Arménien survival kit

About this kit

Armenian (հայերեն) is the official language of Armenia and one of the oldest Indo-European languages. Its alphabet, created in 405 by Saint Mesrop Mashtots, has 39 letters and is a pillar of Armenian identity. With this kit, you have the bare essentials to get by in Yerevan, at Tatev monastery or within the diaspora.

Armenian (հայերեն, hayeren) is the official language of the Republic of Armenia and the mother tongue of around seven million people worldwide, half of whom live outside the country within an active diaspora in France, the United States, Russia, Lebanon and Argentina. It is one of the oldest Indo-European languages attested in writing, with a continuous literary tradition dating back to the 5th century.

The Armenian alphabet, created in 405 by the monk Saint Mesrop Mashtots to translate the Bible, now has 39 letters and is a major identity marker. It distinguishes uppercase from lowercase and reads from left to right. The language exists in two standard forms: Eastern Armenian, spoken in Armenia, Iran and Russia, and Western Armenian, the language of the diaspora and the former Ottoman Empire. Both variants remain mutually intelligible but differ in pronunciation, some grammatical agreements and vocabulary.

Travelling in Armenia means discovering a country at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, the first nation in the world to adopt Christianity in 301 AD. Mount Ararat watches over the capital Yerevan, medieval monasteries such as Khor Virap, Tatev and Geghard punctuate the landscapes, and the cuisine, rich in herbs and cheeses, accompanies long conversations over coffee. This kit gathers the bare essentials to greet, find your way, order a meal and signal an emergency. You will also find cultural tips to respect the memory of the genocide, the codes of Armenian hospitality and toasting rituals. Memorise these phrases before leaving and you will earn the immediate trust of your hosts.