Impressions of Armenia

A police officer walks along central Yerevan's Victory Bridge — named after the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany — that crosses the Armenian capital Yerevan's Hrazdan River.



See also:

Explore Central Yerevan's Food Market

A young man shows his support for Armenia's national football team in central Yerevan before a European Championship qualifying match against Serbia.



The match would result in a 1-1 draw.

A musician looks out the window of a bus carrying the members of a brass band to their next destination.

Young boys gratefully drink from the water fountains on Yerevan's central Republic Square.

A woman is seen preparing dolmas ?€“ a common dish in the Caucasus consisting of vine or cabbage leaves stuffed with vegetables or meat.

Armenians are renowned for their khorovats ?€” the Armenian word for barbecue ?€” and use large skewers to prepare meat, vegetable and even fruit dishes.

A photo of Soviet filmmaker Sergei Paradjanov, best known for his film "The Color of Pomegranates," is seen hanging from the wall of the courtyard of a museum dedicated to his work.



Born in Tbilisi in Soviet Georgia in 1924, Paradjanov was imprisoned by the Soviet authorities on charges related to homosexuality and pornography.

The Parthenon-like Temple of Garni, close to the eponymous village, dates back to the Hellenic period.



It is the only remaining Pagan temple in Armenia.

People are seen lighting candles ?€” the only source of light ?€” at the monastery of Geghard, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Classical Armenian texts have been carved into large slabs of stone around the monastery.



Though no longer used in daily life, classical Armenian continues to be the liturgical language of the Armenian Apostolic Church.

The monastery is partially dug out of the surrounding mountains.

The head of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Catholicos Karekin II (right), attends the opening of an international school in the mountain resort town of Dilijan.



Armenia prides itself on being the first country to adopt Christianity as its official religion in AD 301.