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After making the journey from Armenia to the Republic of Artsakh, I jumped right into learning as much as I could about the local cuisine and culture. Come along with me as I bake Artsakh tonrav hats, eat Artsakh food, and go on a monasteries tour!
Lusine: / guin_dalera
Armenia Travel: / armeniatravelofficial
Artsakh Travel: / artsakhtravelofficial
My Artsakh adventure began at with my awesome guide, Lusine, at Dadivank Monastery. It’s one of the biggest monastic complexes in Artsakh and was built between the 9th and 13th centuries.
Inside the main church are beautiful 13th-century frescoes on the walls. They’re absolutely incredible. The frescoes were preserved by being covered in black dust from fires that were lit to heat the church.
Next, we saw the oldest part of the monastery, where Dadi’s grave is located. We also saw intricate and impressive khachkars with carvings of the cross on them.
Then, we headed to a master class and lunch! We’d get to learn to make tonrav hats and have some Artsakh food. We met up with Lilit from Artsakh Travel and arrived at ArtsakhBerry, a center and gastro yard on a farm. There, I tried my best at making the bread, and then it was time to eat!
Then, it was time to eat our tonrav hats and Artsakh food! We started with some amazing, fruity pomegranate wine, juicy barbecued pork with onions, and bread. It was fluffy and similar to pizza dough.
Then, I got some sweet and smoky barbecued eggplant and tender roasted eggplant that fell apart in my mouth, and some nice garlic. I followed that with cheese made right at the gastro yard.
Next was the jingalov bread, which contains 17 types of greens, followed by capers and a fatty piece of pork that was like chicharrones, as well as some super salty cheese.
They also make some strong-smelling vodka there! In their shop, they sell jams, marmalades, garlic, juices, pomegranate wines, and wood carvings made by art school kids from the village. I was blown away!
Then, after a quick pit stop so I could chase some sheep in a field, we passed through the town of Vank on our way to the 13th-century Gandzasar Monastery. I loved the intricately-carved door. There are so many carvings, inscriptions written in the Armenian alphabet, and blooming crosses.
This monastery is known as the encyclopedia of Armenian medieval architecture. The main church is named for John the Baptist. Some of John the Baptist’s relics are under the altar along with relics from Gregory the Illuminator, the first patriarch of all Armenians.
There are also beautiful carpets inside containing Armenian and Artsakh symbols, as well as a wall of inscriptions in the Armenian language. It tells everything about the history, agreements between noble families, the country, and more.
When you turn to the right after exiting the church, you get incredible views over the mountain. Further on is the original door and ancient entrance to this complex, which was the religious center of Artsakh until the 19th century! Beyond it is an ancient, abandoned graveyard.
Five minutes away is a natural rock in the village that looks like a lion! It’s the Lion Cave and is natural except for the paw and teeth. They added whiskers, some black paint on the nose and around the mouth to make it look more lion-like! It was incredible!
I hope you enjoyed baking Artsakh tonrav hats and trying Artsakh food with me! If you did, please give this video a thumbs up and leave a comment. Also, please subscribe and click the notification bell so you don’t miss any of my upcoming travel/food adventures!
Special thanks to my friends at Armenia Travel for their kindness, hospitality, and for arranging my trip. I couldn’t have done it without them! Also, if you would like to visit Artsakh, please contact Lusine.
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About Me:
My name is David Hoffmann. For the last decade, I have been traveling around the world in search of unique culture, food, and history! Since starting David’s Been Here in 2008, I have traveled to over 1,100 destinations in 76 countries, which I welcome you to check out on my KZbin channel, travel blog, and social media sites.
I focus a great deal on food and historical sites, as you probably have seen! I love to experience the different flavors that each destination has to offer, from casual street food to gourmet restaurant dining. I’m also passionate about learning about the local history and culture.
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