Armenian Culture

      Today I'm going to talk about my culture. I'm going to talk about language, beliefs of Armenia,
literature,education, about Armenian foods, clothes, art, music dance and sport.
     Language:  Armenia's official language is Armenian, however many people also speak Russian due to its proximity to the former Soviet Union. Other languages are taught in the country, as Universities and public schools. Those languages are Spanish, Italian, German, French and specially English.The Armenian alphabet is a graphically unique alphabet that has been used to write the Armenian language since the year 405 or 406. It was introduced by Saint Mesrop Mashtots, an Armenian linguist and ecclesiastical leader, and originally contained 36 letters. Here is the picture of Armenian alphabet:  

Now i'm going to talk about beliefs of Armenia: Up to 97% of Armenians follow Christianity. Armenia has its own 
church, the Armenian Apostolic Church, which most Armenians follow. It was founded in the 1st century AD, 
and in 301 AD became the first branch of Christianity to become a state religion. The largest religious minority is 
Armenian Catholicism, which is in communion with the Pope in Rome. Due to the country's large ethnic 
homogeneity, non-Christian religions such as Yazidism and Islam are small, particularly since the Nagorno-
Karabakh War. Here is the picture of Armenian Apostolic Church:

Now I'm going to talk about literature:The Armenian literary tradition began early in the fifth century  A.D.with  religious tracts and histories of the Armenians. The most important of these were written by Egishe, Movses Khorenatsi, and Pavstos Buzand.

In the eighteenth century Armenian Catholic monks of the Mekhitarist order began publishing ancient texts, 

modern histories, grammars, and literature. In the nineteenth century, Armenians developed their own journalism 

and public theater. Khachatur Abovian wrote the first Armenian novel, Verk Hayastani (The Wounds of Armenia), 

in the early 1840s. Armenian literature and drama often depict struggles against religious and ethnic oppression and the aspirations of Armenians for security and self-expression.  Here is the picture of Armenian literature:

Now I'm going to talk about Armenian education:   Armenia has a well developed education system.

Education is very important for Armenians.

Armenia elementary and secondary education is free and compulsory.

Children from 6 to 16 years old must have at least 8 to 10 years of training. After that the have the option to 
attend university education or vocational education. Here is the picture of Armenian very popular Yerevan

State University:

Now I'm going to talk about Armenian foods: Armenian food distinguishes itself from other regional cuisines by the quality and freshness of the ingredients, the extensive use of fruits and nuts, the use of pickles and pickled vegetables and the use of fresh herbs. People are proud of their national cuisine.  The cooking styles 
include the Mediterranean cuisine, Caucasus cuisine, Middle East cuisine, Eastern Europe cuisine, and the 
Balkan cuisine.  Armenian food has a lot of elements that might already be familiar to many from other Ottoman 
cuisine. Armenian recipes are as varied as their regions and dialects.  Barbecue or grilled meat, stuffed pastries, 
and steamed vegetables are usually served as the main course in Armenian cuisine.  Fish, diverse types of 
meats and numerous sorts of fruits and vegetables, combined with also a great number of condiments, lead to 
the uniqueness of the Armenian cuisine, both in taste and in look. The appetizers in Armenian cuisine give a hint 
to the eater on what to expect for the remaining dishes to be served.  If you are curious about one of the world’s 
most ancient cultures, or are contemplating a trip to Armenia, don’t miss the chance to taste some Armenian 
dishes. Here is the picture of Armenian foods:

    Now I'm going to talk about Armenian clothes: The traditional Armenian clothes are very colorful and 
various. The traditional man's suit consisted of silk or cotton color shirt with low collar and side fastener and wide 
trousers from dark wool or cotton. Over the shirt Armenians put on cotton or silk arkhaluk – outerwear with low 
collar fastened waist down with hooks or small buttons. A heavier item was called chukha; it was made of wool 
and worn with a narrow big buckled belt.

Western Armenians wore a waistcoat over shirt and waist length jacket with full sleeves without fasteners in 

front. 

The belt was replaced with long wide woven scarf wrapped around the waist several times.

Women's traditional clothes of both eastern and western Armenians were homogeneous. The outerwear included a long dress of arkhaluk type with a cut on chest and cuts below hips. The waist was wrapped in long folded silk or woolen scarf. The embroidered apron and decorations were indispensable elements for western Armenian women. On their heads men wore caps of different styles: the fur ones were worn in the east; knitted and women  in the west. Women's headdresses, especially in the east, looked like a "turret" made from cotton fabric with ornaments tied with several scarves covering a part of face. Western Armenian women used to wear ornate head bands with capes. Here is the picture of Armenian dress:

  Now I'm going to talk about Armenian art:  Armenian art is the unique form of art developed over 4,500 years of habitation of the Armenian Highland by the Armenian people. Armenian architecture and miniature painting have dominated Armenian artistic production and have shown consistent development over the centuries. Other media of Armenian art include sculptures; frescoes, mosaics, and ceramics; metalwork and engravings; textiles; music; and printing. Most works of Armenian art had a Christian meaning.Here is the picture of art:

Now I'm going to talk about musics:     The music of Armenia has its origins in Anatolia and the Caucasus Mountains, where people traditionally sang popular folk songs, usually sung by Ashugs, the most famous one probably being Sayat Nova. Armenia has a long musical tradition, and its music has been represented in recent times by artists such as Djivan Gasparyan, a world-wide renowned Duduk player, and Armenian pop singers such as Sirusho, Andre and Harout Pamboukjian, a Los Angeles-based pop singer who is famous mainly in Armenia and the United States and is also acclaimed in Lebanon, Syria and countries with an Armenian-speaking minority. Armenia is also renowned for its Classical music tradition, with composers of the level of Aram Khachaturian, Arno Babadjanian and Edvard Baghdasaryan.

There is also a big following of genres such as Chanson music, with singers like Ruben Hakhverdyan and genres such as Light Pop and Pop-Folk (usually referred by the term "rabiz") music, with artists such as Aram Asatryan, Tata Simonyan, Tatoul Avoyan and many others.

Melodic basis:

Traditional Armenian folk music as well as Armenian church music is not based on the European tonal system but on a system of Tetrachords. The last note of one tetrachord also serves as the first note of the next tetrachord - which makes a lot of Armenian folk music more or less based on a theoretically endless scale.

Folk music:

 Armenians have had a long tradition of Folk music from the Antiquity and during the Ottoman times. While under Soviet domination, Armenian folk music was taught in state-sponsored Conservatoires. Instruments played include kanun (dulcimer), davul (double-headed hand drum), oud (lute), duduk, zurna, blul (ney), shvi and to a lesser degree saz. Other instruments are often used such as violin and clarinet. The duduk is Armenia's national instrument, and among its well-known performers are Margar Margarian, Levon Madoyan, Saro Danielian, Vatche Hovsepian, Gevorg Dabaghyan and Yeghish Manoukian, as well as Armenia's most famous duduk player, Djivan Gasparyan.

Earlier in Armenian history, instruments like the kamancha were played by popular, travelling musicians called ashoughs. Sayat Nova, an 18th century Ashough, is revered in Armenia. Performers such as Armenak Shahmuradian, Vagharshak Sahakian, Norayr Mnatsakanyan, Hayrik Muradyan, Raffi Hovhannisyan, Papin Poghosian, and Hamlet Gevorgyan were famous in Armenia and are still acclaimed. The most notable female vocalists in the Armenian folk genre have been Araksia Gyulzadyan, Ophelia Hambardzumyan, Varduhi Khachatrian, Valya Samvelyan, Rima Saribekyan, Susanna Safarian, Manik Grigoryan, and Flora Martirosian.

Armenian emigrants from other parts of the Middle East settled in various countries, especially in the California Central Valley, and the second- and third-generation have kept their folk traditions alive, such as Richard Hagopian, a famous oud-player. Another oud player, John Berberian, is noted in particular for his fusions of traditional music with jazz and rock in the 1960s. From Lebanon and Syria, George Tutunjian, Karnig Sarkissian and others performed Armenian Revolutionary Songs which quickly became popular among the Armenian Diaspora, notably ARF supporters. In Tehran Iran the folk music of the Armenian community is characterized by the work of Nikol Galanderian (1881–1946) and the Goghtan choir.

Other Armenian musicians include Ara Topouzian who performs on the kanun and VANArmenya, who sings both folk, children's and patriotic songs, performs on keyboards, and promotes the music of "the other Gomidas," Grikor Mirzaian. There are several folk ensembles from Armenia, the Shoghaken Folk Ensemble, founded in 1995 in Yerevan, has worldwide popularity, and others such as the Arev Armenian Folk Ensemble.

Arto Tunçboyacıyan is a well known Turkish musician of Armenian descent, who is famous in Turkey and worldwide, and currently has his own jazz club in Yerevan, Armenia. He was the founder of the Armenian Navy Band.

Religious music:

Armenian chant, composed in one of eight modes, is the most common kind of religious music in Armenia. It is written in khaz, a form of indigenous musical notation. Many of these chants are ancient in origin, extending to pre-Christian times, while others are relatively modern, including several composed by Saint Mesrop Mashtots, who re-introduced the Armenian alphabet. Some of the best performers of these chants or sharakans, are at the Holy Cathedral of Etchmiadzin, and include the late soprano Lusine Zakaryan.

Armenian religious music remained liturgical until Komitas Vardapet introduced polyphony in the end of the 19th century. Apart from his contribution to religious music, Komitas may be considered the founder of modern classical Armenian music. From 1899 to 1910, he travelled through the Armenian highlands and collected more than 3,000 folk tunes many of which he harmonized and transformed into Lieder. Here is the picture of Armenian music:

 

Now I'm going to talk about Armenian dance:  The Armenian dance (Armenian: Հայկական Պար) heritage has 
been one of the oldest, richest and most varied in the Near East. From the fifth to the third millennia B.C., in the higher regions of Armenia, the land of Ararat, there are rock paintings of scenes of country dancing. These dances were probably accompanied by certain kinds of songs or musical instruments. In the fifth century Moses of Khoren (Movsés Khorenats'i) himself had heard of how the old descendants of Aram (that is Armenians) make mention of these things (epic tales) in the ballads for the lyre and their songs and dances.
Traditional dancing is still popular among expatriate Armenians, and has also been very successfully `exported' to international folk dance groups and circle dance groups all over the world. The majority of people feel something special in Armenian dances, and in the passion, subtlety, and eloquence which they embody. All dancers wear the traditional costume to embody the history of their culture and bring their ancestors stories alive. The design of these costumes are influenced by many factors, such as religious traditions, family methods, and practicality. The traditional deep red color and exquisite beading of the costumes brings the dance and the tradition together. The beautiful movements of the Armenian cultural dance are adored by all audience around the world. The origin of religious dancing is ancient, an expression of the inner feelings of the worshipers. It is of interest to note that dance never occurred alone, but was always accompanied with song, clapping of hands, and musical instruments. As with music, so too the dance expressed a person’s internal spiritual emotions and personal disposition. By its very movements dance is able to bring out and make known a person’s grief and joy.  Here is the picture of dance:

 

                                                           

  And at the end I'm going to talk about Armenian sports: A wide array of sports are played in Armenia. 
Football is the most popular sport in Armenia. Other popular sports are wrestling, weightlifting, judo, chess, and 
boxing. Armenia has been very successful at chess, weightlifting, and wrestling at the international level. 
Armenia is also an active member of the international sports community, with full membership in the Union of 
European Football Associations (UEFA), Federation of International Bandy (FIB), and International Ice Hockey 
Federation (IIHF). It also hosts the Pan-Armenian Games. Here is the picture of sport: