Armenia

This digital reconstruction of the Armenian church's now-degraded walls shows its original shape.

This Newly Discovered, Octagonal Building in Armenia Is One of the World's Oldest Christian Churches

The structure—also the earliest of its kind in the Asian country—dates to around 350 C.E.

An overhead view shows the full layout of the 3,000-year-old bakery.

Archaeologists in Armenia Unearth a Bakery—Complete With 3,000-Year-Old Flour

Originally thought to be ash, the ancient powdery substance helped researchers identify the building's purpose

Conservators discovered this painting, Untitled (Virginia Summer), beneath another work by Gorky, The Limit (1947). The artist's relatives had previously noticed sections of The Limit peeling up at the corners, revealing bright blue paint below.

This Arshile Gorky Painting Spent 70 Years Hidden in Plain Sight

Experts discovered a sea-blue canvas by the Armenian American artist concealed beneath another one of his works on paper

This past October, Ruben Ghazarayan (above left with his brother Karen at the 2018 Smithsonian Folklife Festival) fought on the frontlines of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, his brother is selling their Armenian cross-stones to support their families during the conflict.

In Times of Conflict, How Can We Support the People Who Keep Culture Alive?

A Smithsonian research fellow weighs in on the ways culture proves both vital and resilient

Local residents walk through the damaged Ghazanchetsots Cathedral, or Holy Savior Cathedral, in Shushi. Azerbaijani forces targeted the cathedra during a six-week offensive designed to regain control of the region.

Why Scholars, Cultural Institutions Are Calling to Protect Armenian Heritage

After six weeks of fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh, Armenia agreed to cede control of territories in the contested region to Azerbaijan

Altar Frontal (1741), Isfahan. Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin

The Met’s Latest Show Traces Armenia’s Cultural Evolution

<i>Armenia!</i> features more than 140 artifacts, including gilded reliquaries, illuminated manuscripts, textiles

Writers’ Resort, Sevan

Tour Armenia's Enduring Soviet-Era Architecture

Armenia's unique flavor of Soviet Modernism combined socialist design ideals, classical stonework and pink volcanic rock

Interior view of the House of Culture.

Photos Document What Remains of a Soviet Atomic City

A new book explores the architectural history of Metsamor, Armenia, once a planned utopia for nuclear power plant workers

Wild Bilberry.

Mapping Armenia’s Edible Landscape, One Wild Bilberry Bush at a Time

The 1000 Leaf Project aims to document Armenia's hundreds of edible plants and mushrooms with help from local residents

A carpet making master class run by the Getik Bed and Breakfast in eastern Armenia.

Artisan Master Classes Hope to Draw Travelers Into the Armenian Countryside

A local NGO is working with farmers and craft makers to develop new cultural tourism offerings in Armenia's scenic Gegharkunik region

A cook works on khorovats skewers at Taron Restaurant in Yerevan.

Get to Know Khorovats, Armenia’s Favorite Grilling Pastime

Raising a Glass to Armenia’s Elaborate Toasting Tradition

In the backyard of the world’s oldest-known winery, a cherished national tradition evolved

Armenian shadow puppetry is a technique whose origins can be traced to the 1300s. The puppet theater group known as Ayrogi has set out to keep this imaginative art form alive.

Illuminating the Shadowy Art of Armenian Puppet Theater

Tricksters and beasts dance across the imagination in these silhouetted puppet shows

Over the course of the 2018 Folklife Festival, experienced artisans worked hand in hand with crochet novices to decorate a humble tree of life.

Armenia’s “Tree of Life” Tradition Took Root Thousands of Years Ago, and Has Only Grown Since

The tree adorned in this year’s Smithsonian Folklife Festival will continue to blossom overseas

Sahkanush and Haykanush Stepanyan became experts at rugmaking while still teenagers.

The Age-Old Tradition of Armenian Carpet Making Refuses to Be Swept Under the Rug

A new generation is emerging to craft the ancient rugs

The Tatev Monastery sits perched on a cliff above Vorotan Gorge, Armenia's largest gorge.

How a Record-Breaking Aerial Tramway Helped Save a Centuries-Old Armenian Monastery

The world's longest reversible cableway now carries an unprecedented number of visitors to this historic site

Water throwing on Vardavar is a holiday unique to Armenia.

The Point of Armenia's Splashy Holiday Is Getting Wet

The ancient tradition of Vardavar attracts tourists to Armenia, but bring a change of clothes

The spectacular 13th-century Noravank monastery is situated among mountain cliffs in southern Armenia.

This Free Virtual Reality App Drops Users in the Heart of Historic Armenia

Painstaking imaging of cultural heritage sites worldwide has the potential to usher in a new era of participatory preservation efforts

Miqayel Voskanyan plays the tar, an Armenian folk instrument.

These Soulful, Soothing Armenian Songs and Instrumentals Blend East With West

Performers from all over the globe gather with traditional instruments to perform at this year’s Folklife Festival

Arev Armenian Dance Ensemble

How Armenian Dance Adapted Over Time and Place

Choreography, music and technique are on tap at a Folklife Festival Dance Summit

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