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Armenia
Armenia is
located in the Caucasus region in Northern Eurasia. Historical Armenia
lies between the Taurus
mountains and Caucasus, embracing the three lakes of; Urmia (now in
Iran), Van (now in Turkey), and Sevan. Today, the
country is a mere fraction of its former self and shares its borders with Georgia, Azerbaijan, Iran
and Turkey.
Armenia has a
long history and an ancient culture. Known as the first country
to officially adopt Christianity in 301AD and with a literary heritage that
began shortly after in 405AD, Armenia has a strong sense of national
identity, not least because its territory has changed consistently and
considerably throughout the centuries. Due to its geographical
position as the crossroads of continents, it has been subject to constant
attacks, wars, conquests, deportations, partition and most recently the
horrific genocide of (1895-1920) where around two million Armenians
were deported from their homeland by the Turkish government around 1915.
Most perished on the tortuous journey through the desert and survivors
ended up in Syria, Lebanon, Cyprus and thence spread throughout the world
creating the diaspora.
With the
genocide barely at an end in 1922 Armenia was incorporated into the USSR and
thus it remained until the collapse of the Soviet Union and the proclamation
of Armenia's independence in 1991.
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Armenian Culture & Dance
With its
turbulent past, unusual experiences and multitude of influences, Armenian
culture has developed unique styles and sounds...
The soviet
Era, with all its problems also gave Armenia the opportunity to develop its
arts. During this period Armenian dance was collected and refined to
capture the essence and moods of various regions and styles.
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