[GB] MW Hayastan Deskmats

ESTIMATE SHIPPING - Q4 2023

One of the oldest countries & civilizations in history

Armenia, the first country to accept Christianity as its state religion, in 301 AD. For the sake of Christianity, the Armenian people disposed of their previous belief/religion - Zoroastrianism. Thousands of years of records, culture, and history were burned and destroyed in the name of Christianity. Gregory the Illuminator converted the Armenian king, Tirdates the Great, to Christianity and spread the gospel message to Armenians. Nonetheless, the adoption of Christianity was a momentous chapter in Armenian history. In the 5th century AD, Mesrop Mashtots - a scholar and clergyman, reintroduced the Armenian alphabet that had been lost with the primary purpose of allowing the common people to read the Bible and other Christian text in their spoken language. Thereafter, the Armenian church gained influence over the culture, literature, and education of Armenia - with support of the state. The Armenian people embraced their conversion to Christianity and it became deeply rooted within themselves and Armenia. Unfortunately, this new religion put a target on the backs of Armenians.

In 1915, under the cover of WWI, the Ottoman Turks began to eradicate the Christian Armenian population that had coexisted with them for years - these heinous crimes later became known as the Armenian Genocide, the first genocide of the modern era. In the end, approximately 1.5 million Armenians were killed. In the years to follow, Armenia was subject to become a satellite state of the Soviet Union. However, Armenia decided to secede from the Soviet Union and declared its independence on September 23rd, 1991. To this day, Armenia fights for its right to live as a Christian nation in what is left of its historic lands. Land-locked between enemy countries who threaten the first Christian nation in the world, Armenia finds itself in a constant battle to protect the Armenian culture, history, and the Christian religion. Nonetheless, the Armenian people are proud of their culture and religion. Modern-day Yerevan, the capitol of Armenia, is a tech hub that is exponentially growing. Moreover, tourism has brought a myriad of people to Armenia, as well as corporations and companies. Throughout the years, one thing remains certain - the rich culture and history of Armenia will always be proudly defended by the Armenian people.