA MARKET
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This diverse market offers many traditional carpets. [source]
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A part of the market with spices. [source]
Vernissage Flea Market in Yerevan is one of the best open markets in the world. This is the place where you can find basically everything. From ceramics, carved wood, paintings, jewelry to other things such as carpets, dolls, books. This place is a heaven for bargain hunters. Colorful Vernissage market is open just on weekends, so if you stay in Yerevan, make sure to visit this diverse market.
9 – WINE REPUBLIC
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You can choose what to drink from the shelves.
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Try some of the best dessert wines here. [source]
Located on 2 Tamanyan Street in Yerevan, as the name says, this place has an incredible wine offer, comfortable and warm atmosphere, and delicious food. You don’t have to order your wine from the menu, you can browse the bottles yourself and choose what to drink. You can try some of the best Armenian dessert wines here.
10 – CRYSTALS OF REFRAIN
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The stones are a part of an art installation. [source]
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Different stories are carved on the stones. [source]
Kcymaerxthaere is the name of the project made by a geographer Eames Demetrios. It is basically a parallel universe the author has created and this installation is home to one of the key stories. The story is carved on 12 different stones, and even it  can be found in other countries, the installation in Armenia stands as the most elaborate one.
11 – LOVERS PARK
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This park is a calm and quiet place in Yerevan. [source]
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The statue was made by Jean-Michele Othoniel. [source]
Lovers park is a beautiful, quiet and charming place in Yerevan. If you want to enjoy nature, this is always a good place to wander in. You can take a hot cup of coffee and read the morning paper sitting on a bench in this calm and peaceful place. This park is a quiet and romantic getaway.
12 – JEAN-PAUL EXISTENTIAL CAFÉ
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If you want to have an intelligent conversation and enjoy good wine, this is the place to visit. [source]
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In this cafe you can see different art exhibitions. [source]
Inspired by Jean-Paul Sartre’s words “Man is condemned to be free”, this place in Yerevan gives its visitors the opportunity to express their opinion, drink, get noisy, and have fun. It is a combination of art-café and a pub. It’s a place for friendly gatherings accompanied with good wine.
13 – LEVON’S DEVINE UNDERGROUND
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All the caves were made using just hand tools. [source]
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There are several underground rooms. [source]
Levon was a builder who dug a series of caves under his house in Arinj, using nothing but hand tools. The idea started when his wife asked him to make a potato cellar. He worked every day and made stunning stairs, halls, and rooms. After his death, his wife opened a small museum to honor the work of her husband.
14 – SERGEI PARADJANOV MUSEUM
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Some of the art made by Sergei Paradjanov during his imprisonment. [source]
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A recreated room of his flat. [source]
This museum is a tribute to world renown Armenian filmmaker of the 20th century. Persecuted by the Soviets, he made many screenplays and librettos in prison, all of which you can see in the museum. There are also many collages and artworks he made when he was banned from filmmaking for 15 years. There is also a recreated room of his flat in Tbilisi.
15 – WINES AND COGNAC
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Karasi wine is one of the finest Armenian wines. [source]
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Ararat cognac is something you should definitely try when visiting Armenia. [source]
Armenia produces some of the best dessert and cherry wines in the world, like red dry Areni wine and Karasi wine. You probably didn’t know that, did you? Also, in the 1900 Yerevan Wine & Brandy Factory got an official permission to use the word cognac and since then Armenia is home to some of the finest brands like “Ararat”, “Great Valley”, “Mané” and “Armenika”.

THE MOST POPULAR TOURIST DESTINATIONS IN ARMENIA
If you decide to visit Armenia, these are the places you should definitely see as well, as suggested on WaveUpTravel.
1 – KHOR VIRAP MONASTERY
Near Mount Ararat, is one of the most popular destinations in Armenia. This is the place where Centuries back St. Gregory the Illuminator, the Baptist of Armenia, was imprisoned for 13 years. He restored sanity to King Tiridates III which caused both the king and the entire country to convert to Christianity, making Armenia the first country in the world to be declared a Christian nation. You can see the church and the pit where Gregory was imprisoned and witness many cultural events, performances, weddings.
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This monastery plays an important part in Armenian history. [source]
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In this church is a pit where Gregory the Illuminator was held for 13 years. [source]
2 – TATEV MONASTERY
Dates back to 9th-century and it is fortified among Armenian cliffs. It was built on an ancient pagan worship site and later turned into the most important Armenian medieval university that played the notable role in preserving Armenia’s culture. Apart from centuries-old structures you can also see a pear tree planted  in the churchyard around 110 years ago.  To get there, you can enjoy the unique beautiful landscape riding in the world’s longest cable car.
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Take the world’s longest cable car ride to see this monastery. [source]
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Ceiling in Tatev monastery. [source]
3 – THE COMPLEX OF GEGHARD MONASTERY
The monastery founded in the 4th century and was carved into the side of the mountain. This complex has significant historical and cultural value and was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Inside the complex, you can see many small caves, chapels, carvings and enjoy in the peace and tranquility of a beautiful  rocky mountain landscape.
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One part of the complex was carved into the mountain. [source]
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Inside of the church. [source]
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Columns and ceiling of the Geghard monastery. [source]
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Jamatun was the first rock-cut chamber in Geghard complex. [source]
4 – TEMPLE OF GARNI
Garni was a pagan temple dedicated to the sun goddess Mithra. It was built in a classical Hellenistic style, and it resembles the Greek Parthenon. The entire temple is a reflection of sacred geometry with symbolic meanings behind its structure. The altar, the ornaments, the stairs and columns were made according to geometrical laws. You can see famous Roman Baths with mosaic floor and witness the amazing natural setting of this ancient temple.
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Garni temple looks just like the Parthenon in Greece. [source]
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It was designed to follow the rules of geometry. [source]
5 – LAKE SEVAN
Sevan is the largest lake in Armenia and one of the largest freshwater mountain lakes in the world. The name Sevan actually means black. There is a medieval monastery located in what used to be an island, and now is a part of Sevan peninsula. The area includes many beaches, campgrounds and picnic areas where you can go skiing, windsurfing, and sailing.
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This huge lake is a perfect place for camping. [source]

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