- The best in the world - Armenian brandy
- Wine according to old recipes
- Homemade cheeses
- Decorations
- Ceramics
- Carpets
- Chasing
- Wood products
- Sweets and souvenirs
The oldest city in the world, with a history of about three millennia, Yerevan is also considered one of the most beautiful capitals - surrounded by mountain peaks, overlooking the legendary Ararat. Tourists are attracted to Yerevan by the centuries-old cultural heritage, thousands of ancient temples and churches, beautiful landscapes. But not a single trip, even the most informative one, is complete without a shopping raid - for gifts and souvenirs. What can you bring from Yerevan?
The best in the world - Armenian brandy
Of course, cognac! An excursion to the factory, which produces the world-famous cognac, always ends with its tasting and purchase. In Armenia, with its short winters and long summers, with three hundred sunny days a year, there are ideal conditions for growing grapes - a special one, from which the best brands of cognac are born. These grape varieties grow only in the Ararat valley. The berries are picked slightly unripe so as not to exceed the sugar content required for cognac. You can get acquainted with the production process of this inimitable drink during a tour of the factory.
If not at a cognac factory, then it is better to buy cognac in company stores or on departure - in Duty Free.
The most famous brands of Armenian brandy for reference:
- Shustov - in honor of the owner of the Armenian brandy factory, who has done a lot for the world authority of the drink;
- Ararat is the oldest and most famous brand in honor of the most famous mountain range;
- Noah - it was he, according to legend, who first planted grapes at the foot of Mount Ararat;
- Arame;
- Legend of Armenia;
- Sargis Armenia.
Wine according to old recipes
The second excursion, also informative, is to "Areni", a winery, where they introduce you to the millennial history of Armenian winemaking. It is impossible to determine the exact time of the emergence of this art, but the wine barrels found by archaeologists on the territory of Armenia are twenty-seven centuries old. According to the surviving sources, wine was among the gifts that the Armenian king presented to Nero, and this is the first century.
Souvenir copies of Armenian wines can be purchased at the factory. The most popular wines are apricot and pomegranate. Blackberry, cherry, raspberry, quince are very tasty.
Homemade cheeses
This is another food that Armenia is famous for, an indispensable component of the Armenian feast. Most cheeses do not last long and are bought before leaving. The exception is smoked cheeses, the incredible taste of which is complemented by smoky smoke.
Excellent cheese producers, the Armenians have invented many varieties of it that have received worldwide recognition:
- Zhazhik - from fermented milk matsun based on goat milk with herbs and spices.
- Chanakh - made from cow's milk, kept in brine with wine or honey.
- Lori - from a mixture of buffalo and cow's milk, salty and spicy.
- Chechil is an invention of shepherds, a braided pigtail, with a longer shelf life. Smoked chechil is stored even longer, the taste is even richer, the aroma is breathtaking.
- Khoratspanir is known as buried cheese. Made of feta cheese with mountain herbs, aged in a clay pot in the ground for several months. With a thick odor and vigorous taste.
Decorations
Jewelry traditions have been kept and observed for generations, so jewelry here is always of high quality, exquisite and unique. Both silver and gold items are distinguished by exquisite artwork and incredible variety. The quality of the metals is also very high, as is the purity of the gems in the products. The prices for silver jewelry are quite reasonable, and the choice is wide. Noteworthy are beaded products, interesting styles and the finest weaving.
Jewelry can also be bought in the souvenir rows of the markets, it will still be of high quality. In the shops of Armenian jewelry houses, designer models and rare jewelry in the colorful style of ancient masters are presented.
Ceramics
Like all traditional Armenian crafts, ceramic art originates from ancient times. Over the millennia, ceramics has become a fashionable arts and crafts trend. Armenian ceramics are original and recognizable. Bowls, dishes, jugs with a low neck and a tray, pots - all this is made of red clay. Both products made of baked clay and coated with glaze are equally beautiful. Bright images on the glaze are, as a rule, herbal or national ornament, images of birds and animals, made in the old Armenian technique. All this beauty is inexpensive and is readily bought by tourists.
Carpets
The point of view that carpets were brought from other cities only in the era of total scarcity changes at one glance at the bright palette and unique ornament of local carpets. Carpet weaving is the original craft of the Caucasian countries since antiquity. Everything is done by hand, even woolen threads are dyed with natural dyes.
The main features of Armenian carpets are stylized images of animals protecting the house (dragon, snake, eagle) or national ornament in red-yellow-brown tones. These extraordinarily beautiful things are expensive - manual work of great complexity. You can buy a very small rug or tablecloth, they will decorate any home. Or you can buy a bag or vest woven from wool with similar patterns. Or very small woven things: wallet, bottle case, etc.
Chasing
Armenian art chasing is also included in the treasury of applied arts of the planet. In all souvenir shops and malls you can find products of blacksmithing masters: horns for wine, daggers with inlays and appliqués made of copper and silver. Dishes, jugs and goblets made of pewter, copper, brass with traditional minting. The choice of products with metal carving, embossing and colored enamel is unusual. Moreover, all the items are handmade, and you cannot find two identical ones.
Wood products
In the hands of Armenian craftsmen, the tree becomes obedient plasticine. From it, original things are obtained, moreover, decorated with intricate carvings. Any interior will be decorated with a wooden clock, or a vase, or an original statuette, or carved chess, or backgammon. Tourists willingly buy the national musical instrument duduk - a hollow apricot tube with several holes. This pipe emits soft, soothing sounds and looks original. They even make jewelry out of wood, unique and stylish. Icons made of wood, with filigree carvings, are simply amazing with their beauty.
Sweets and souvenirs
For those with a sweet tooth, Yerevan has the richest assortment, moreover, from natural products. The extract from a mulberry tree, the famous Armenian doshab, is not only tasty, but also healthy. It raises immunity, gives strength, heals from colds. Eyes diverge from the choice of jam: from nuts, rose petals, quince, cherries and other fruits and berries. Among the dried fruits, it is worth paying attention to alani - dried peaches with sugar filling, and nuts in honey with fruit.
Noteworthy are cosmetics that have not yet been promoted, but with great potential. It is completely natural, medicinal. The Yerevan Plant of Natural Oils produces products for general health improvement and cosmetic care. Everyone who has tried it predicts a great future for her.
When buying souvenirs, you can choose leather goods, also handmade. And be sure to buy a souvenir with a pomegranate tree - a symbol of Armenia.
